HONORIUS

Honorius was Archbishop of Canterbury in the seventh century. His is the oldest and grandest house at STAGS. The White Quad, dating from the tweltfh century, features at its centre the Jerusalem Tree, a cedar tree grown from a seed brought home from the Crusades by Conrad de Warlencourt.

Honorius house colours: a white stag’s head on a ground of red and gold with a cedar tree as a charge.

BEDE

The Venerable Bede was an English Benedictine monk who wrote The Ecclesiastical History of the English People, a draft of which survives in the Scriptorium at STAGS. Bede house incorporates the extensive playing fields known as Bede’s Piece.

Bede house colours: a white stag’s head on a ground of red and blue, with a book as a charge.

OSWALD

Oswald was king of Northumbria from 634, uniting the kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira to become the most powerful ruler in Britain. Oswald did much to promote the spread of Christianity in the north, and fittingly the school chapel can be found in his house.

Oswald house colours: a white stag’s head on a ground of red and green with a crown as a charge.

PAULINUS

Paulinus was a Roman missionary and the first Bishop of York. The Paulinus Well, built during the bishop’s mission to Northumbria in the seventh century, stands in the middle of Paulinus quad. The waters at its depths were said, upon drinking, to turn a sinful man to God.

Paulinus house colours: a white stag’s head on a ground of red and purple with a well as a charge.

LIGHTFOOT

Lightfoot is the girls’ house at STAGS, and is the newest of all the houses, built originally as a dwelling for masters in 1550. It is a handsome Tudor building with its own Garden Quad, and it was first named Aidan’s House. The name was changed when Bishop Joseph Lightfoot of Durham successfully lobbied for the admission of girls in 1880. Since then, Lightfoot House has borne his name.

Lightfoot house colours: a white stag’s head on a ground of red and silver, with a bishop’s mitre as a charge.