In 1941 the first Outward Bound school, a sea school, was founded at Aberdovey, Merioneth, by Kurt Hahn, headmaster of Gordonstoun, and Lawrence Holt, chairman of the Blue Funnel Line, providing month-long courses for teenage boys. The Outward Bound Trust (OBT) was formed in 1946 to take over the school and establish others, one of which was the Outward Bound Mountain School (OBMS) in Eskdale, Cumberland. This was opened in 1950, with A.S. Arnold-Brown as its first Warden.
The OBMS offered boys from mainly urban backgrounds the opportunity to gain experience in mountaineering, fell walking, canoeing, and other strenuous activities, with the aim of encouraging physical fitness, personal initiative and the development of skills in leadership and teamwork. The boys were sponsored by their parents, employers or local education authorities. The first course for girls was held in October 1951.
Adam Sebastian Arnold-Brown was educated at Gordonstoun School, 1934-1937, and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, 1946-1949, and served as an officer of the Royal Scots Fusiliers from 1940 to 1946. At Kurt Hahn's suggestion he applied for the wardenship of the OBMS and was appointed in July 1949. Arnold-Brown played a major role in the school's establishment at Gatehouse, a property in Eskdale purchased by the OBT from Lord Rea, and ran its courses from March 1950 until his departure in May 1953.
From the guide to the Adam Arnold-Brown: Outward Bound Mountain School Papers, 1928-1991, (Cambridge University Library, Department of Manuscripts and University Archives)
