The area of Cross Deep is most well-known for previously being the home of Alexander Pope from 1719 until his death in 1744. Alexander Pope was one of the most famous English poets of the early 18th century, known for his translations of Homer's Iliad, the Dunciad and An Essay on Criticism. In 1719 he started building his villa on the Twickenham riverside and got permission to create a tunnel beneath the road, Cross Deep, for access to his garden. The tunnel was known as Pope’s Grotto, and was covered in beautiful shells and decorative rocks and minerals. According to Pope’s Grotto Preservation Trust, this garden, which is now the site of St Catherine’s School, consisted of five acres with ‘a shell temple, a spiral mound, a pineapple house, a vineyard and a kitchen garden.’  This garden ‘would become one of the most important landscapes in the history of European garden design.’ Pope died on 30 May 1744, before finishing the redesign of the Grotto. Pope’s Villa was then demolished in 1808 with the garden being overlaid with housing. The Grotto is now the only surviving part of Pope’s physical creations.

 

In the 1800s Twickenham housed many people from different walks of life, from large houses of the gentry to rural areas. As innovations in transport, including the introduction of trams in Twickenham in 1902, resulted in cheaper travel, the new home-owning middle class moved in, and the more affluent families started to move out.

 

In the First World War, many were struggling in Twickenham, and the arrival of the Sisters of Mercy to aid the sick and needy in the area and provide an education for the daughters of the middle classes, was very much needed. They went to Twickenham on the request of Canon English of St James’ in Pope’s Grove, as in 1914 his parishioners asked him about the possibility of opening a private girls school in Twickenham. They would commute daily, until they established the St Catherine's Convent in a house on Twickenham Green. This is where the first school was established, but by 1916 its popularity had grown so much that new premises were needed. From then on, St Catherine’s proceeded to change premises three more times: Orford Lodge in Pope’s Grove, Pope’s Villa and Pope’s garden.

 

A large school extension was built in 1928 costing £18,000 with new classrooms and a gymnasium on the site of the garden. By 1934, there were 204 pupils: including 39 boys (aged up to 10) and 77 Catholics. A beautiful Chapel and a new wing for the Sisters were built in 1935, but when WWII arrived in 1939, all expansion had to stop. Whilst some girls were evacuated, many stayed, and used Pope’s Grotto as an air raid shelter, with lessons continuing. Twickenham suffered greatly in the war, with 144 killed, 497 houses completely destroyed and 1378 houses badly damaged. Fortunately, St Catherine’s was unscathed. Sister Mary Hilda became the headmistress in 1946 and from then on, for the next three decades there was always something being planned or built. 

A new era began on Easter Sunday, 1967, when the Sisters began to adopt new habits with shorter veils and were allowed to use their baptismal names instead of their religious names. On 17 November 1969 the swimming pool was opened and St Joseph’s expansion began.  The biggest change was the introduction of men on the staff, the first being Physics teacher, Mr Stigley in 1976. The school uniform was modernised in 1977-78 to the ones we have today, navy pleated skirts and jumpers instead of gymslips. In 1988 the Sixth Form closed because many went to co-education colleges instead. 

 

Sadly, in 1988 the Sisters of Mercy reluctantly decided to leave St Catherine’s, in pursuit of aiding the poor once again. However, luckily, parents of St Catherine’s were so passionate about saving the school that they persuaded them to stay for a little while longer, so that they could set up an educational trust to which St Catherine’s was formally handed over in 1989.  Everything moved onto the garden side of the school and Pope's Villa, on the riverside, was sold in 1994.

 

The 80th anniversary was marked with a feast day mass celebrated by Bishop Pat O’Donoghue and a summer ball. Several events were held to mark the millennium: performances, a pilgrimage to Aylesford Priory by the seniors and a special mass at Ealing Abbey. Mrs Zelma Braganza was headmistress from 2003 to 2007, when a Sister of Mercy, Sr Paula Thomas took over. St Catherine’s was then fortunate enough to meet Pope Benedict XVI when he visited St Mary's University and the surrounding area in 2010.

 

In the present day, there is a Prep and Senior school, as well as a thriving Sixth Form. Led by headmistress Johneen McPherson since 2018, St Catherine’s maintains many school traditions including sports day, school plays and concerts, and exciting trips, whilst also coming up with new ones like St Catherine’s Day, held every summer term. The school of St Catherine's continues the work of the Sisters of Mercy even now, whilst maintaining its historical links with Pope’s Grotto and garden.