The School has a long and fascinating history and today incorporates four schools, plus a convent, in one. It was founded in 1707 by Thomas Thynne (1640 - 1714), who had been created 1st Viscount Weymouth in 1682, to educate the sons of his Longleat estate workers. In 1789, the 3rd Viscount Weymouth was created the 1st Marquess of Bath.
The close links between the School and Longleat are embodied in the Wren Doorway to School House, the original 1707 school building. The doorway is believed to have been designed as the main entrance to Longleat House by Sir Christopher Wren, who was born locally, in 1663 on the occasion of the visit by King Charles II and Queen Catherine. It was then moved to the new school in, or soon after, 1705. The School’s crest remains the arms of the Thynne family.
