History of Alban Roe House
Alban Roe House was built in 1916, as the Preparatory School at Ampleforth College, although the Chapel wing was delayed and added after the First World War. It became the Junior House in 1930.
Numbers increased a lot in the twenties. When Gilling Castle was purchased in 1930, the Preparatory School was divided: boys under 11 moved to the Castle, the older boys becoming the Junior House. In 1965 Fr Patrick Barry, now Headmaster of the College, proposed that Gilling should become a normal prep-school with a full age range of 8-13, while Junior House provided for entry to the College at 11+, thus linking to the Primary system. The change was made in 1973, so that commitments already in place eight years before would not be effected.
Twenty years later entries in this age group were falling, so Junior House and Gilling were amalgamated into Ampleforth College Junior School, using additional building at Gilling.
Part of Junior House was at first used for MA Theology studies, and some staff accomodation,and for two years it served as the College central kitchen and refectories, while the existing ones were rebuilt. It is now used for educational school retreats, but the former refectory still has the panelling and the names of the past pupils who were killed in the second World War.