September 2019 Group Meeting Report
From the latter part of the reign of Queen Victoria to 1946 there existed in Hextable a pioneering place of learning called Swanley Horticultural College. An elegant Queen Anne mansion house sitting in an estate of sixty acres opposite an imposing avenue of lime trees was bought in 1889 by Mr Arthur Harper Bond, a specialist in fruit tree propagation, for the purpose of developing horticultural practices. This was the subject of Esme Hodge’s copiously illustrated presentation at our September meeting. Initially thirteen male students were enrolled. When Miss Ethel Everest and Miss Emma Cons (who was also instrumental in the formation of The Old Vic, The National Theatre, The English National Opera and The Royal Ballet) joined The Board of Governors in 1891 this heralded the admittance of female students.
We were bemused by photographs from 1890’s onwards of students carrying out various horticultural tasks in pure white intricately ruffled blouses, floor length skirts and the most enormous hats – more suited to a garden party than garden duties – or huge aprons over their town clothes, which would have included corsets. A new uniform was introduced in 1910 when they were required to purchase green material for tunics from Harrods, straw hats from Liberty’s and stockings from The London Glove Company in Bond Street. These early lady students were not to be confused with female field workers and agricultural labourers! Only ladies from a prosperous background could afford that uniform! Filling in time before being presented at court; escaping from a failed marriage or love affair; having something to do whilst their families were stationed overseas were the main reasons why they joined the college. Vigilant chaperoning was required so the females were lodged at Southbank under the watchful eye of Mrs Watson and the males lodged at Northbank. From 1902 it became a female only college. In 1922 the adjoining farmhouse became the staff quarters and library.
The subjects they studied were broad and we enjoyed seeing photographs of students at work in glasshouses, making butter in the glorious Bessemer Saloon, apiary, hoeing with horses, in the peach house and doing experiments in the chemistry and biology laboratories. Interesting new courses were introduced, such as landscape design and courses aimed at students who would be joining their husbands in remote British Colonies and included laundry, jam making, sanitation, nursing, native languages and carpentry.
Esme mentioned several notable women graduates including –
On 2 March 1944 a stick of bombs fell on the Horticultural College, damaging the buildings and killing the Head Girl, Helen Armstrong. Hextable House was demolished in 1946, by which time the site had been sold to Kent County Council and used as a training centre for ex-service personnel. By 1970 training had ceased at this site and the remaining buildings were used for other purposes. Today all that remains are the laboratory building, now The Parish Council Offices and the wrought iron gates.
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser
From the latter part of the reign of Queen Victoria to 1946 there existed in Hextable a pioneering place of learning called Swanley Horticultural College. An elegant Queen Anne mansion house sitting in an estate of sixty acres opposite an imposing avenue of lime trees was bought in 1889 by Mr Arthur Harper Bond, a specialist in fruit tree propagation, for the purpose of developing horticultural practices. This was the subject of Esme Hodge’s copiously illustrated presentation at our September meeting. Initially thirteen male students were enrolled. When Miss Ethel Everest and Miss Emma Cons (who was also instrumental in the formation of The Old Vic, The National Theatre, The English National Opera and The Royal Ballet) joined The Board of Governors in 1891 this heralded the admittance of female students.
We were bemused by photographs from 1890’s onwards of students carrying out various horticultural tasks in pure white intricately ruffled blouses, floor length skirts and the most enormous hats – more suited to a garden party than garden duties – or huge aprons over their town clothes, which would have included corsets. A new uniform was introduced in 1910 when they were required to purchase green material for tunics from Harrods, straw hats from Liberty’s and stockings from The London Glove Company in Bond Street. These early lady students were not to be confused with female field workers and agricultural labourers! Only ladies from a prosperous background could afford that uniform! Filling in time before being presented at court; escaping from a failed marriage or love affair; having something to do whilst their families were stationed overseas were the main reasons why they joined the college. Vigilant chaperoning was required so the females were lodged at Southbank under the watchful eye of Mrs Watson and the males lodged at Northbank. From 1902 it became a female only college. In 1922 the adjoining farmhouse became the staff quarters and library.
The subjects they studied were broad and we enjoyed seeing photographs of students at work in glasshouses, making butter in the glorious Bessemer Saloon, apiary, hoeing with horses, in the peach house and doing experiments in the chemistry and biology laboratories. Interesting new courses were introduced, such as landscape design and courses aimed at students who would be joining their husbands in remote British Colonies and included laundry, jam making, sanitation, nursing, native languages and carpentry.
Esme mentioned several notable women graduates including –
- Brenda Colvin who became the first female president The Landscape Institute, architect and garden designer.
- Writer Dame Sylvia Crowe, a later president of The Landscape Institute.
- Annie Culvin, Alice Hutchings, Gertrude Cope and Eleanor Morland who became the first female gardeners at Kew – but they had to leave when they reached the age of 24
- Winifred Brenchley OBE, who reached the highest echelons of academia in Agricultural Botany
- Frances Perry who became the first woman elected to council of the RHS, a writer and broadcaster.
On 2 March 1944 a stick of bombs fell on the Horticultural College, damaging the buildings and killing the Head Girl, Helen Armstrong. Hextable House was demolished in 1946, by which time the site had been sold to Kent County Council and used as a training centre for ex-service personnel. By 1970 training had ceased at this site and the remaining buildings were used for other purposes. Today all that remains are the laboratory building, now The Parish Council Offices and the wrought iron gates.
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser