A school built in the 60's or 70's of the last century, a time when schools had resident caretakers, caretakers who did all kinds of work in and around their schools and were indispensable for their smooth running. Expected and ready to turn out at all kinds of odd times. So they were housed on the spot, just like the park keepers of old.
The situation down Longmead Road is confused in that there also used to be a Bishopsmead primary school, and I think that there used to be three caretaker houses altogether, a pair above Epsom High School and one below. One of the pair was demolished recently in favour of two or three new houses on roughly the same footprint, while the house illustrated above, complete with a short section of chain link fence, was demolished while we were in Ashburton, was the one below. A modest house with a modest garden, which will probably now be replaced by a short terrace.
I have no idea whether the Blenheim School, now occupying the refurbished premises of Epsom High School, still has a resident caretaker.
PS: my own secondary school, rebuilt in the early 60's, had a pair of joined up bungalows, one for the caretaker (a former Desert Rat, as I recall, jobs of this sort being thought fair return for a good war record) and one for the bursar. I am not sure that the bursar was too pleased at having to rub shoulders with the caretaker, but he did get a free or a cheap house out of it. I think the head got an older house nearby, perhaps next to the boarding department.
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