Wye College
Encyclopedia
The College of St. Gregory and St. Martin at Wye, more commonly known as Wye College, was an educational institution in Kent
, United Kingdom
. It was founded in 1447 by John Kempe
, the Archbishop
of York, as a college for the training of priests. It is located in the small village of Wye, Kent
, 60 miles (100 km) east of London
in the North Downs
area. In 1894, the school moved to new premises, and the South Eastern Agricultural College was established in the buildings with Alfred Daniel Hall
as principal. In 1898 Wye became a School of Agriculture within the University of London
. Wye College was until 2005 a well-known study and research centre in the fields of Rural business and management, biological sciences, the environment and agriculture. One of its alumni was the gardener Christopher Lloyd
. Another was John Seymour
the widely published exponent of self sufficiency and small scale farming. The College was officially closed by its present owner, Imperial College, London, in September 2009.
On the Downs
east of the village is a crown (hill figure
) carved in the chalk by students in 1902 to commemorate the coronation of Edward VII
.
Several of the older College buildings, such as the Latin School or the Parlour, date from the fifteenth century and the main college buildings are set amidst cloistered quadrangles and gardens. They are protected by a Grade 1 listing.
, climate-controlled growth rooms for plants and insects, and a containment facility for transgenic plants that supported laboratory-based research. There were dedicated laboratories for plant molecular biology
, genomics and gene sequencing, electron microscopy, use of radiochemicals, microbiology, soil analysis, and plant/animal cell culture. Some of these lab facilities have now been removed by Imperial College. There are student halls and other buildings dotted around the village.
Students from all over the world followed undergraduates or postgraduates courses in fields related to agriculture, biology and food marketing. Distance-learning was also headquartered on campus. Numerous conferences and seminars were also run for professionals, and short-term students. Some of the better know academics teaching on campus included Prof. Michael Redclift (Emeritus, King's College London); Prof Ken Giller (Wageningen University), and Nick Russell, formerly Bridge Wardens' Professor of microbiology,
In 2000 Wye College lost its status as a College within the federal University of London
and merged with Imperial College London
, renamed as Imperial College at Wye. While there was some opposition, the reasons cited were financial and pragmatic, and Imperial agreed to keep agricultural teaching and research on the campus. It did wish to move the social scientists and economists to London, and this forced several staff departures.
The first Provost of Imperial College at Wye was Professor Tim Clark. Commenting on his new appointment, Professor Clark said: "Wye College has a well-deserved reputation for excellence in teaching and research. I am looking forward to acting as Wye's champion and helping to preserve and build on all that is so special here."
These and other promises made by Imperial turned out to be unreliable. In 2004, with a new Imperial Rector (Richard Sykes) they announced that the Department of Agricultural Sciences was closing, and that most teaching and research at Wye would end. In 2005 it was announced that Wye College would be converted into a research centre for non-food crops and biomass fuels, with the support (a 'concordat') between Kent County Council
and Ashford
Borough Council. Some 12,500 jobs were promised, but funding for the project remained uncertain, and villagers were kept in the dark about the scale of the proposals until a public meeting organised by Imperial. Opposition quickly began, and leaks of official documents (some of them held at a concealed website to avoid Freedom of Information requests) to a local campaigning website, have shown that the principal aim of the plan, particularly once an industry partner fell through, soon became to raise £100 million for Imperial projects in London by building thousands of houses and commercial developments on protected countryside around Wye that has Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
status. A new motorway link was also proposed. The plan provoked bitter opposition both locally and nationally and was seen as a test case for other attempts to build on AONB land.
On September 15, 2006, Imperial announced it was abandoning the plan altogether after support was withdrawn by Ashford Borough Council following widespread complaints from the public, and the publication by save-wye of a hitherto secret map showing the vast extent of the draft development proposal. The Imperial masterplan was in fact for four thousand homes on the green AONB land.
This decision was hailed by environmentalists as a key victory to preserve the status of Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and for local campaigners it stopped Wye becoming a much larger town. The failed project cost Imperial at least £1 million in professional fees, prompted resignations, and may be the subject of an independent legal inquiry into the actions of the local authorities involved. One legal issue was that all three parties colluded to keep the scale of their draft proposals out of the public eye. There was a project website held by management consultants from where the 'map' of the proposal was eventually leaked.
After this debacle, the University of Kent
agreed to run some undergraduate business management courses from the College buildings in 2007, but this proved short-lived, and Kent's School of Economics and Kent Business School now operates from its main Canterbury site.
The Wye College campus was closed in September 2009 and Imperial College are now seeking to develop the estate or to find suitable tenants for it. Most of the College farmland is currently leased to an ex-Wye College student, Mr. Atwood, until 2019. Most of the buildings are still for rent - an effort by Imperial to sell off Withersdane Hall was halted with Council intervention.
A proposal to restore the agricultural College, with accreditation from the University of Buckingham, was advanced in 2010, but would rely on Imperial releasing freehold buildings that it may still be trying to develop. The loss of Wye College is lamented by many.
used in the brewing of beer
. These new varieties include Challenger, Northdown, Target and Yeoman. This research has now been relocated to nearby Harbledown and operates as Wye Hops Ltd.
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It was founded in 1447 by John Kempe
John Kempe
John William Rolfe Kempe was headmaster of Gordonstoun School from 1968–1978, during the period that The Princes Andrew and Edward arrived at the school. He was a noted mountaineer and a member of the Alpine Club.-Early life:...
, the Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of York, as a college for the training of priests. It is located in the small village of Wye, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, 60 miles (100 km) east of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the North Downs
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
area. In 1894, the school moved to new premises, and the South Eastern Agricultural College was established in the buildings with Alfred Daniel Hall
Alfred Daniel Hall
Sir Alfred Daniel Hall, FRS, sometimes known as Sir Daniel Hall was a British agricultural educationist and researcher.He was born in Rochdale, Lancashire....
as principal. In 1898 Wye became a School of Agriculture within the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. Wye College was until 2005 a well-known study and research centre in the fields of Rural business and management, biological sciences, the environment and agriculture. One of its alumni was the gardener Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Lloyd (gardener)
Christopher Hamilton Lloyd, OBE was a British gardener and author. He was the 20th Century chronicler for the heavily planted, labour-intensive, country garden.-Life:...
. Another was John Seymour
John Seymour (author)
John Seymour was an influential figure in the self-sufficiency movement. Precise categorisation is difficult: he was a writer, broadcaster, environmentalist, agrarian, smallholder and activist; a rebel against: consumerism, industrialisation, genetically modified organisms, cities, motor cars; and...
the widely published exponent of self sufficiency and small scale farming. The College was officially closed by its present owner, Imperial College, London, in September 2009.
Historical interest
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
east of the village is a crown (hill figure
Hill figure
A hill figure is a large visual representation created by cutting into a steep hillside and revealing the underlying geology. It is a type of geoglyph usually designed to be seen from afar rather than above. In some cases trenches are dug and rubble made from material brighter than the natural...
) carved in the chalk by students in 1902 to commemorate the coronation of Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
.
Several of the older College buildings, such as the Latin School or the Parlour, date from the fifteenth century and the main college buildings are set amidst cloistered quadrangles and gardens. They are protected by a Grade 1 listing.
Academic and learning centre
The Wye campus developed from 1894 until 2000. It occupies a 3 km² estate, which includes a farm, managed woodland and ancient grassland that provide outstanding research resources for agroecological research. These resources were augmented by extensive glasshousesGreenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
, climate-controlled growth rooms for plants and insects, and a containment facility for transgenic plants that supported laboratory-based research. There were dedicated laboratories for plant molecular biology
Molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...
, genomics and gene sequencing, electron microscopy, use of radiochemicals, microbiology, soil analysis, and plant/animal cell culture. Some of these lab facilities have now been removed by Imperial College. There are student halls and other buildings dotted around the village.
Students from all over the world followed undergraduates or postgraduates courses in fields related to agriculture, biology and food marketing. Distance-learning was also headquartered on campus. Numerous conferences and seminars were also run for professionals, and short-term students. Some of the better know academics teaching on campus included Prof. Michael Redclift (Emeritus, King's College London); Prof Ken Giller (Wageningen University), and Nick Russell, formerly Bridge Wardens' Professor of microbiology,
In 2000 Wye College lost its status as a College within the federal University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
and merged with Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
, renamed as Imperial College at Wye. While there was some opposition, the reasons cited were financial and pragmatic, and Imperial agreed to keep agricultural teaching and research on the campus. It did wish to move the social scientists and economists to London, and this forced several staff departures.
The first Provost of Imperial College at Wye was Professor Tim Clark. Commenting on his new appointment, Professor Clark said: "Wye College has a well-deserved reputation for excellence in teaching and research. I am looking forward to acting as Wye's champion and helping to preserve and build on all that is so special here."
These and other promises made by Imperial turned out to be unreliable. In 2004, with a new Imperial Rector (Richard Sykes) they announced that the Department of Agricultural Sciences was closing, and that most teaching and research at Wye would end. In 2005 it was announced that Wye College would be converted into a research centre for non-food crops and biomass fuels, with the support (a 'concordat') between Kent County Council
Kent County Council
Kent County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Kent in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are 12 district councils, and around 300 town and parish councils. The county council has 84 elected councillors...
and Ashford
Ashford (borough)
Ashford is a local government district and borough in Kent, England. Its council is based in the town of Ashford.The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the borough of Tenterden with Ashford urban district, and the East Ashford, West Ashford and Tenterden Rural Districts...
Borough Council. Some 12,500 jobs were promised, but funding for the project remained uncertain, and villagers were kept in the dark about the scale of the proposals until a public meeting organised by Imperial. Opposition quickly began, and leaks of official documents (some of them held at a concealed website to avoid Freedom of Information requests) to a local campaigning website, have shown that the principal aim of the plan, particularly once an industry partner fell through, soon became to raise £100 million for Imperial projects in London by building thousands of houses and commercial developments on protected countryside around Wye that has Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
status. A new motorway link was also proposed. The plan provoked bitter opposition both locally and nationally and was seen as a test case for other attempts to build on AONB land.
On September 15, 2006, Imperial announced it was abandoning the plan altogether after support was withdrawn by Ashford Borough Council following widespread complaints from the public, and the publication by save-wye of a hitherto secret map showing the vast extent of the draft development proposal. The Imperial masterplan was in fact for four thousand homes on the green AONB land.
This decision was hailed by environmentalists as a key victory to preserve the status of Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and for local campaigners it stopped Wye becoming a much larger town. The failed project cost Imperial at least £1 million in professional fees, prompted resignations, and may be the subject of an independent legal inquiry into the actions of the local authorities involved. One legal issue was that all three parties colluded to keep the scale of their draft proposals out of the public eye. There was a project website held by management consultants from where the 'map' of the proposal was eventually leaked.
After this debacle, the University of Kent
University of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
agreed to run some undergraduate business management courses from the College buildings in 2007, but this proved short-lived, and Kent's School of Economics and Kent Business School now operates from its main Canterbury site.
The College today
The Wye College campus was closed in September 2009 and Imperial College are now seeking to develop the estate or to find suitable tenants for it. Most of the College farmland is currently leased to an ex-Wye College student, Mr. Atwood, until 2019. Most of the buildings are still for rent - an effort by Imperial to sell off Withersdane Hall was halted with Council intervention.
A proposal to restore the agricultural College, with accreditation from the University of Buckingham, was advanced in 2010, but would rely on Imperial releasing freehold buildings that it may still be trying to develop. The loss of Wye College is lamented by many.
Hops
One of Wye College's major contributions was the development of a number of new strains of hopsHops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
used in the brewing of beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
. These new varieties include Challenger, Northdown, Target and Yeoman. This research has now been relocated to nearby Harbledown and operates as Wye Hops Ltd.
External links
- Imperial at Wye
- A. D. (Sir Alfred) Daniel Hall *FRS
- http://www.kent.ac.uk/kbs/school-information/news.html#imperial
- save-wye.org