Tunbridge Wells - Skinners School
St Johns Road : TN4 9PG
Tunbridge Wells - Skinners School : Image credit Wiki Commons The Skinners were a City Guild of animal skinners who had a benevolent interest in education. The Skinners school in Tunbridge Wells opened in October 1887 with 53 day boys, boarding facilities were introduced in 1894. Skinners was a fee-paying school until the late 1940's.

St John's Cycling Club held their athletic sports at the track of Skinners School on Easter Monday 1900, local tradesmen and residents donated prizes for the racing events. There were five bicycle races over distances from a half to three miles and the main attraction was the 3 miles scratch race for the Challenge Cup. Poor weather kept the attendance down to a thousand people. Later in the year, on August 22nd, an evening race meeting was held by St Johns at Skinners.

In the following year, the St John's Easter meeting had to be held at Nevill ground because Skinners track was too waterlogged. The event proved more successful with 2,000 spectators.


Refs     : [p]
Photos : Wiki Commons