Every year since the 1850s, Hurst students have ascended Wolstonbury Hill to make it one of the school’s oldest traditions.
Last Friday, students and staff in the Senior School, once again, made the four-mile climb up to the Danny (named after the nearby Manor House). On a sunny but crisp autumn afternoon, with the footpaths just dry enough to sustain the 1,000 pairs of feet each way, students were welcomed at the top by the Altar Servers. They were seated in their houses, which was a good opportunity for the different year groups to mix.
In keeping with school tradition, the Eucharist was celebrated and despite the wind, students and staff collectively joined in the singing of two favourite Hurst hymns: Will you come and follow me? and Guide me, o thou great Redeemer. The Crescent boys took a strong lead in the last hymn.
Due to the period of national mourning, the service had a solemn feel to it, yet it was also an occasion to come together as a community and give thanks for Her Late Majesty the Queen. The Sermon on the Mount (literally) was preached by Head of College, Dominic Mott.
“ It was a great occasion, and a fitting way to finish the first full fortnight of the academic year ” Janneke Blokland, Chaplain
Find out more about life at Hurst College Senior School
Read more about Wolstonbury Hill