Busy Bees Nursery on King Harry Lane, Glenalmond in St Albans, Hertfordshire was home to H.C McIlwraith, a director of the White Star Line, who commissioned the building of the Titanic.
Staff at the nursery learnt of the setting’s famous history a few years ago when a historian from Cambridge University came to visit.
According to Busy Bees, much of the décor inside the nursery is similar to that of the Titanic. There is wood panelling surrounding the doors, much like the style used on the Titanic, and a chalk drawing of a ship etched into a wall in the basement. It is believed the drawing was a design for the White Star Line’s next ship.
Nursery manager Ruby Sharma said, ‘I started working here six years ago and wasn’t aware of the setting’s links to the Titanic until a historian from Cambridge visited.
‘There is wood panelling in two rooms and the original tiling still exists in the kitchen.’
An event to mark the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic was held at the nursery for children and their parents. Staff dressed in themed costumes and took visitors on a guided tour of the setting, while children had the chance to take part in ice melting activities, water play and a treasure hunt to find the ‘pearl of the ocean'.
A cheese and wine evening, attended by the Mayoress of St Albans, was also held at the nursery for members of the public to look round.
As well as having links to the Titanic, the nursery was also once used as a base by M16 during World War II to assess and distribute decrypted German communications.