History Trail 5 - Hampass and the site of the first Sadberge School

Hampass is on the east side of the church.  Now a grassed area used for recreation. In ancient times there used to be a moat surrounding the site of the current church. Part of this was remembered in the 1950s as in Hampass. It is thought to be so-named from its origins in Viking times as a ‘pass’ possibly cross the church moat to ‘ham’ an ancient word for home, or to the northern Roman Road the Rykenield Street. There is some evidence of this along what is now Sedgefield Road. There have been various working buildings on Hampass in earlier years and as part of Town Farm.

The first school in Sadberge was built in the southeast corner of the ancient churchyard and Hampass in 1799 - 1868. When this fell into disrepair, it was superseded by the new school, built on the current site at the village hall.

Two conditions in the contract for the work were that on the south east corner, the builder had to make a path from the vestry to the vicarage approached by steps.