Historic school buildings where famous folk learned are up for sale

Anyone with a spare £1 million or so might be interested in the magnificent Ryhope Road buildings, Carlton House or Langham Tower.

Both Victorian mansions were part of Sunderland High School. The school was open between 1883 and 2016, when it was forced to close due to dwindling student numbers, which had fallen to around 280 from 580 in 2006.

Sunderland High School was formerly Sunderland Church High School. Parents, students and staff were left stunned at the announcement four years ago that it was to close after 133 years of education in the city.

Famous former pupils include the journalist Kate Adie, agony aunt Denise Robertson and the poet Eileen O’Shaughnessy, who was also the wife of George Orwell.

Carlton House was also the birthplace of George Maling, who has a blue plaque there. His First World War heroics made him the only person from Sunderland to earn a Victoria Cross.

The five-bedroom, stone-built property was built in 1850 when it was named Nicholson House after William Nicholson, who made his fortune supplying copper, brass and iron fittings for the shipbuilding industry.

Planning permission was granted in February 2019 for a change of use to two homes.

A few yards away is the three-floor, Tudor-styled Langham Tower, which was originally built in 1889 and notable for its magnificent wooden staircase and stained glass windows.

It was used as a teacher training college from 1922, before becoming part of Sunderland Polytechnic, later University, in 1975. It was taken over by Sunderland High School in 2006, until the school’s closure a decade later.

Langham Tower now has planning permission for the change of use from a school to a hotel. This would include a restaurant and bar on the ground floor, seven en-suite guest rooms on the first floor, with management accommodation on the second.

Both properties are Grade II listed buildings. Estate agents Bradley Hall have an asking price of £999,950 for Langhan Tower.

Carlton House is also on sale for £999,950; or alternatively for £699,950 with individual development plots with planning available for £399,950.

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