History

The site occupied by Wilmington Grammar School for Girls is rich in history and one of the special features of this school is the array of quirky buildings and mixture of old and new. The School is situated on both sides of Parsons Lane. Wilmington Grange is a beautiful old building, in which the administrative offices and the library are currently located.  In 1754 it was called The Orchard, was later mapped as the site of Wilmington Workhouse in the early 1800’s but was purchased by Kent County Council in 1954, before becoming a school for Girls which opened its doors in 1962. Behind The Grange is a more modern building, which has grown in size over the years and is still undergoing significant growth to provide room to educate the ever increasing number of students wishing to attend the school.

On the opposite side of Common Lane is Wilmington Manor. This building first received a mention in the 12th Century and was later part of the manorial property of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick. Past newspaper accounts have also associated it with Dick Turpin.  We are very lucky to have such a historically interesting building as part of our school premises.