11 JUNE 1937, Page 42

THE HAILEYBURY BUILDINGS By Wilfrid Blunt

Mr. Blunt, who is the art master at Haileybury, has written, illustrated and published (at 3s. 9d. post free) a precise and witty account of the school buildings which is of more than local interest. Wilkins, the architect of the National Gallery, and of :University College, London, built in 104-9 the East India College where cadets were trained for service under the East India Company until i858. Four years later the present school was founded in the College buildings.- "What I set -out to show," says the author, "is that Wilkins gave- - us a fine and dignified place to Jive in, that we have Spent a Century trying, very successfully, to spoil it ; that we are aware at long last of our heritage and are attempting to save what is not past saving." Mr. Blunt proves his case all too clearly, and his indictment deserves attention because many places besides Haileybury have suffered in the same way from stupid builders and their still more foolish clients, influenced by the Ruskinian theory that " Gothic " was the only, style for Chrietian gentle- men.