THOUSANDS of children passed through its doors, and these pictures show what one of Knutsford’s old schools looked like before it was knocked down.

John Baguley, of Mansion Drive, found these pictures he had taken in 1976 of the old Cross Town School on Mobberley Road.

The school taught girls and boys, and was used just as an infants’ school towards the end of its life.

“I went to the school in the mid 60s, and was there from 1964 until it closed in 1966,” said John.

“When it closed they switched the teachers to the new school on Manor Park North. But people still used to go in and hold jumble sales, and it was used quite a bit until it closed in 1980.

“The classrooms were heated by coal fires, and the milkmen used to leave the milk outside for morning break-time.

“It often needed to be thawed out by the fireside during extreme frosts.”

The school was then demolished, and in its place is the Church Mews housing development.

“It was all wood inside, and at the time it was built that was probably a big thing,” John added.

“It must have been built around the 1860s and my father went there as well as he grew up in nearby Middle Walk.

“It didn’t have any dining facilities for pupils so the school dinners had to be taken in the Cross Town WI hut on Branden Drive.

“The interior of the building also had walls which moved and made the rooms bigger.

“I only realised after a while that the walls moved, but I just didn’t think when I was small!”

n Did you go to Cross Town? Share your memories with Guardian readers on our website at knutsfordguardian.co.uk, via our letters page by e-mailing yourviews@guardiangrp.co.uk or by writing to the Guardian at 3-6 London Road, Northwich.