Tewin Water School

A school for the deaf

By Melissa Ames

Modern Schooling
Tewin Water School

Tewin Water School was a school for the deaf, situated in the Digswell area of Hertfordshire. The building was initially constructed in 1689, and rebuilt soon after.

New legislation

My mum, Diane Ames, was a house mother at Tewin Water School from September 1979 to February 1986. She can remember a piece of education legislation that was passed in 1983, with the intention of integrating disabled children into normal schools. After this change, she remembers, for the children sent to Tewin Water School , deafness was a secondary condition to other physical and/or emotional problems. The school was moved in 1998 to Monk’s Walk School in Welwyn Garden City, and was later renamed Knightsfield School .

This page was added on 03/11/2009.

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  • I was a pupil at St Johns School Digswell in the early 1970’s and remember not just Swimming in the pool at Tewin Water but also attending the annual pantomime performed by the Tewin Water pupils. The teachers had the unenviable task of herding the entire school across a two plank bridge over the Mimram and along a muddy path to Tewin water lane to avoid the busy traffic on what was at the time the A1000 road (the A1M was just being built at the time).

    By Steve S (30/10/2021)
  • I went to Monks Walk School in the early days as parts were still being built. That indoor pool wasn’t ready initially and we had to go to Tewin Water for lessons. All I remember is the cold!

    By Jonathan Kinghorn (04/03/2021)
  • I was a pupil at Welwyn St. Mary’s in the 60’s and remember swimming at Tewin Water and being fascinated by this lovely hidden building. I was never smacked on my bottom. As soon as Hatfield swimming pool opened we went there. Bit of a difference. Also went to Monk’s Walk and luxury, it had its own indoor pool. At least Tewin Water still exists sadly it is the modern world that these beautiful old buildings are luxury apartments.

    By Yasmin Stark (13/03/2018)
  • When I was a pupil at Welwyn St Mary, Class 1A 1966, we used to go there for swimming lessons. Mr Matthews and Mr Thurlow were our teachers. They used to wack us on our bottoms with wet towels when we came out of the pool. I never did get my mile certificate for swimming round that pool over 45 times! When we all transferred to the new Monks Walk school, the pool there was so much nicer, warm and clean, though we all still got smacked on our bottoms on the way to the new showers.

    By John Hogarth (25/06/2013)
  • I remember going to tewin to learn to swim in the 60’s with Monks Walk until we got the swimming pool built. I never learnt to swim either but I used to freeze to death in the water. lol.

    By Shelley Blee (20/07/2012)
  • I was at this school from 1964 to 1967 my class teacher was Mr Macdowald, Have lots of memories. Sad to see the old school is now apartment home.

    By Alan J Gray (25/03/2012)
  • I remember going there in the late 1950s with my school St.Michaels P.S. Woolmer Green we went on swimming lessons to the outdoor pool, I never learnt to swim but I loved going there.

    By Isabel Creighton (09/02/2012)