Milton Abbey
Encyclopedia
Milton Abbey School is a British independent school
in the Dorset
countryside. It has 227 pupils in six boarding Houses, called Athelstan, Bancks, Damer, Hambro, Middleton and Tregonwell. Founded in 1954, it welcomes boys from 13 to 16 years and is coeducational in the sixth form.
The school has a rural campus, and extensive facilities. These include a gym, swimming pool, shooting range, golf course, a 320-seat theatre, a fully equipped art department and design block, an astro turf, an outward bound area, a 15th century dining hall, an Abbey chapel that can be traced back to the 10th century and grounds designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown. The main House, which was built by Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester
from 1780 onwards, houses the administrative hub of the school, classrooms, the Senior Common Room, the King's Room and all the boys' boarding houses. The girls' house, Middleton, can be found at the back quad.
The Abbey forms the central heart of the school. A Chapel service takes place for the whole school on a Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning. On Monday there is a House Assembly and Wednesday a whole school Assembly. On Sundays the whole school gathers for a formal Sunday worship, and there are regular communion services throughout the term. The present Chaplain is Richard Thomson. The School, although a Church of England
foundation, welcomes people of any faith, and also of none.
The abbey church is built in a mixture of Ham stone, Chilmark stone and flint
and consists only of the choir, central tower and transepts. Its style is mostly Decorated Gothic dating from the mid 14th century with some 15th century details in the tower and north transept. The eastern Lady Chapel was demolished after the suppression and some alterations were made by Wyatt in the late 18th century. The Earl and Countess of Dorchester were also generous to the church, and their joint tomb, designed by Robert Adam
with sculpture by Agostino Carlini
, is to be found in the north transept. Perhaps the most striking feature of the church's interior, however, is its south window, designed as a Tree of Jesse
by Augustus Pugin
. Other features of interest are the 14th century pulpitum and sedilia, the 15th century reredos and pyx canaopy, and the 16th century monument to John Tregonwell.
Milton Abbey (fully, the Abbey Church of St Mary, St Samson, and St Branwalader) in Dorset
was a Benedictine
foundation, but only part of the church now survives and is used as the Milton Abbey School chapel. A college of secular canons was founded here by King Athelstan
, in 933, and there are two medieval paintings of the King and his mother in the chancel. This foundation was replaced in 964 by a Benedictine monastery by King Edgar. The medieval church burned down in 1309, and although rebuilding started straight away it did not reach its present size until about 1400.
One of the church's benefactors was Sir John Tregonwell, whose family came into the possession of the buildings in 1540 following the Dissolution of the monasteries
in 1539. Tregonwell fell from the roof of the church in a childhood accident, but his life was saved when his wide pantaloons filled with air and broke his fall. In thanks, he bequeathed his library to the church.
In 1752 the buildings were bought by the Damer family: in 1771, to make way for a new house and landscaped estate, the 1st Baron Milton
(later 1st Earl of Dorchester) demolished the remaining abbey buildings, keeping only part of the church as a private chapel, and the adjacent market town
of Milton
(creating Milton Abbas
to rehouse the former inhabitants) in 1780. The new house was designed by William Chambers
and the gardens by Capability Brown
.
In 1852 the merchant banker Carl Joachim Hambro
acquired Milton Abbey to make it his family home. He set about a major restoration programme, including an extensive refurbishment of the Abbey itself. The Hambro family developed and lived at Milton Abbey until 1932, when it was sold and for a while they relocated to Hedge End Farm nearby, followed by a permanent move to Dixton Manor in Gloucestershire.
Optional subjects: Applied science, Art, Biology, Chemistry, Design and Technology, Drama, Geography, History, Music, Physical Education, Photography, Physics, Religious Studies and Spanish
AS/A Levels: Business Studies, Chemistry, Classical Civilisation, Communication Studies, Design, English, French, Geography, History, History of Art, Law (AS only), Mathematics, Music, Music Technology, Photography, Physics, Religious Studies, Spanish, Sports Development
BTEC: Countryside Management, Horse Management, Hospitality and Sport Development, Coaching and Fitness.
Drama: The purpose built theatre, seating 320, is the venue for plays, musicals, concerts, assemblies and lectures. Pupils are also given instruction in theatre management and back stage work as well as acting.
Music: Milton Abbey has a long choral tradition, and numerous music groups including a school orchestra, rock bands, ensembles and impromptu groups occur throughout the school week.
Art: All new pupils into the school are taught painting, and there is an opportunity to explore different mediums, including textiles, pottery, ceramics, printmaking, photography and computer graphics. The School organises regular trips to museums and galleries to augment work done in the studio.
The school has timetabled PE lessons, and most pupils will take exercise at least four afternoons a week. There is an excellent coach to athlete ratio, and pupils have played at club, county and national level.
Boys' games: Rugby, football, swimming, hockey, cricket and fitness
Girls' games: Hockey,swimming, lacrosse, netball and tennis
The school has a polo
team, with polo ponies being stabled on site.
, clay pigeon shooting
, ferreting, fishing
and horse riding. Other outdoor pursuits include climbing, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
, potholing, rifle shooting, sailing, powerboating and the Ten Tors
.
The school has a golf course which winds around the main house and the Abbey Church. Designed by Peter Alliss
and opened in 1972, it is a nine hole par 3 course which is used by pupils and by visitors who are required to pay a small green fee.
The school is praised highly in the Good Schools Guide, and many other independent publications.
starring Albert Finney
, Matthew Modine
and Greta Scacchi
. It was also used for location work in the 1975 pilot episode of Ripping Yarns
, Tomkinson's Schooldays written by and starring Michael Palin
and Terry Jones
, and was used for exterior and interior locations in 1980 in the BBC production of To Serve Them All My Days
starring John Duttine and Frank Middlemass.
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
in the Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
countryside. It has 227 pupils in six boarding Houses, called Athelstan, Bancks, Damer, Hambro, Middleton and Tregonwell. Founded in 1954, it welcomes boys from 13 to 16 years and is coeducational in the sixth form.
The school has a rural campus, and extensive facilities. These include a gym, swimming pool, shooting range, golf course, a 320-seat theatre, a fully equipped art department and design block, an astro turf, an outward bound area, a 15th century dining hall, an Abbey chapel that can be traced back to the 10th century and grounds designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown. The main House, which was built by Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester
Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester
Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester was a wealthy landowner particularly associated with the reshaping of Milton Abbey and the creation of the village of Milton Abbas in Dorset, south-west England....
from 1780 onwards, houses the administrative hub of the school, classrooms, the Senior Common Room, the King's Room and all the boys' boarding houses. The girls' house, Middleton, can be found at the back quad.
The Headmaster
Gareth Doodes was appointed as Headmaster of Milton Abbey in March 2010, taking up post in the summer. Gareth Doodes began his career as a history teacher at Taunton School, Somerset, after being educated at Eastbourne College and reading history at St. Andrews University. He was subsequently appointed to Oakham School, and in 2004 was appointed as a Housemaster. He took up post as Deputy Head of Milton Abbey in September 2009 prior to promotion to the Headship in 2010.The Deputy Headmaster
Christopher Staley was appointed Deputy Headmaster in March 2010, taking up post in the summer. Prior to his appointment, he had been Senior Housemaster at Cranleigh, and Head of Geography after being educated at St. Dunstan's College, London, and the University of Portsmouth.Houses and Housemasters
- Athelstan: Marcus Williams - Old Boy and specialist in Countryside Management
- Bancks: Penny Doubleday - Head of Drama at Milton Abbey
- Damer: Matthew Giles
- Hambro: Simon Kibler - Former professional footballer and cricketer
- Middleton: Lucinda Wingate-Gray - Senior teacher of hospitality
- Tregonwell: Fergus Wilson
The Abbey Church
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
foundation, welcomes people of any faith, and also of none.
The abbey church is built in a mixture of Ham stone, Chilmark stone and flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
and consists only of the choir, central tower and transepts. Its style is mostly Decorated Gothic dating from the mid 14th century with some 15th century details in the tower and north transept. The eastern Lady Chapel was demolished after the suppression and some alterations were made by Wyatt in the late 18th century. The Earl and Countess of Dorchester were also generous to the church, and their joint tomb, designed by Robert Adam
Robert Adam
Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...
with sculpture by Agostino Carlini
Agostino Carlini
Agostino Carlini was an Italian sculptor and painter, who was born in Genoa but settled in England.He was also one of the founder members of the Royal Academy in 1768...
, is to be found in the north transept. Perhaps the most striking feature of the church's interior, however, is its south window, designed as a Tree of Jesse
Tree of Jesse
The Tree of Jesse is a depiction in art of the Ancestors of Christ, shown in a tree which rises from Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David; the original use of the family tree as a schematic representation of a genealogy...
by Augustus Pugin
Augustus Pugin
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin was an English architect, designer, and theorist of design, now best remembered for his work in the Gothic Revival style, particularly churches and the Palace of Westminster. Pugin was the father of E. W...
. Other features of interest are the 14th century pulpitum and sedilia, the 15th century reredos and pyx canaopy, and the 16th century monument to John Tregonwell.
History of Milton Abbey
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
was a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
foundation, but only part of the church now survives and is used as the Milton Abbey School chapel. A college of secular canons was founded here by King Athelstan
Athelstan of England
Athelstan , called the Glorious, was the King of England from 924 or 925 to 939. He was the son of King Edward the Elder, grandson of Alfred the Great and nephew of Æthelflæd of Mercia...
, in 933, and there are two medieval paintings of the King and his mother in the chancel. This foundation was replaced in 964 by a Benedictine monastery by King Edgar. The medieval church burned down in 1309, and although rebuilding started straight away it did not reach its present size until about 1400.
One of the church's benefactors was Sir John Tregonwell, whose family came into the possession of the buildings in 1540 following the Dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1539. Tregonwell fell from the roof of the church in a childhood accident, but his life was saved when his wide pantaloons filled with air and broke his fall. In thanks, he bequeathed his library to the church.
In 1752 the buildings were bought by the Damer family: in 1771, to make way for a new house and landscaped estate, the 1st Baron Milton
Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester
Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester was a wealthy landowner particularly associated with the reshaping of Milton Abbey and the creation of the village of Milton Abbas in Dorset, south-west England....
(later 1st Earl of Dorchester) demolished the remaining abbey buildings, keeping only part of the church as a private chapel, and the adjacent market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of Milton
Milton, Dorset
The former town Milton in Dorset was cleared by the local landowner, Joseph Damer, in the 1770s. This was a result of a fashion amongst English landowners to improve the amenity of their homes by converting surrounding farmland into open parkland...
(creating Milton Abbas
Milton Abbas
Milton Abbas is a village in Dorset in the south-west of England, approximately seven miles south-west of the market town of Blandford Forum and 11 miles north-east of Dorchester. The village has a population of 766...
to rehouse the former inhabitants) in 1780. The new house was designed by William Chambers
William Chambers (architect)
Sir William Chambers was a Scottish architect, born in Gothenburg, Sweden, where his father was a merchant. Between 1740 and 1749 he was employed by the Swedish East India Company making several voyages to China where he studied Chinese architecture and decoration.Returning to Europe, he studied...
and the gardens by Capability Brown
Capability Brown
Lancelot Brown , more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English landscape architect. He is remembered as "the last of the great English eighteenth-century artists to be accorded his due", and "England's greatest gardener". He designed over 170 parks, many of which still endure...
.
In 1852 the merchant banker Carl Joachim Hambro
Carl Joachim Hambro (banker)
Baron Carl Joachim Hambro was the founder of Hambros Bank, one of the United Kingdom's largest investment banks.-Personal life:He was born in Copenhagen as a son of Joseph Hambro . The family lineage can be traced to Rendsburg, Schleswig-Holstein in the 1720s...
acquired Milton Abbey to make it his family home. He set about a major restoration programme, including an extensive refurbishment of the Abbey itself. The Hambro family developed and lived at Milton Abbey until 1932, when it was sold and for a while they relocated to Hedge End Farm nearby, followed by a permanent move to Dixton Manor in Gloucestershire.
GCSE course curriculum
Core subjects: English, French or Spanish, MathsOptional subjects: Applied science, Art, Biology, Chemistry, Design and Technology, Drama, Geography, History, Music, Physical Education, Photography, Physics, Religious Studies and Spanish
Sixth Form curriculum
Most pupils will take three subjects at A Level or a combination of AS and A Levels equivalent to this. In addition, Milton Abbey offers four BTEC National Certificate courses, each of which is equivalent to 2 A Levels, for which there is no formal examinations with assessment by coursework.AS/A Levels: Business Studies, Chemistry, Classical Civilisation, Communication Studies, Design, English, French, Geography, History, History of Art, Law (AS only), Mathematics, Music, Music Technology, Photography, Physics, Religious Studies, Spanish, Sports Development
BTEC: Countryside Management, Horse Management, Hospitality and Sport Development, Coaching and Fitness.
The arts
Milton Abbey has a thriving music, art and drama tradition that sees regular concerts, exhibitions and productions take place.Drama: The purpose built theatre, seating 320, is the venue for plays, musicals, concerts, assemblies and lectures. Pupils are also given instruction in theatre management and back stage work as well as acting.
Music: Milton Abbey has a long choral tradition, and numerous music groups including a school orchestra, rock bands, ensembles and impromptu groups occur throughout the school week.
Art: All new pupils into the school are taught painting, and there is an opportunity to explore different mediums, including textiles, pottery, ceramics, printmaking, photography and computer graphics. The School organises regular trips to museums and galleries to augment work done in the studio.
Sport
Boys' games: Rugby, football, swimming, hockey, cricket and fitness
Girls' games: Hockey,swimming, lacrosse, netball and tennis
The school has a polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
team, with polo ponies being stabled on site.
Country pursuits
Milton Abbey is famed for its close links to the countryside and its emphasis on both academic ambition combined with a hearty love of the outdoors. The school encourages pupils to involve themselves in country pursuits. On offer are beaglingBeagling
Beagling is the hunting of hares, rabbits, and occasionally foxes with beagles. A beagle pack is usually followed on foot. However, there is one pack of beagles in the U.S. which are distinguished as being the only hunting pack to hunt fox and be followed on horseback...
, clay pigeon shooting
Clay pigeon shooting
Clay pigeon shooting, also known as clay target shooting, and formally known as Inanimate Bird Shooting, is the art of shooting at special flying targets, known as clay pigeons or clay targets, with a shotgun or any type of firearm....
, ferreting, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and horse riding. Other outdoor pursuits include climbing, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award , is a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged 14 to 24, regardless of personal ability....
, potholing, rifle shooting, sailing, powerboating and the Ten Tors
Ten Tors
Ten Tors is an annual weekend hike organised and run in early May for 2,400 young people by the British Army on Dartmoor. The majority of entrants are schools, colleges, Scout groups and Cadet squadrons from South West England, though groups from across the UK regularly take part, as do teams from...
.
Grounds
In 2009, Milton Abbey started to develop a school farm, which is worked on by pupils and staff, to promote environmental awareness and work towards an element of self sufficiency. Traditional vegetables are grown, in addition to herbs, cutting flowers, fruit and some crops. The school also has a small pig herd, and will be investing in chickens and an apiary during the academic year 2010 - 2011.The school has a golf course which winds around the main house and the Abbey Church. Designed by Peter Alliss
Peter Alliss
Peter Alliss is an English professional golfer, BBC television presenter and commentator, author and golf course designer. Alliss is known for his charismatic and unique style of commentary, often displaying a witty demeanour...
and opened in 1972, it is a nine hole par 3 course which is used by pupils and by visitors who are required to pay a small green fee.
Reviews of the School
Tatler, in their 2009 Schools Guide: "Milton Abbey bills itself as the best small school in Britain and with good reason. It champions individuality, and a healthy outdoor lifestyle is at the heart of school life."The school is praised highly in the Good Schools Guide, and many other independent publications.
Film location
The school was used for exterior locations in the 1994 film The Browning VersionThe Browning Version (1994 film)
The Browning Version is a 1994 film directed by Mike Figgis and starring Albert Finney. The film is based on the 1948 play by Terence Rattigan, which was previously adapted for film under the same name in 1951.-Plot:...
starring Albert Finney
Albert Finney
Albert Finney is an English actor. He achieved prominence in films in the early 1960s, and has maintained a successful career in theatre, film and television....
, Matthew Modine
Matthew Modine
Matthew Avery Modine is an award-winning American actor. His film roles include Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, the title character in Alan Parker's Birdy, high school wrestler Louden Swain in Vision Quest, football star turned spy Alec McCall in Funky Monkey and the...
and Greta Scacchi
Greta Scacchi
Greta Scacchi is an Italian-Australian actor.-Early life:Scacchi was born Greta Gracco in Milan, Italy, on 18 February 1960, the daughter of Luca Scacchi Gracco, an Italian art dealer and painter, and Pamela Carsaniga, an English dancer and antiques dealer...
. It was also used for location work in the 1975 pilot episode of Ripping Yarns
Ripping Yarns
Ripping Yarns is a British television comedy series, shown on BBC 2 from 1976 to 1979. It was written by Michael Palin and Terry Jones of Monty Python fame...
, Tomkinson's Schooldays written by and starring Michael Palin
Michael Palin
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
and Terry Jones
Terry Jones
Terence Graham Parry Jones is a Welsh comedian, screenwriter, actor, film director, children's author, popular historian, political commentator, and TV documentary host. He is best known as a member of the Monty Python comedy team....
, and was used for exterior and interior locations in 1980 in the BBC production of To Serve Them All My Days
To Serve Them All My Days
To Serve Them All My Days is a novel by British author R. F. Delderfield.First published in 1972, the book was adapted for television in 1980...
starring John Duttine and Frank Middlemass.
List of Headmasters
- 1954 - 1955: Revd. Dr. C. K. Francis Brown - founding Headmaster
- 1955 - 1969: Cdr. R. H. Hodgkinson - previously an Officer in the Royal Navy; retired 1969.
- 1969 - 1979: W. M. T. Holland - previously a Housemaster at Eastbourne College; left to enter the Priesthood.
- 1979 - 1987: S. R. D. Hall - previously Housemaster at Haileybury, and subsequently appointed as Warden of Glenalmond.
- 1987 - 1995: R. H. Hardy - previously Housemaster at Eton College; retired 1995.
- 1995 - 2010: W. J. Hughes-D'Aeth - previously a Housemaster at Rugby School, and subsequently appointed to the post of Headmaster of Repton School, Dubai.
- 2010: Gareth E. Doodes - previously Deputy Headmaster at Milton Abbey and a Housemaster at Oakham SchoolOakham SchoolOakham School is a British co-educational independent school in the historic market town of Oakham in Rutland, accepting around 1,000 pupils, aged from 10 to 18, both male and female, as boarders and day pupils . The Good Schools Guide called the school "a privileged but unpretentious and...
.
List of Deputy Headmasters
- 1966 - 1968: A. C. Ingall
- 1968 - 1973: M. O. Fletcher
- 1973 - 1977: H. J. Cox
- 1977 - 1993: T. J. R. Bullick
- 1992 - 2000: J. P. Traskey
- 2000 - 2009: N. H. Arkell - previously a Housemaster at Cheltenham College and subsequently Headmaster of Hoe Bridge Prep School.
- 2009 - 2010: Gareth E. Doodes - previously a Housemaster at Oakham School and subsequently Headmaster of Milton Abbey.
- 2010: Christopher Staley - previously Senior Housemaster at Cranleigh School.
Notable former pupils
- Rupert EvansRupert EvansRupert Evans is an English actor, who is well known in the United Kingdom for his television career.Evans was born in Staffordshire, England. He attended Milton Abbey School, in Dorset, and went on to train at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art...
, actor - Alexander FaludyAlexander FaludyAlexander Faludy , an English student, is a former child prodigy who in 1998 became the youngest undergraduate at the University of Cambridge since 1773.-Life:...
, child prodigy - Jonathan Freeman-AttwoodJonathan Freeman-AttwoodProfessor Jonathan Freeman-Attwood BMus, MPhil, Hon RAM is the Principal of the Royal Academy of Music in the United Kingdom.He studied at Milton Abbey School, then University of Toronto and Christ Church, Oxford...
, musician - Francis FulfordFrancis FulfordFrancis Fulford may refer to:* Francis Fulford , Anglo-Catholic bishop of Montreal* Francis Fulford , member of ancient English family...
, landowner and incumbent of Great Fulford - Tom HomerTom Homer (rugby union)Tom Homer is an English rugby union player who plays at centre, wing and fullback for London Irish in the Aviva Premiership. He was a member of the Grand Slam winning England U18 side in 2008 and is currently a member of the England U20 squad as of January 2008...
, rugby footballer - Josh OvensJosh OvensJosh Ovens is a rugby union player for Bath in the Guinness Premiership. He plays as a back-row.His first cousin is Lawrence Ovens.-External links:*...
, rugby footballer