The 'Round School', (now The Study), Camp Road, Wimbledon Common

Image: © Stefan Czapski Taken: 12 Feb 2011

In plan this old school building resembles an octagonal frying-pan, with the 'handle' pointing westward. I had long imagined that the radial plan owed something to the 'Inspection Principle' of the 18th century philosopher, Jeremy Bentham. Bentham believed that even the most depraved human being could be reformed if isolated from evil influence in a disciplined environment. He proposed radial-plan prisons for this purpose - an idea which was to have considerable influence in the 19th century. But - a plaque on the wall says that the Round School was built in 1758. Jeremy Bentham would have been all of 10 years old . . . So the question remains: did he ever know of the building, and was it an influence on his thinking ? See: Image I have faint memories of the school before it was remodelled in the 1970's. Its appearance was much less suburban, more 'institutional', surrounded by a paved yard and railings. The 'panhandle', I believe, was originally single-storey, and open to the elements - forming a sort of porch.

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