Description:Five boys in the new gymnasium at Cotton College, near Alton.
Cotton Hall was built in the 18th century by the Gilbert family. In 1844 it was sold to the Earl of Shrewsbury and it was converted into a monastery for the monks of the Order of Passion. In 1868 it became a preparatory school for Sedgley Park School and in 1873 Sedgley Park senior school transferred to Cotton. The buildings were extended in 1874-5, 1886-7 and 1931-2. The school closed in about 1986 and the buildings were left derelict.
Photographer: Gerald McCann of High Street, Uttoxeter.