Heyshott Schools.
 
The bungalow called 'Heather View', high on the common above the lower green, was once a Dame's school where the pupils paid for their education. At that time a Mrs. Baker ran the school.
In 1806 it is recorded that 2 children, Mary Hedger, aged 7 and Stephen Hedger, aged 1, were found drowned in an uncovered well on the premises. They were both buried in the Heyshott Church yard in June of that year.
 
We have evidence, in a letter written by Richard Cobden, that Heyshott had no school or school teacher, and he worked hard as a member of Parliament to get education for everyone.
 
In 1840 George, Baron Leconfield, signed over to the Minister and Church-wardens of the Parish of Heyshott a piece of ground on which to build a school. The plan was for a building housing 60 children and although it is not dated it may well be between 1840 and 1860. Before building commenced, a management committee was formed consisting of Richard Cobden, Charles Challen, James Challen, [farmers of Heyshott] and Richard Fisher Esquire of Woollavington. There were many regulations with which the committee had to comply. Two of which are of interest, one to give 12/- to the school funds, and two, to be members of the Church of England. This document was signed, sealed and delivered by Roger G. Turner, Collin Henry Mills and Benjamin Newell dated 7th May 1863.
This school plan was never executed. However in 1863 a school was built on the upper green by public subscription, the greater part of which was given by Lord Leconfield.
 
It was built of flint and brick with a tiled roof; it had a Bell Cove, but when in 1933 it was enlarged by only a few feet to the south, this was not rebuilt. The south porch was extended at the same time.
 
The school was originally heated by a large open hearth, but later was divided by a movable screen and then each room was heated by an iron stove. A third room to the east, the infants room, was also heated by an iron stove.
The playground was the green on which it was built, which was uneven and steeply sloping, with a gorge in it to the east at the bottom of which ran a shallow wide ditch. This gorge has now been filled in.
From the school, to the north is one of the best views of the church. The school teachers house was the southern one of 2 cottages on the west side of the lane opposite the school; these were both farm cottages being attached to Berrywood Farm. They had slate roofs, but the slates were taken off and re-sold and the roofs tiled and the houses modified before the 1939-45 war. This remained the school house until well after the war.
The school had about 40 children on its register until it was closed down in 1951, when the younger children were transported by bus to school in Graffham, the next village to the east. The older children went to the new secondary school in Midhurst.
In 1965 the school and premises were made over to the trustees of the Cobden Club by Lord Cowdray and became the Cobden Club Hall.