St Phillan's House, 33 Cupar Road/1-5 Hillside Place

For over 50 years this house was home to St Phillan’s Preparatory School. In the late 1880s this school was established by the Misses Wayman in the house at 33 Cupar Road, and under their leadership young girls were educated up to university entrance. In our photograph the extension on the left was the school gymnasium.

In the early 1930s Miss Davidson took over the school and for the next 23 years Miss Wayman’s school became Miss Davidson’s school. The school educated hundreds of Newport children.

Move to Kilnburn

In the 1940s the school moved to No 10 Kilnburn, and then catered for boys and girls up to age nine. It appears to have been a popular and well respected establishment, with several elderly Newport residents of recent years recalling their happy school days there. After Miss Davidson’s retiral in 1953 the school was taken over by Mrs Dunlop until its closure in 1959.

The name St Phillan’s House can still be seen on the gate-post at the Hillside place entrance.