▁Parker ▁fund ▁lands ▁had ▁led ▁to ▁increases ▁from ▁£ 4 9 ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 7 ▁to ▁£ 1 3 4 ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 9 , ▁but ▁the ▁council ▁also ▁turned ▁down ▁an ▁offer ▁from ▁one ▁James ▁Hall ow ay ▁to ▁rent ▁the ▁estate ▁for ▁£ 2 0 5 . ▁Thomas ▁Bre eds , ▁another ▁prominent ▁local ▁man , ▁applied ▁to ▁the ▁High ▁Court ▁of ▁Ch anc ery ▁arg uing ▁that ▁the ▁funds ▁were ▁being ▁impro per ly ▁admin ister ed , ▁with ▁the ▁result ▁that ▁he ▁himself ▁r ented ▁them ▁for ▁£ 2 1 0 , ▁no ▁higher ▁bid ▁being ▁received ▁at ▁a ▁public ▁au ction . ▁The ▁exp enses ▁of ▁the ▁case ▁were ▁paid ▁by ▁the ▁funds , ▁with ▁the ▁result ▁that ▁the ▁Sau nd ers ▁school ▁had ▁to ▁close ▁for ▁five ▁years , ▁but ▁afterwards ▁two ▁separate ▁master s ▁were ▁appointed . ▁ ▁The ▁two ▁were ▁perman ently ▁re - mer ged ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁together ▁with ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Mag d alen ▁trust , ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁H ast ings ▁Gram mar ▁School ▁Foundation . ▁A ▁Victor ian ▁Goth ic ▁Rev ival ▁building ▁was ▁constructed ▁by ▁John ▁How ell ▁& ▁Son ▁to ▁the ▁design ▁of ▁J ef fer y ▁& ▁Sk iller ▁on ▁a ▁slope ▁over looking ▁H ast ings , ▁at ▁Stand en ' s ▁High ▁Field ▁which ▁became ▁Nelson ▁road , ▁and ▁occupied ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 8 8 3 . ▁The ▁school ▁was ▁originally ▁designed ▁as ▁a ▁central ▁tower