Montreal Infant and Junior School, Cleator Moor, Cumbria
The original Montreal Schools were built in 1866 in the High Street by John Stirling, owner of the Montreal Iron Ore Mines. The buildings included a 98 foot high clock tower. In 1946 these buildings had to be abandoned and then demolished due to subsidence of Crowgarth mine. The children were dispersed to a number of different schools. In 1951 the Infant and Junior children came back together at the Wath Brow site in a set of prefabricated school buildings. This image is one of a set of photographs that seem to have been taken soon after opening. These appear to be Juniors sat, in the style of 1950s education, at twin desks all facing the teacher. In 1986 new Junior and Infant schools were built at Ennerdale Road to replace the prefabricated buildings. In 2000 the Infant and Junior schools joined to form Montreal Church of England Primary School. This photograph comes from the John Laing Company Archive.
