A SPECIAL DAY OUT IN HUTTON POPLARS COURTESY OF BBC ESSEX "QUEST" PROGRAMME

Barry,  Sylvia,  Liana  at Hutton Poplars today

 Lots of fun today taking part in BBC Essex Quest programme with new friends Liana and Barry who ended their latest search for today's mystery location in Essex or more specifically, Poplars Hall in Rayleigh Road, Hutton.  

As many regular readers know, this building is one of my favourites, with an interesting history linked to George Lansbury the Member of Parliament who in 1905/6 put forward the idea of building a special residential school for many of the poor young children in his East London constituency of Poplar. Additionally, he wanted to give them a chance of learning a trade and this lovely 100-acre piece of Essex meadow and woodland became the healthy home for thousands of youngsters over the next eighty years. 

In  1982, the school closed and the land has now been turned into housing, but still the central greensward exists and the lovely building used once as a dining hall remains. The actual school building is, these days, the Mid Essex Adult Community College, but in its day the residential school was a model for other similar ventures in England and often brought royalty to visit. Queen Mary travelled to Hutton to take a look for herself in 1918.

It's good the lovely building, once the dining hall, is still used and kept in very good order by Brentwood Borough Council as a reminder of all those children who lived and learnt at this remarkable residential home. 

More information about other interesting places can be found in my latest book  BRENTWOOD IN 50 BUILDINGS published by Amberley Books.