Wycombe Abbey

Wycombe Abbey is an independent boarding school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom. It is academically one of the top girls' schools in the country. The school was founded by Dame Frances Dove, with forty girls, in 1896. Its present capacity is approximately 540 girls aged between 11 and 18.

The school is situated in 160 acres (650,000 m²) of ground in central High Wycombe. The land includes woods, gardens and a lake, and rises up to 500 feet (150 m) above sea level in the Chiltern Hills. The valuable land is owned freehold by the school.

Like most public schools the pupils are divided into houses each girl then in turn has her own 'house mother', who looks after her, particularly when new to the school.

Early history of Wycombe Abbey

However, the history of the school building itself predates Dame Frances Dove's acquisition of it. In the 13th century the area, with the parish church, was part of the holding of the Abbess of Godstowe, (Ironically the priory at Godstowe, 600 years later, was too refounded as a school by Dame Frances Dove, and today is a 'feeder' Preparatory School for Wycombe Abbey).

On the site of the present Wycombe Abbey was a large manor known as 'Loakes House' which until 1700 was the seat of the Archdale family, when Thomas Archdale sold it to Henry Petty, 1st Earl of Shelburne. The first Earl of Shelburne in turn bequeathed the estate to his grand nephew William Petty (who inherited a different Earldom of Shelburne† in 1761, and became Prime Minister in 1782). The Shelburnes, however, had a far larger and grander residence at Bowood House in the Savernake Forest. They spent little time at Loakes House.

Consequently, Lord Shelburne sold his estates in the area. Loakes House was purchased from them at auction by Robert Smith, 1st Baron Carrington in 1798. He then employed the architect James Wyatt to transform Loakes House into the present Wycombe Abbey as we see it today.

†Henry Petty was created Earl of Shelburne in 1719, but when he died without heirs in 1751, the earldom became extinct. It was recreated for his kinsman, John Petty in 1753; it was this latter earldom that William Petty inherited.

The 'new' Wycombe Abbey

As an architect James Wyatt, captured the romantic spirit of his era, creating a gothic ecclesiastical style. While building Wycombe, he was also engaged in the building of the greatest gothic extravaganza of the age Fonthill Abbey, a mansion that was a complete replica of a medieval cathedral complete with soaring tower; it was supposed to resemble the fictitious Castle of Otranto. Fonthill is now demolished which leaves Wycombe Abbey as one of the most important examples of this type of architecture remaining.

While a far less ambitious project than Fonthill, Wycombe Abbey is a jewel of the romantic gothic style. The castellated 3 floored central block has turrets on each corner, and is 7 bays wide, with sash windows. On the ground floor they are ogee topped in the ecclesiastical manner. There is a slightly incongruous bay oriel window in the centre of the 2nd floor. Attached, by a 2 floored wing: is a chapel-like block clearly indicating the architect's intention to emulate an abbey; this wing is completed by statues in niches on the external wall in the medieval catholic manner.

The whole composition is an echo of the house's larger sister at Fonthill. Like Fonthill Abbey, the whole structure was intended to imitate one of the older country houses genuinely converted from an old abbey or monastery. Perhaps it was the intention of the former Mr. Smith, 1st Lord Carrington, to provide his new family seat with some ancient grandeur: he certainly succeeded.

The final stage of the transformation was the renaming of Loakes House to Wycombe Abbey. This suited the mood of the era admirably.

External link

• School Home Page (http://www.wycombeabbey.com)