A what ? On May 24th 1912, shortly after sunrise according to the inscription on her gravestone, Margaret Dorothy Wilson, Peggy as she was known, the only child of Annabella Margaret and Col. Richard Henry Francis Wharton Wilson DSO, died. She was 18 years old. Col. Wilson was the owner of the Kildwick estate, which he had inherited from his grandfather Sir Mathew Wilson in 1891. A short while after Peggy's death, Col. Wilson made a gift of the field opposite the school for use as a playing field in her memory; and, on November 7th 1924, went a step futher and provided a gazebo built on the field. The Kildwick School log book records the formal hand-over: Nov. 7th - Colonel Wilson DSO, Lord of the Manor, came to Kildwick today and presented the Gazebo on the recreation ground to the children of the village. The gazebo has been erected in memory of Miss Peggy Wilson, his only daughter. The Craven Herald (November 14th 1924) felt it had to explain: A Useful Gift - Col. Wilson DSO, together with his agent J.W. Broughton, and a party of friends, visited the village on Friday morning. The object of their visit was the presentation of a Gazebo to the village. The Gazebo (a word meaning look-out) is a substantial building which has been erected in the school recreation ground. The ground floor is intended for a shelter for the children, and the upper floor, which is fitted with window seats, as a resting place for older people. Just a few days later, on the 24th, the gazebo was pressed into service when staff and pupils arrived at the school to find that the heating system's boiler was over-heating and could not be switched off. Worried about their safety, the headmaster, Tom Appleby, had some of the younger pupils taught in the gazebo for the rest of the morning, until the situation could be resolved. Thereafter, the school log book frequently records the use of the gazebo as an outdoor classroom, particularly in the summer months. The History Group has just one photograph of the gazebo in its archive. Sadly it has suffered some water damage, but has been digitally restored for us by the efforts of Dr. John Laycock of the Keighley and District Digital Archive. It is thought that the gazebo was demolished, without any prior discussion, by Rev. Selby in the 1950s. The playing field is currently operated as a charity.
Updated: 28/05/2022 |