;
(from Virgil's Georgics)
"Caring for the Fields
and the Beasts" , established = 2013 - University status
– College , type = Public , president = King Charles , vice_chancellor = Peter McCaffery , students = () , undergrad = () , postgrad = () , city =

Cirencester Cirencester (, ; see below for more variations) is a market town in Gloucestershire, England, west of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswolds. It is the home of ...

Gloucestershire , country =

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, campus = Rural , athletics = , colours = , website = , logo = , footnotes = , image_name = File:The Royal Agricultural University.png , free_label2 = Chair of Governing Council , free2 = Dame Fiona Reynolds , staff = , affiliations = , coor = The Royal Agricultural University (RAU), formerly the Royal Agricultural College, is a university in

, Gloucestershire,

. Established in 1845, it was the first agricultural college in the English-speaking world. The university provides more than 30 land-based undergraduate and postgraduate programmes to students from over 45 countries through the School of Agriculture, the School of Business and Entrepreneurship, the School of Equine and the School of Real Estate and Land Management.

History

The Royal Agricultural University was founded as the Royal Agricultural College in 1842, at a meeting of the Fairford and Cirencester Farmers’ Club. Concerned by the lack of government support for education, Robert Jeffreys-Brown addressed the meeting on "The Advantages of a Specific Education for Agricultural Pursuits". A prospectus was circulated, a general committee was appointed and

Henry Bathurst, 4th Earl Bathurst Henry George Bathurst, 4th Earl Bathurst (24 February 179025 May 1866), styled as Lord Apsley from 1794 to 1834, was a British peer and Tory politician. Background and education Born at Apsley House, he was the eldest son of Henry Bathurst, 3rd E ...

was elected president. Funds were raised by public subscription: much of the support came from the wealthy landowners and farmers of the day, and there was no government support. Construction of the main building, in Victorian Tudor style, began in April 1845 and was designed by S. W. Daukes and John R. Hamilton, and built by Thomas Bridges of Cirencester. The first 25 students were admitted to the college in September 1845. Queen Victoria granted a

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but s ...

to the college in 1845 and sovereigns have been patrons ever since, visiting the college in every reign.

King Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...

became president in 1982. The college gained full university status in 2013 and changed its name accordingly. It had students in the academic year and saw a 49% rise in applications between 2008 and 2013. The Royal Agricultural University was named the safest university in the South West in 2013, and is ranked top in the UK for spending on facilities.

Farms

The university operates two farms close to the campus: * Coates Manor Farm is predominantly arable cropped with some pasture land. * Fossehill Farm provides polo and hunter livery stabling and associated exercise facilities. Harnhill Manor Farm was purchased in 2009 and with Coates Manor Farm totals 491 hectares (1223 acres) of land. The farm was managed organically for many years but all the land apart from the outdoor-pig unit was taken out of organic management. In 2011, an old sheep shed at the front of the farm complex was turned into the 'John Oldacre Rural Innovation Centre' a building designed for the training of students and members of the public in vocational skills such as rough-terrain forklift truck driving, blacksmithing, chainsaw and welding course, etc. The building cost £1.2 Million to transform. The JORIC was officially opened in March 2014 by Sir John Beddington and the site was visited in November 2013 by Prince Charles.

Sport

The university has a range of sports facilities on campus, including a gym, an all-weather pitch, and squash and tennis courts. Students participate in a wide range of sports including; clay pigeon shooting, cricket, equestrian, field sports (hunting, fishing and shooting), football, golf, lacrosse, hockey, netball, polo, rugby, rifle shooting, rowing, tennis and yachting. However, most sports have been banned from BUCS League, and rugby has even been banned on campus. . The Royal Agricultural University is just one of three remaining British universities (the others being the University of Cambridge and the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

) to maintain their own beagle pack. Founded in 1889, the RAU Beagles is run by the students who whip in and hunt the hounds, and until the 2004 hunting ban, hunted hares in the countryside around Cirencester.

Research

In the REF 2014, the university came 29th and last in the UK for Agriculture. Some of the staff have been evaluated in the

Research Assessment Exercise The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) was an exercise undertaken approximately every five years on behalf of the four UK higher education funding councils (HEFCE, SHEFC, HEFCW, DELNI) to evaluate the quality of research undertaken by British hig ...

which recognised the importance of their research at national and, to a lesser extent, international levels.

Library

The university library holds around 40,000 print volumes, nearly 1,000 current journal subscriptions, more than 40,000 e-books and a growing number of full-text databases. The main collection is supplemented by a support collection and a historical collection of texts, primarily on agriculture and estate/land management, dating back to the 16th century. The library also holds the RAU archive, a collection of documents relating to the institution since its foundation.

Patrons

The patron of RAU was until 1982 the current reigning British monarch, at which point King Charles, the then

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

to the

British throne The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Baili ...

, and current King of the United Kingdom took on this role. *1845–1901 – Queen Victoria *1901–1910 – King Edward VII *1910–1936 – King George V *1936 –

King Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...

*1936–1952 – King George VI *1952–1982 – Queen Elizabeth II *1982–present – Charles III

Notable people

Staff

* James Buckman – professor of geology, botany, and zoology from 1848 to 1863. * John D. Custance – professor of agricultural science in the late 1870s, later was responsible for establishing

Roseworthy Agricultural College Roseworthy Agricultural College was an agricultural college in Australia. It was north of Adelaide and west of Roseworthy town. It was the first agricultural college in Australia, established in 1883. It is now part of the University of Adela ...

in South Australia. * John Scott, on the staff shortly from 1880, later became known as a tractor pioneer. * Sir Emrys Jones, former chief adviser to the Minister of Agriculture from 1967 to 1973, and director of the Government's Agricultural and Development Advisory Service (ADAS), was principal of the college from 1973 until 1978. He described his time at Cirencester as the most enjoyable period in his life. In 2011, a new teaching facility at the college was named in his honour. For university applicants with a connection to Wales, a scholarship has been set up that carries the former principal's name. * Edward William Prevost, Professor of Chemistry 1879 to 1881 then retired to be a farmer * George Stephen West (1876–1919), professor of natural history 1899–1906 *

John Wrightson Professor John Wrightson Chemical Society, FCS, Royal Agricultural University, MRAC (1840 – 30 November 1916) was a British agriculturalist and the founder of Downton Agricultural College (1880–1906) at Downton, Wiltshire, Downton in Wilts ...

(1840–1916), founder of

Downton Agricultural College Professor John Wrightson FCS, MRAC (1840 – 30 November 1916) was a British agriculturalist and the founder of Downton Agricultural College (1880–1906) at Downton in Wiltshire. In 1890 he reputedly became the first person in Britain to ...

Alumni

Royal Agricultural University graduates have won a number of awards and prizes, including the Farmers Weekly Young Farmer Of The Year Award (James Price 2009 and Adrian Ivory 2008). Notable students from the institution include: Arts and Media *

Mark Bence-Jones Mark Adayre Bence-Jones (29 May 1930 – 12 April 2010) was a writer, noted mainly for his books on Irish architecture, the British aristocracy and the British Raj. He regarded himself as being both Irish and English, seeing no contradiction in ...

, writer * Jonathan Dimbleby, television personality and political commentator * Dwijendralal Ray Bengali poet * Teddy McDonald, contemporary artist Peerage * Sir John Agnew, 6th Baronet *

Sir Euan Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, 3rd Baronet The Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe Baronetcy, of Elvetham Hall in Elvetham in the County of Hampshire, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 1 July 1929 for Fitzroy Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe. Born Fitzroy Hamilton Ni ...

Derek Barber, Baron Barber of Tewkesbury Derek Coates Barber, Baron Barber of Tewkesbury (17 June 1918 – 21 November 2017) was a British member of the House of Lords. He also served as a senior civil servant and agricultural expert. Barber was educated at the Royal Agricultural Colle ...

Alan Brooke, 3rd Viscount Brookeborough Alan Henry Brooke, 3rd Viscount Brookeborough, (born 30 June 1952), is a Northern Irish Peerage, peer and landowner. He is one of the 92 hereditary peers who remain in the House of Lords; he sits as a crossbencher. He is the current Lord Lieutena ...

* Jeremy Browne, 11th Marquess of Sligo * Torquhil Campbell, 13th Duke of Argyll * Robin Cayzer, 3rd Baron Rotherwick, one of the 92 hereditary peers elected to remain in the House of Lords * Sir Thomas Chapman, 7th Baronet * Patrick Chichester, 8th Marquess of Donegall * David Cunliffe-Lister, 2nd Earl of Swinton *Robin Dundas, Earl of Ronaldshay * Francis Egerton, 7th Duke of Sutherland *

Nicholas Guy Halsey Nicholas Guy Halsey Territorial Decoration, TD, Doctor of Letters, DL, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, FRICS (born 14 June 1948) is the heir to the Halsey Baronets, Halsey Baronetcy. Halsey is the son of Lieutenant Colonel Guy Marsden Ha ...

* James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn * Gustavus Hamilton-Russell, 10th Viscount Boyne * Lord Nicholas Hervey *

Charles Kennedy, 5th Marquess of Ailsa Charles Kennedy, 5th Marquess of Ailsa (10 April 1875 – 1 June 1956) was a Scottish peer, the son of Archibald Kennedy, 3rd Marquess of Ailsa. He was known as Lord Charles Kennedy until 1943, when he inherited the marquessate. Biography Lo ...

* Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole of Hawaii * John Lowry-Corry, 8th Earl Belmore *

John Lyttelton, 11th Viscount Cobham John William Leonard Lyttelton, 11th Viscount Cobham (15 June 1943 – 13 July 2006) was a British nobleman and peer from the Lyttelton family. He was known as "Johnny Lyttelton" to his friends and family. He was educated at Eton, where his f ...

David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie David George Coke Patrick Ogilvy, 8th (or 13th) Earl of Airlie, (born 17 May 1926) is a Scottish peer. Background and education Airlie is the eldest son of David Ogilvy, 12th Earl of Airlie and Lady Alexandra Coke. His younger brother was Si ...

William Peel, 3rd Earl Peel William James Robert Peel, 3rd Earl Peel, (born 3 October 1947), styled Viscount Clanfield until 1969, is a British hereditary peer who was a Conservative peer from 15 May 1973 until October 2006 when, on his appointment as Lord Chamberlain o ...

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 ...

* Malcolm Sinclair, 20th Earl of Caithness * Henry Somerset, 12th Duke of Beaufort * FitzRoy Somerset, 5th Baron Raglan * John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer * James Spencer-Churchill, 12th Duke of Marlborough * Patrick Stopford, 9th Earl of Courtown * Luke White, 6th Baron Annaly *

Sir John Wills, 4th Baronet Sir John Vernon Wills, 4th Baronet, Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, KCVO, Knight of Grace of The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, KStJ, Territorial Decoration, TD, Magistrate (England and Wales), JP ( ...

Politics * Stuart Agnew, UK Independence Party MEP * Richard Benyon, Member of Parliament * William Bridges-Maxwell, Australian politician * Sandy Bruce-Lockhart * Julian Cayo-Evans * Michael Colvin, former Member of Parliament * Simon Coveney, Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Deputy Leader of Fine Gael * Richard Drax, Member of Parliament * Simon Hart, Member of Parliament for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire * Timothy Kitson, former MP *

Roger Knapman Roger Maurice Knapman (born 20 February 1944) is a British politician who served as a Conservative MP before becoming Leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP). Early life The son of Harry Arthur Blackmore Knapman, a farmer, and Joan Margot n ...

, former leader of UKIP * Arthur Nichols, Australian politician * Joseph-Xavier Perrault * Henry Plumb, Baron Plumb, former chairman of the NFU and politician * James Provan, former MEP *

Edward Cephas John Stevens Edward Cephas John Stevens (18 October 1837 – 6 June 1915) was a New Zealand politician in provincial government in Canterbury, and a member of both the lower and upper houses of parliament. A businessman, he controlled the Christchurch ...

Noel Stirling Austin Arnold Wallinger Noel Stirling Austin Arnold Wallinger (March 12, 1865 – March 4, 1948) was an English-born miner, civil servant and political figure in British Columbia. He represented Cranbrook in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1922 t ...

Sports * Algernon Bligh. Somerset County cricketer * Mark Anthony Peter Phillips, former husband of the Princess Royal, Great Britain equestrian rider, cross country course designer * Jason Little, Australian rugby union player * Ben Clarke, England, British Lions and Bath rugby union player * Tim Payne, England, British Lions and Wasps rugby union player * Peter Walton, Scotland, British Lions and Newcastle rugby union player *

Marcus Armytage Marcus Armytage orn is a journalist and former National Hunt jockey who won the Grand National as an amateur in 1990, riding Mr Frisk. He was educated at Eton College. Armytage's win in the 1990 Grand National on Mr Frisk came in a record time ...

, National Hunt jockey *

Henry Cecil Sir Henry Richard Amherst Cecil (11 January 1943 – 11 June 2013) was a British flat racing horse trainer. Cecil was very successful, becoming Champion Trainer ten times and training 25 domestic Classic winners. These comprised four winners ...

, race horse trainer * Aubrey Jackman, tattooist *

Nigel Gadsby Nigel ( ) is an English language, English masculine given name. The English ''Nigel'' is commonly found in records dating from the Middle Ages; however, it was not used much before being revived by 19th-century antiquarians. For instance, Walte ...

, England cricketer *

Arthur Sclater Arthur William Bassett Sclater (27 July 1859 – 16 June 1882) was an Irish people, Irish-born English cricketer. Sclater was a right-handed Batting (cricket), batsman who bowled right-arm Seam bowling, medium pace. He was born at Auburn ...

, Sussex County cricketer *

Richard Nancekivell Richard Nancekivell was a Cornish rugby union player who competed in the Cornwall County team. He is remembered as the man who scored the winning tries in the 1991 County Championship (rugby union), County Rugby championships at Twickenham Stadiu ...

, Cornwall and Northampton Saints rugby union player * John Pullin, England, British Lions and Bristol rugby union Player *

Andrew Balding Andrew Matthews Balding (born 29 December 1972) is a British racehorse trainer based at Park House Stables, Kingsclere, near Newbury, Berkshire. Balding attended Caldicott School, a boys' preparatory school, and Radley College, a public school ...

, racehorse trainer *

Nicky Henderson Nicholas John Henderson (born 10 December 1950) is a British racehorse trainer. He has been British jump racing Champion Trainer six times. Background His father was Johnny Henderson who was one of the founders of the Racecourse Holdings Tru ...

, racehorse trainer *

Lisa Wooding Lisa Marie Wooding (born 1 December 1979 in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire) is an English field hockey defender, who was a member of the England and Great Britain women's field hockey team since making her England debut in January 2001 again ...

, England and Great Britain hockey player, Olympian * Mike Tucker, equestrian and agricultural show commentator Other * Richard Abel Smith * Miguel de Avendaño * James Buckman * Charlotte Clark * Michael Coulson (barrister) * Tim Heywood *

Chris Keeble Christopher Patrick Benedict Keeble, DSO, MSc, FCMI (born 14 November 1941) is a former British Army officer, who fought in the Falklands War. Early life Keeble was born in Quetta, British India, and received his early formal education at the ...

, soldier, The Parachute Regiment and Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford *

Eleanor Anne Ormerod Eleanor Anne Ormerod (11 May 182819 July 1901) was a pioneer English entomologist. Based on her studies in agriculture, she became one of the first to define the field of agricultural entomology. She published an influential series of articles on ...

* Edward Packard (businessman, born 1843), son of the founder of Fisons fertiliser * Baron Rathcreedan, pedigree cow auctioneer *Sir Wilfred de Soysa *

Augustus Voelcker John Christopher Augustus Voelcker FRS (24 September 1822 – 5 December 1884) was a Royal Agricultural Society of England chemist. Voelcker was known for his methodical and precise analytical practices as applied to agricultural chemistry. He b ...

, professor of agricultural chemistry *

, founder of

File:The 5th Duke of Abercorn Allan Warren.jpg, James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn File:Stuartagnew.jpg, UKIP MEP Stuart Agnew File:Richard Benyon Official.jpg, Conservative MP Richard Benyon File:Simon Coveney2.png, Irish Cabinet Minister Simon Coveney File:Tim Payne.jpg, England Rugby player Tim Payne

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Education in Gloucestershire

Agricultural College This article lists agricultural universities and colleges around the world, by continent and country. Africa Algeria * Higher National Agronomic School (French name: Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique) Benin * Agricultural University of ...

Agricultural universities and colleges in the United Kingdom Educational institutions established in 1845 1845 establishments in England Cirencester