1904, Crichel House
1904, Crichel House Ref: 52745
Memories of 1904, Crichel House
Crichel House During The War Years
Dumpton House (Preparatory) School was evacuated to Crichel during the Second World War from Broadstairs in Kent. My older brother (Paul Cremer) was already at the school and due to the war my parents sent me (Jonathan Cremer) to the school at Crichel House in May 1940 when I was only seven years old. I loved Crichel. Everything about it seemed magical to me as a 7-year-old - the house itself, the village, the lake with its quaint boathouse and swans' nests, the beautiful cedar trees with their very special smell, the grass tennis court with all the sweet smelling camomile flowers on the grassy banks surrounding it, the crystal-clear stream with all its wonderful watercress, the dining hall with its enormous chandelier, the wonderful portico where we did PE, the beautiful Italian Garden so good for relay races, the unbelievably squalid 'ink room' in the basement, the fantastically beautiful and elaborately decorated lavatories with seats 4-feet wide, the majestically long gallery on the top floor, the sumptuously red-carpeted... Read more
Crichel House & local memories
Read and share memories of Crichel House and Dorset inspired by Frith photos.
School Days
Dumpton School had moved to Crichel from Broadstairs in Kent on the outbreak of the Second Wolrd War. I have vivid memories of my time as a schoolboy at Crichel, attending Chapel, rambling in the grounds, swimming in the large round canvas fire tank, lots of cricket and of course the wonderful interior of the house itself. We ate in a large dining room and slept in large rooms on the first floor. I recall overlooking the beautiful Italian gardens to the side of the house facing towards the huge lake. The sight of the geese and swans coming in to land was magical. I remember the air raids and having to go down into the basement. I was slippered for running. Many years later I returned to Crichel and was allowed to pick up for Toby Martin. Shortly after the end of the war Dumpton moved to Gaunts House near Wimborne and the girls school Cranborne Chase moved in.
