Milton Abbey school is an independent school for day and boarding pupils in the village of

Milton Abbas Milton Abbas is a village and civil parish in Dorset, England, lying around southwest of Blandford Forum. In the 2011 Census the civil parish had a population of 755. This planned community was built after the old Town was demolished in the ...

, near

Blandford Forum Blandford Forum ( ), commonly Blandford, is a market town in Dorset, England, sited by the River Stour about northwest of Poole. It was the administrative headquarters of North Dorset District until April 2019, when this was abolished and it ...

in Dorset, in

South West England South West England, or the South West of England, is one of nine official regions of England. It consists of the counties of Bristol, Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly), Dorset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Cities ...

. It has 224 pupils , in five houses: Athelstan, Damer, Hambro, Hodgkinson and Tregonwell. The school was founded in 1954 and is co-educational. The school has a rural campus, with facilities that include a gym, swimming pool, shooting range, golf course, a 320-seat theatre, art department and design block, an astro turf

hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...

pitch, 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 Lancelot Brown (born c. 1715–16, baptised 30 August 1716 – 6 February 1783), more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English gardener and landscape architect, who remains the most famous figure in the history of the English lan ...

. Recent building developments include a cycling training facility and interactive golf simulator. The main house, which was built by

Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester (12 March 1718 – 12 January 1798) was a country landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1741 to 1762 when he was raised to the peerage as Baron Milton. He was particularly associated w ...

from 1780 onwards, houses the administrative hub of the Estate, classrooms, the Staff Common Room, the King's Room, two of the boys' boarding houses (Athelstan and Hambro) and a girls' boarding house (Hodgkinson). Two newer buildings finished in 2013 hold the remaining girls' (Damer) and boys' (Tregonwell) boarding houses.

Abbey Church

The Abbey forms the central heart of the school. A chapel service takes place for the whole school twice a week. On Monday there is a house assembly and Wednesday a whole school assembly. On Sundays the school gathers for a formal Sunday worship, and there are regular communion services throughout the term. The school, although a

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...

foundation, welcomes people of any faith, and also of none. The abbey church is built in a mixture of

Ham stone Hamstone is the name given to a honey-coloured building stone from Ham Hill, Somerset, England. It is a well-cemented medium to coarse grained limestone characterised by marked bedding planes of clay inclusions and less well-cemented material w ...

, Chilmark stone and

flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and start ...

and consists only of the choir, central tower and transepts. Its style is mostly

decorated gothic English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed ar ...

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.Betjeman, John, ed. (1968) Collins Pocket Guide to English Parish Churches; the South. London: Collins; p. 175 The Earl and Countess of Dorchester were also generous to the church, and their joint tomb, designed by

Robert Adam Robert Adam (3 July 17283 March 1792) was a British neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam (1689–1748), Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him. With his ...

with sculpture by

Agostino Carlini Augostino Carlini or Agostino Carlini (c. 1718 – 15 August 1790) was an Italian sculptor and painter, who was born in Genoa but settled in England. He was also one of the founding members of the Royal Academy in 1768. Life He features in ...

, 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 The Tree of Jesse is a depiction in art of the ancestors of Jesus Christ, shown in a branching tree which rises from Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David. It is the original use of the family tree as a schematic representation of a g ...

Augustus Pugin Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin ( ; 1 March 181214 September 1852) was an English architect, designer, artist and critic with French and, ultimately, Swiss origins. He is principally remembered for his pioneering role in the Gothic Revival st ...

. Other features of interest are the 14th-century pulpitum and

sedilia In church architecture, sedilia (plural of Latin ''sedīle'', "seat") are seats, usually made of stone, found on the liturgical south side of an altar, often in the chancel, for use during Mass for the officiating priest and his assistants, th ...

, the 15th-century

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for e ...

and

pyx A pyx or pix ( la, pyxis, transliteration of Greek: ''πυξίς'', boxwood receptacle, from ''πύξος'', box tree) is a small round container used in the Catholic, Old Catholic and Anglican Churches to carry the consecrated host (Eucharist), ...

canopy, and the 16th-century monument to

John Tregonwell Sir John Tregonwell (died 1565) was an Cornish jurist, a principal agent of Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell in the Dissolution of the Monasteries. He served as Judge of the High Court of Admiralty from 1524 to 1536.C.S. Gilbert, ''An Historical ...

History

Milton Abbey (fully, the Abbey Church of St Mary, St Samson, and St Branwalader) in

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...

was a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

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 King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ti ...

, 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.Milton Abbey: History
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. Sir John also was buried in an altar tomb in the Abbey 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 A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

of Milton (creating

to rehouse the former inhabitants) in 1780. The new house was designed by William Chambers and the gardens by

Capability Brown Lancelot Brown (born c. 1715–16, baptised 30 August 1716 – 6 February 1783), more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English gardener and landscape architect, who remains the most famous figure in the history of the English lan ...

. Several members of the Damer family were buried in the family vault in the Abbey Church. 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 moved to Hedge End Farm nearby, followed by a permanent move to

Dixton Manor Dixton Manor is a Grade II*-listed 16th-century manor house in the south of Alderton parish, Gloucestershire, England. The manor was built for John Higford in 1555.'Parishes: Alderton with Dixton', in A History of the County of Gloucester: Volum ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of ...

. Milton Abbey School was the setting for "Bamfylde School," in the 1980 13-part T.V. series of

R. F. Delderfield Ronald Frederick Delderfield (12 February 1912 – 24 June 1972) was an English novelist and dramatist, some of whose works have been adapted for television and film. Biography Childhood in London and Surrey Ronald Frederick Delderfield ...

's '' To Serve Them All My Days''. It also featured in the first of the '' Ripping Yarns'' by

Michael Palin Sir Michael Edward Palin (; born 5 May 1943) is an English actor, comedian, writer, television presenter, and public speaker. He was a member of the Monty Python comedy group. Since 1980, he has made a number of travel documentaries. Palin w ...

and

Terry Jones Terence Graham Parry Jones (1 February 1942 – 21 January 2020) was a Welsh comedian, director, historian, actor, writer and member of the Monty Python comedy team. After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in English, Jones and ...

, titled ''Tomkinson's Schooldays'' and in the 1994 film version of "The Browning Version," with Albert Finney and Greta Saatchi.

Burials

* John Damer *

Carl Joachim Hambro (banker) Baron Carl Joachim Hambro (23 November 1807 – 27 November 1877) was a Danish banker. He was the founder of Hambros Bank, one of the United Kingdom's largest investment banks. Early life Carl Joachim Hambro was born in 1807 in Copenhagen, De ...

* Angus Hambro

Grounds

The parklands were landscaped in the late 18th century by Capability Brown. They are Grade II* listed in the

National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens The Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England provides a listing and classification system for historic parks and gardens similar to that used for listed buildings. The register is managed by Historic England ...

. In 2009, the school started to develop a farm, which is worked on by 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 estate also has a small number of pigs, sheep, chickens and ducks. The school has a golf course which winds around the main house and the Abbey Church. Designed by

Peter Alliss Peter Alliss (28 February 1931 – 5 December 2020) was an English professional golfer, television presenter, commentator, author and golf course designer. Following the death of Henry Longhurst in 1978, he was regarded by many as the "Voice of ...

and opened in 1972, it is a nine-hole course with par-3 and par-4 hours, which is used by pupils and by visitors, who are required to pay a small green fee. The school employs a PGA Professional, who helps to tutor the students.

List of headteachers

*1954–55: Revd. C. K. Francis Brown – founding Headmaster *1955–69: Cdr. R. H. Hodgkinson – previously an Officer in the Royal Navy; retired 1969. *1969–79: W. M. T. Holland – previously a housemaster at Eastbourne College; left to enter the priesthood. *1979–87: S. R. D. Hall – previously housemaster at Haileybury, and subsequently appointed as Warden of Glenalmond. *1987–95: 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. *2010–14: G. E. Doodes – previously Deputy Headmaster at Milton Abbey and subsequently Principal of George Heriot's School, Edinburgh. *2014–18: Magnus Bashaarat – previously Deputy Head of Stowe. *2018–present: Judith Fremont-Barnes – previously Head at Duke of Kent School in Surrey.

Notable former pupils

Alastair Bruce Major-General Alastair Andrew Bernard Reibey Bruce (born 25 June 1960) is a journalist and television correspondent, and a senior British Army reservist and officer of arms of the Royal Household. He commanded the TA Media Operations Group ...

, Governor of

Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...

, Major General, professor, royalist, and royal, ceremonial & national events commentator *

Rupert Evans Rupert Evans (born 9 March 1977) is a British actor. He is a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and starred in the Amazon series '' The Man in the High Castle'' and also in the CW's '' Charmed'' series. In 2021 Evans appeared in '' Bridge ...

,Milton Abbey School – Alumni
Publisher: ''Tatler Schools Guide 2013''. Retrieved 17 April 2013. stage, film and television actor *

Alexander Faludy Reverend Alexander Faludy (born 1983), son of English schoolteachers, Andrew and Tanya Faludy, and grandson of the celebrated Hungarian poet, György Faludy, is an Anglican priest presently pursuing legal studies. A dual British and Hungarian natio ...

, former child prodigy and youngest

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

undergraduate since 1773 * Jonathan Freeman-Attwood, Principal of the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke ...

* Anthony Geffen, BAFTA-winning documentary filmmaker *

Edward Hay, 13th Marquess of Tweeddale Edward Douglas John Hay, 13th Marquess of Tweeddale (6 August 1947 – 1 February 2005), was a Scottish aristocrat best known for his speech in the House of Lords debate (1996) on the Bosnian War. Edward Douglas John Hay was born on 6 August 1947 ...

* Tom Homer, rugby union player *

Charles Montagu, 5th Baron Swaythling Charles Edgar Samuel Montagu, 5th Baron Swaythling (born 20 February 1954), is the second child and only son of David Montagu, 4th Baron Swaythling, and Christiane Françoise Dreyfus. His two sisters are Fiona Yvonne Montagu (deceased) and the Hon ...

* Francis Fulford, landowner and television personality * Baron Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools and co-founder of the charity Future * Josh Ovens, rugby union player *

Eric Saumarez, 7th Baron de Saumarez Eric Douglas Saumarez, 7th Baron de Saumarez (born 13 August 1956), is a British hereditary peer. Life Born and brought up in Suffolk, Saumarez is the son of James Victor Broke Saumarez, 6th Baron de Saumarez, by his marriage to Joan Beryl Charl ...

Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition, volume 1, page 1111. *

Mark Shand Mark Roland Shand (28 June 1951 – 23 April 2014) was a British travel writer and conservationist and the brother of Queen Camilla. Shand was the author of four travel books and as a BBC conservationist, appeared in documentaries related to hi ...

, travel writer and conservationist *

Ray Tarantino Ray Tarantino (born 3 February 1976, Milan, Italy) is a technology entrepreneur, photographer and songwriter of Italian descent. Reviewers compare Tarantino's lyrical style to Bob Dylan and his musical integrity to Bruce Springsteen. Early life ...

, rock singer-songwriter * Prince Rostislav Romanov * Rupert Mitford, 6th Baron Redesdale

References

External links

*
Profile
on the

ISC #REDIRECT ISC {{redirect category shell, {{R from other capitalisation{{R from ambiguous page ...

website {{authority control Houses in Dorset History of Dorset Independent schools in Dorset Boarding schools in Dorset Monasteries in Dorset Anglo-Saxon monastic houses Benedictine monasteries in England Grade I listed buildings in Dorset Grade II* listed parks and gardens in Dorset 1954 establishments in England Educational institutions established in 1954 933 establishments Gardens by Capability Brown Church of England independent schools in the Diocese of Salisbury Hambro family 10th-century establishments in England Monasteries dissolved under the English Reformation