The former Carrow Hill school based on the Norwich street of the same name is up for sale with a guide price of £800,000 to £850,000.

Built in 1864 near the Colman's Mustard factory for its workforce's children, the school stands as a reminder of the welfare standards embraced primarily by Jeremiah James Colman - known as "J.J." - and his wife, Caroline Cozens-Hardy.

The old school building is on the market (Image: Google)

The company built the institution years before compulsory education was introduced.

And from 1871 through to the following year, the school was expanded and a second block of buildings was built.

Carrow School, which was opened in 1864 (Image: Archant)

Francis Isaac Beales then took over as headmaster and introduced new activities such as gardening, physical care, games and domestic economy.

There was also manual instruction in wood carving, Venetian ironwork, clay modelling, carpentry, bee keeping and embossed leather work.

Working on the school allotments at Carrow Hill School in Norwich. (Image: Archant)

The school closed in 1919, and the pupils went to Lakenham Council School on City Road which opened on Armistice Day with members of the Colman family present.

The buildings remained in use by J & J Colman Ltd. for Sunday School and adult schoolwork, entertainment, meetings and research laboratories in the 1960s.

Jeremiah Colman (Image: Newsquest Archive)

The site is also home to a plaque dedicated to the first civilian casualties to die in Norwich by enemy action during the Second World War.

Five women died when German bombs fell on July 9, 1940 during an early raid prior to the Baedeker raids of 1942.

Philip Durrant, left, shakes hands with Ted Sampson after the unveiling of the plaque in 2001 to commemorate the bomb blast at Carrow Hill in 1940 which killed five workmates from Colmans, including Ted's sister Gladys.Photo: Bill SmithCopy: Derek James (Image: EDP © 2001)

All of the women were employees of J & J Colman.

The old school was most recently used as offices for Norwich insurance brokers, Hugh J. Boswell.

The commemorative plaque (Image: Evelyn Simak)

THE ORGINS OF COLMAN'S MUSTARD

Colman's called Norwich its home for more than 160 years, until the city no longer cut the mustard for the condiment company — leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of city people.

The brand, now owned by Unilever, had operated in Norfolk since 1814 and closed its doors for the final time in 2020, after announcing production would be moved to Burton upon Trent in Staffordshire and Germany in 2018. 

Jeremiah Colman, who began making his mustard in the early 1800s, founded the business in 1814 after starting out at a mill in Stoke Holy Cross before moving to a water mill near Bawburgh.

James Colman - Jeremiah's nephew, who he adopted as his son - joined the business in 1823. He played a crucial role in expanding the company and was involved in its management after Jeremiah's death.

The son of James, J. J. Colman, took over the family business after his father's death. He was known for his innovative marketing strategies and social contributions, such as establishing the school for employees' children.

By 1909, the company employed 2,300 people. In 1995, Colman’s became part of Unilever UK Ltd.

© Norwich Evening News