Discover The Story Of The Percival Guildhouse

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A century of learning, community and vision, brought to life through the heritage forums.

Hidden away for decades in the basement of the Percival Guildhouse, a treasure trove of archives, including documents, photographs, programmes and letters, has been rediscovered. Now, to coincide with the Guildhouse’s 100th Anniversary, these materials are being carefully catalogued, conserved and shared with the public for the very first time.

Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Percival Guildhouse Archive Project is uncovering a century of stories that shaped both the Guildhouse and the town of Rugby itself.

Join the Heritage Forums

From October 2025 to May 2026, a series of six free Heritage Forums will be held at the Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, each exploring a different chapter in the Guildhouse’s remarkable story.

These sessions are open to everyone. No booking required.

Why Attend

These forums are more than talks. They are living explorations of local history.

Using original archival materials, researchers and community historians will bring to life the people, ideas and movements that made the Guildhouse a cornerstone of adult education for 100 years.

You’ll have the chance to:

See and handle rare archival documents and photographs
Hear about Dr Percival’s vision and the post-WWI ideals that inspired the Guildhouse’s founding
Learn how the Guildhouse became “The Thinking Shop of Rugby” – a centre for debate, creativity and lifelong learning

This is your invitation to reconnect with the values that helped build modern Rugby.

Saving Heritage, Inspiring the Future

Much of The Percival Guildhouse’s story has survived only in files and boxes. Through cataloguing, digitisation and public engagement, this project is ensuring that these records are preserved for future generations and remain accessible to all.

The Heritage Forums form a vital part of this work, opening up the archives, encouraging community dialogue and celebrating the enduring role of The Percival Guildhouse in the life of Rugby.

The Early Foundations

The first Heritage Forum, which took place on 17th October, explored John Percival, a former headmaster of Rugby School, and the founding of the Percival Guildhouse in 1925.

The Guildhouse was established to promote learning in Rugby, and its core ideals have remained much the same over the past 100 years. It was ex-pupils of Rugby School who purchased the Grade II listed building on St Matthew Street, once home to the antiquarian Matthew Bloxam, creating a permanent space for Percival’s vision of making education and learning accessible to all.