Mystery surrounds story of grooves in school walls

A Sleaford headteacher has been keeping pupils under lockdown intrigued with a story of mystery markings at his primary school.
William Alvey Primary School, Sleaford. EMN-200414-095535001William Alvey Primary School, Sleaford. EMN-200414-095535001
William Alvey Primary School, Sleaford. EMN-200414-095535001

William Alvey School headteacher Stephen Tapley told The Standard: “Peter Thornton, one of our old headteachers, wrote in the history of our school, that on the coping stones on the front wall, under what were once bushes, there are marks where children of Victorian times stood, sharpening their slate pencils, before the school bell rang at 9 o’clock in the morning.”

However on further research this has been revealed as not the only possible explanation for the mystery marks.

He said: “Other people have said that the alleged marks were made by itinerant soldiers returning from First World War, who slept outside the school and sharpened their knives on the wall.

Slate pencil marks outside William Alvey School. EMN-200414-095525001Slate pencil marks outside William Alvey School. EMN-200414-095525001
Slate pencil marks outside William Alvey School. EMN-200414-095525001

“I have yet to identify pencil or knife marks but you could take a look on your daily walk to see if you can.”

He also posted the two possibilities on the Sleaford Past website and Nigel Stennett-Cox replied: “It’s within my memory that when Slea View Workhouse still stood and functioned as such, right opposite where we lived, they had a ‘ward’ for ‘tramps’ who trudged the roads of Britain day upon day.

“The poor souls were mostly traumatised and alienated First World War veterans. They could get a bed for the night if they turned up, but then were obliged to stay and work in areas such as the laundry or kitchen prior to being let out at 11.30am the following day.

“I clearly remember them streaming out at that time in their rags. Some came to our door for my mother to fill their billycans, which had tea in, with boiling water.

An old photo of William Alvey School from the days of slates. EMN-200414-095515001An old photo of William Alvey School from the days of slates. EMN-200414-095515001
An old photo of William Alvey School from the days of slates. EMN-200414-095515001

“The sandstone of which the Alvey School wall is made formed an ideal base for them to sharpen the knives they all carried, thereby leaving ‘scallops’ in the outermost edges of the wall. Needless to say, these individuals would have passed the Alvey School in their scores every day.

“When I was of school age every stone had these scallops in, but the last time I was there and looked, all of the horizontal stones had been replaced. However, scalloped ones were still in evidence on the less easily replaced curved stones on the outer edges of the pillars at each end.”

Elaine Lindsey added: “My dad told me that they sharpened their slate pencils on the stone window sills on the right hand side of the old building. When I was a pupil there were grooves in the sills, but when I went to pick up my grandson they had been filled in. The difference in colour can be seen though.”

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