A college with history in Crowthorne

The charming village of Crowthorne is home to one of the most prestigious schools in the UK, Wellington College, whose former pupils include the likes of George Orwell and members of the Greek Royal Family. The College was granted a royal charter in 1853 and officially opened in 1859. Over the past 160 years, the College has had a great impact on Crowthorne and the surrounding area.   

Up until 1860, Crowthorne was only a small hamlet with a dozen or so dwellings, but the arrival of Wellington College and Broadmoor Hospital soon changed this, and it began to expand into the village it is today. 

The first foundation stone of Wellington College was laid by Queen Victoria in 1856, who wanted to set up a charitable institution to honour the first Duke of Wellington, who died in 1852. The school was established with the aim to educate the orphans of Army Officers. When the first 76 boys arrived, 49 were army orphans and the remaining 27 were sons of serving officers and civilians.  

The College has undoubtedly had a huge impact on Crowthorne, in 1860 a railway station was built, and was originally known as Wellington College for Crowthorne Station. This now means that villagers benefit from having easy access to the Capital, with London just 50 minutes away via Reading. 

Local residents can also benefit from the wonderful facilities at the Wellington Health & Fitness Club which boasts a fully kitted out gym, rock climbing wall, swimming pool, astro turf football pitch and racket sport facilities.  

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With the fabulous history and current facilities that Crowthorne has to offer, we wouldn’t be surprised if you wanted to make your move. To visit our Renaissance Crowthorne development, call 01344 238 215 or email [email protected].