BINGLEY Ladies Teacher Training College, located at Lady Lane, Bingley, was opened by West Riding County Council in 1911 as a result of Government intervention formalising the training of women teachers.
* Commissioning the College: The County Council had spent considerable time inspecting as many as 50 sites in what was a keen struggle for selection. In January 1908, the Bingley Chronicle reported that after consideration of a short list of 11 sites (at Baildon, Bingley, Brighouse, Calverley, Elland, Gildersome, Haworth, Otley, Sandal, Shipley, and Stainland), Bingley had been recommended by the County Council, as the site for the new college.
* Rivalry: Rivalry to provide a site also brought with it undercurrents of grumbling about cost and consequent extravagance of the project. At stake was the commercial potential for each area to benefit from the stimulus in local trade that would be provided by 200 young female students being added to the local population. The eventual total cost of land, buildings and equipment for the college was £80,648.
* The Site: Bingley Grammar School had purchased what became known as Lady House Farm around 1570 and owned it from then until 1908, when the school sold the land for £1,500 to the County Council.
The site consisted of meadowland and farm buildings and was described at the time as lying pleasantly on the sunny slope that encloses Bingley to the North, occupying a commanding position overlooking the valley, with a sweep of moorland above. In June, 1908, sketch plans for the proposed hostels and main block were considered and passed.
* The Buildings: In total, seven buildings were erected, namely the main college building (lecture rooms and a main hall), five halls of residence, a bath block, a bakehouse, gymnasium, boiler rooms and washhouse. The residential halls were named after prominent educationalists across history, namely Hild, Alcuin, Ascham, Priestley, and Acland.
* The Principal and First Students: Helen Wodehouse, the first Principal arrived in Bingley a month before the students and took a room at the Midland Hotel (now Maverick’s)
One of the first students later reminisced: “In October 1911 about one hundred of us came to Bingley. On a warm sunny day we had our first sight of the lovely buildings on the hill and we were charmed. There was a spaciousness that was wonderful. We each had a room of our own; the views were inspiring. There were trees and a stream meandering through the grounds. It was a peaceful setting in a peaceful England, three years before the outbreak of the First World War.”
The College was opened in October 1911. One of the most remembered speeches was by the new Principal who ended her speech by concluding that she hoped that: “Mental fresh air and mental sunshine would be developed in the students through their association with green woods and purple moors and the sight of a valley full of stars at night”.
Those latter words and image would be included in the College Song (1914) and repeated by students across the years to describe the beauty of the College location.
By 1912, 200 female students a year were attending the College. It remained a Ladies College until 1964 when both female and male students were recruited . In 1965 the College name was changed to Bingley College of Education.
* Notable College Activities up to 1944: Teacher Training placements were carried out at schools throughout West Yorkshire. Summer schools (now known as Forest Schools), for local children were held in the College grounds from 1918. An Education Week was held in 1924 to profile collaboration between the College and local schools.
Between 1914 and 1939 staff and students were also involved in Suffragette and League of Nation activities and Peace Rallies activities .During World War 2 Edge Hill College, Liverpool was evacuated to Bingley.
* Later Changes: From 1964, additional activities such as Outdoor Activities Studies and American Studies were added to the curriculum. Students were also accommodated throughout the Bingley area, adding to the commercial prosperity of the town.
Government changes in Education led to the demise of the College and it closed in 1979. The majority of old College buildings are now luxury apartments.
* Keeping in Touch: Past students are active in organising year group reunions and keeping in touch through Facebook Bingley College of Education Where are You Now and their Friends of Bingley College website.
* Alan’s book Bingley A Living History is available from Luscombes, Bingley, and Bingley Post Office.
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