We visited Rugby School an elite public school reserved only for the wealthy. This is Peter and Ruth. They are dear friends from Rugby Church. It is regarded (Wikipedia states) as one of the UK's leading bording schools and is one of the oldest public schools in England. Rugby School was founded in 1567 as a provision in the will of, Lawrence Sheriff, who had made his fortune supplying groceries to Queen Elizabeth I of England.
According to Wikipedia, It is one of the nine English public schools as defined by the Public Schools Act 1868 and one of a handful of prominent English Public Schools that can be said to have created the ideal of the Victorian gentleman and the importance of public schools as the training ground for service in the Empire in the nineteenth century.
The influence of Rugby and its pupils and masters in the nineteenth century was enormous and in many ways the stereotype of the English public school is a reworking of Arnold's Rugby. Don’t you just love Wikipedia? This school is full of history.
Before indoor plumbing, all of the students had to come out here to wash up. Talk about cold mornings!
This school is still known as one of the best in the country and seen as a leading innovator in education.
Look at that doorway!
The famous Dr. Arnold.
What a view...
Before they graduated, all the students carved their names on their school desks. They would have gotten in trouble if they got caught, but it was something of a tradition among the students. Some of these students became famous.
What a beautiful classroom!
This is where they hold chapels, and that is the organ that I am looking at. Wow.
Here is William imitating William Web Ellis (1806 –1872) who people claim invented the game of Rugby. He is said to have been tired of kicking the ball, so he decided to pick it up and run with it. That was the beginning of Rugby. He must have had a lot of influence to just change the game rules on a whim!
…and that is William being tackled by Frans.
What a stud-muffin!
This is John Wycliffe’s Church. The Catholic Church hated him so much that they had his bones dug up from his grave, burned them, and the ashes were thrown into the Swift River. Wow, that is a lot of hate. Good thing we don’t have to fear what man can do to our body. Wycliffe’s was with the Lord at that time.
Of course, they love those pulpit pictures. The architectural structure in this building is amazing! A ton of work went into building it.
There I am…climbing again. Don’t you just love stairs??
We climbed up to see where the bell is rung. It used to be rung manually by ropes, but it is now mechanically run.
We then climbed up higher…
...to the roof!
Another great view!
There is William next to the steeple.
At long last, our visit was over, and the church people gathered around us to bid us farewell.
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