Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Fire at Hatcham Temple Grove School in New Cross

Just - 9 pm - walked past Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham Temple Grove school in Monson Road (formerly Monson Primary School). Firefighters are still on site pouring water on to the building from above, though there are now no flames visible from the road. The main school building seems to have lost its roof completely, and there's clearly a lot of damage inside the building from fire, smoke and water.

According to the London Fire Brigade earlier this afternoon: 'Ten fire engines and around 50 firefighters have been called to a fire in a school on Monson Road, New Cross. It is thought the building is under refurbishment. A large part of the building’s roof is alight. The Brigade was called at 1513. Firefighters from Lewisham, Greenwich, Peckham, Forest Hill, Brixton, Southwark, Old Kent Road and Deptford fire stations are at the scene. The cause of the blaze is unknown at present'.

Haberdashers took over running the primary school a couple of years ago. They have already announced that the school will be closed until further notice and that 'Plans are currently underway to ensure provision is provided from across the Federation sites for all children returning on Wednesday 21st April'. I guess they could put some modular buildings up on their playing field in St Asaph's Road, Brockley, if necessary -though that would take time.

It's too early to assess the damage, but I would be surprized if the school fully opens again this school year, or even this calendar year. The school was originally built by the London School Board in 1882.

(heard about this via Brockley Central twitter - I can just imagine the conspiracy theories that would have flourished among some BC commenters if the fire had been at Gordonbrook primary school, focus of a bitter dispute between the Brockley Society and advocates of a new building there)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was the first and only photographer there.

See the photos:
http://www.xpirex.com/Journalism/Haberdashers-Askes-Htcham/11748780_u8JZT#829474371_8d4G3

Anonymous said...

"I was the first and only photographer there."

Your 191st photo disproves this.

Anonymous said...

not the first photographer if you include using mobile taking pictures xd... on the other side i got a friend that got the picture of the fire before the left roof fell off. only right side of the roof was off at first or collapsing at 4.10pm. It started approx 2.30pm but thought it wouldnt collaspe as fire truck was going to arrive.

Anonymous said...

I think the Mornington Centre is empty and waiting for Lewisham Bridge to decant there again, but I could be wrong about that. And of course there's a decant site ready and waiting over at the Greenvale site in Catford, now that the Gordonbrock decant has been delayed - bit of a trek from NX though.

j.dot singer said...

its soo sad I went to this school, when it was monson nursery till tear 6. and seeing it burning was really heartbreaking....

Anonymous said...

@ garymcq:

I happened to be there when it almost first started. By the time the other photographers arrived (the guy I snapped) the police had moved everyone way back over 40 minutes later.. so really I got the only close up shots when there was only me and the first fire truck had rolled up..

xpirex :))

Anonymous said...

i am one of the pupils at that school and i was deverstated when i saw it on fire. Thank good we wasent in the school at the time