The School is located about a mile and a half north-east of the small town of Hardacre End on the North Yorkshire Moors in England. The School is sited in an exposed position on a rocky scarp, and dominates the local skyline. The building is surrounded to the west by thousands of acres of virtually uninhabited moors, and to the east by a dense forest of birch trees. The School's only neighbours are a few isolated farms.

Parents of wayward girls will appreciate the virtues of the School's location - incidents of absconding are pleasingly rare. The neighbouring farmers, the residents of Hardacre End, and the local police, as well as the crews of the local Omnibus Company, are ever-vigilant for a sighting of a "girl from the Hall out of bounds without a note". An attractive reward system ensures that runaway girls are soon returned to the bosom of the School.

In writing about the area, some commentators have described the townsfolk of Hardacre End as "surly, primitive, and probably inbred". Certainly, no person of any refinement would want to be detained among such company. When pupils are taken to the town, for such necessities as visits to the doctor or dentist, their uniforms, particularly the hats with hatbands proclaiming the School's mission: "Punishment-Reform-Education" can occasion much ribaldry among the town's youths, if encountered. Nevertheless, incidents of rock-throwing have become gratifyingly rare in recent years.

The prevailing wind from the North Sea ensures that the weather in this part of the British Isles is no more than clement, even at the height of summer. In winter, the weather can be best described as "bracing". Combined with the spartan conditions of the Hall, this provides an environment that is most conducive to engendering a sense of resigned suffering among the pupils. In the summer, girls are permitted to bathe in the nearby Hardacre Beck (stream) as a reward for good behaviour. In the winter, the ice is occasionally broken and a girl required to bathe in the Beck as a matter of punishment.

Hardacre End - Click here for more information about the town

Hardacre Moor - Click here to read a short story from the Pickering Beacon

Getting Here

The School is easily reached. A journey of no more than six hours on the railways from London King's Cross Station will bring you to Pickering (changing trains at York). The North Yorkshire Omnibus Company runs a service on most days (twice on market days) from Pickering via Wrelton and Hardacre End to Rosedale Abbey.

Click here for illustrations of Getting Here

Once alighted in Hardacre End, you will find Reformatory Lane as a turning off the main road to the North of the town. The paved road branches after High Farm and terminates at Low Muffles, supposedly named after the noises that can be heard from the School on most nights. A rough track, passable by motor vehicles in most months, continues across Hardacre Beck and into the School's grounds.

Where To Stay

Regrettably, the School is unable to provide overnight accommodation to visiting parents. However, the The "Cock" Inn in Hardacre End offers comfortable accommodations and an excellent cuisine.

Click here for more information about The Cock Inn

For those who require to stay in the vicinity on a longer term, the Cottage at Rigg End Farm can be rented on a weekly basis. The Cottage is owned by Mr and Mrs Ramsbottom, Janitor and Housekeeper at Hardacre Hall.

Click here for more information about Rigg End Farm