D
Dragon_Urbex
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Guest
So, this part of the Wye College complex has evaded me since 2019 due to always being tightly sealed and inhabited by security. But, in October 2021, I finally cracked it! The site is a large former medieval monastic college, later a science campus owned by Imperial College. It was closed down and left abandoned just over a decade ago in 2009. Recently it was snapped up by a London based property developer called Telereal Trillium who have the aim of turning it into houses… surprise surprise. Work is well underway at this point and even now merely a few weeks on it looks masses different inside. I took @Landie_Man here about a week ago and the money shot medieval hall has been locked up which is an embuggerance. But hey ho, at least I managed to see it beforehand. Anyway, I shall write a short potted history. And before anyone comments that I missed the Jacobean staircases, I didn't - they're just covered in black plastic!
The College of St Gregory and St Martin at Wye, colloquially known as Wye College, was founded in 1447 by John Kempe, the Archbishop of York. It was affiliated to the Church of St Gregory and St Martin which is nearby and attached the building via cloisters and other structures. Unfortunately, those no longer exist and even the church is a shadow of its former grandeur - in the 17th century, the central tower collapsed and destroyed the transepts and chancel, so a new tower and east end was built, with the church much smaller than it used to be. One can only assume that this collapse damaged the college buildings as well. In the 19th century, the college buildings were extended numerous times, forming many courtyards. In 1894, the religious college moved to new premises and the buildings were taken over by the newly created South Eastern Agricultural College, before merging with the University of London in 1898. At some point, Imperial College London took over the site and it was used as a research centre in the fields of rural business and management, biological sciences, and the environment, agroecological research and agriculture. Imperial College London closed the site in 2009, with the intention of developing it into housing. However, that fell through and Telereal Trillium bought the college, the DEFRA labs, the dairy farm and Mind Campus at Withersdane Hall to turn them into housing. As of October 2021, work has started on the medieval college to turn it into 38 flats.
The Explore:
I'd got back to university at nearby Canterbury a few weeks prior to this explore, and set about looking for the planning applications for Wye on the council website. I found many photographs of lovely staircases and that just reignited my determination to access the site once and for all. So, with fresh determination this time, I set off towards the college - once I got my student loan, that is!! Many times I have tried and failed this site, never having managed to get in. But this time was different – I found a way in after two years of trying! And boy, was I not disappointed whatsoever. The site is partly medieval and some of those features still remain in the building – some absolutely gorgeous wooden panelling throughout the structure, Gothic windows and arches, stone fireplaces… list goes on. However, much of it dates from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, albeit in keeping with the original Gothic style. The new additions are quite obvious as they are made of brick and strangely rounded pieces of Kentish ragstone. The original sections are evident as the stonework is much worse condition and the walls are incredibly thick. The explore was good fun, however I did have to dodge numerous motion sensors and PIR-activated CCTV cameras that litter the site - they're provided by Clearway Security so I know they mean business and aren't duds. But other than that, it was a nice, chilled out explore. Enjoy the photographs!
1) The main entrance courtyard. This dates from the early 1900s and is in the Perpendicular Gothic Revival style, with lovely half timbered brick sections.
2) Showing the lovely oriel window above the entrance gate.
3) Better view of the entrance courtyard. The dining hall is the low building in the middle between the two storey structures.
4) The second courtyard. Part of the medieval structure is visible on the left here, with 19th century additions to the right. The medieval section contains the Great Hall, which is now sadly totally sealed.
5) In the medieval courtyard with the cloister. This part contains war memorials from both world wars and also the chapel.
6) The impressive First World War memorial.
7) The Second World War memorial.
8) Arty-farty photo of the cloister arches. I'd date them to be possibly 18th century.
9) The chapel. Likely not an original chapel however.
10) Some service cards remain.
11) The chapel isn't huge, but it's quaint.
12) The stained glass window of the chapel.
13) A small corridor leads to another courtyard within the site. The vaulted ceiling is made of plaster.
14) The next courtyard is full of nice bushes. An inaccessible lecture theatre is off to the right.
15) The only accessible lecture theatre on the medieval section is fairly small but still quite nice inside. Pitch black, so I had to light paint.
16) At this point, I wandered around and found this lovely Tudor fireplace.
17) I then went upstairs and found a couple of nice shots.
18) The second nice shot. Dormitories.
19) And now! The Great Hall which dates from the 15th century! The half timbering is lovely here. This is now locked up, so I literally got to it just in time.
20) The carved wooden figures above the rood screen.
21) I then went back downstairs and chanced upon this lovely room - it's called "The Parlour".
22) Close up of the fireplace's rich carvings.
23) The cafeteria and hotplates are still intact but not for long. You can see the work which has taken place here in the background.
24) The dining hall. It's a big airy room with some lovely woodwork.
25) A side angle shot of the room.
26) The "Wheel Room" which looks as though it was a bar. It also isn't as old as it looks I don't think. I could be wrong.
27) The eponymous wheel.
28) And finally, some toilet porn for those who like shots of toilets.
Thanks for readin'!
The College of St Gregory and St Martin at Wye, colloquially known as Wye College, was founded in 1447 by John Kempe, the Archbishop of York. It was affiliated to the Church of St Gregory and St Martin which is nearby and attached the building via cloisters and other structures. Unfortunately, those no longer exist and even the church is a shadow of its former grandeur - in the 17th century, the central tower collapsed and destroyed the transepts and chancel, so a new tower and east end was built, with the church much smaller than it used to be. One can only assume that this collapse damaged the college buildings as well. In the 19th century, the college buildings were extended numerous times, forming many courtyards. In 1894, the religious college moved to new premises and the buildings were taken over by the newly created South Eastern Agricultural College, before merging with the University of London in 1898. At some point, Imperial College London took over the site and it was used as a research centre in the fields of rural business and management, biological sciences, and the environment, agroecological research and agriculture. Imperial College London closed the site in 2009, with the intention of developing it into housing. However, that fell through and Telereal Trillium bought the college, the DEFRA labs, the dairy farm and Mind Campus at Withersdane Hall to turn them into housing. As of October 2021, work has started on the medieval college to turn it into 38 flats.
The Explore:
I'd got back to university at nearby Canterbury a few weeks prior to this explore, and set about looking for the planning applications for Wye on the council website. I found many photographs of lovely staircases and that just reignited my determination to access the site once and for all. So, with fresh determination this time, I set off towards the college - once I got my student loan, that is!! Many times I have tried and failed this site, never having managed to get in. But this time was different – I found a way in after two years of trying! And boy, was I not disappointed whatsoever. The site is partly medieval and some of those features still remain in the building – some absolutely gorgeous wooden panelling throughout the structure, Gothic windows and arches, stone fireplaces… list goes on. However, much of it dates from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, albeit in keeping with the original Gothic style. The new additions are quite obvious as they are made of brick and strangely rounded pieces of Kentish ragstone. The original sections are evident as the stonework is much worse condition and the walls are incredibly thick. The explore was good fun, however I did have to dodge numerous motion sensors and PIR-activated CCTV cameras that litter the site - they're provided by Clearway Security so I know they mean business and aren't duds. But other than that, it was a nice, chilled out explore. Enjoy the photographs!
1) The main entrance courtyard. This dates from the early 1900s and is in the Perpendicular Gothic Revival style, with lovely half timbered brick sections.
2) Showing the lovely oriel window above the entrance gate.
3) Better view of the entrance courtyard. The dining hall is the low building in the middle between the two storey structures.
4) The second courtyard. Part of the medieval structure is visible on the left here, with 19th century additions to the right. The medieval section contains the Great Hall, which is now sadly totally sealed.
5) In the medieval courtyard with the cloister. This part contains war memorials from both world wars and also the chapel.
6) The impressive First World War memorial.
7) The Second World War memorial.
8) Arty-farty photo of the cloister arches. I'd date them to be possibly 18th century.
9) The chapel. Likely not an original chapel however.
10) Some service cards remain.
11) The chapel isn't huge, but it's quaint.
12) The stained glass window of the chapel.
13) A small corridor leads to another courtyard within the site. The vaulted ceiling is made of plaster.
14) The next courtyard is full of nice bushes. An inaccessible lecture theatre is off to the right.
15) The only accessible lecture theatre on the medieval section is fairly small but still quite nice inside. Pitch black, so I had to light paint.
16) At this point, I wandered around and found this lovely Tudor fireplace.
17) I then went upstairs and found a couple of nice shots.
18) The second nice shot. Dormitories.
19) And now! The Great Hall which dates from the 15th century! The half timbering is lovely here. This is now locked up, so I literally got to it just in time.
20) The carved wooden figures above the rood screen.
21) I then went back downstairs and chanced upon this lovely room - it's called "The Parlour".
22) Close up of the fireplace's rich carvings.
23) The cafeteria and hotplates are still intact but not for long. You can see the work which has taken place here in the background.
24) The dining hall. It's a big airy room with some lovely woodwork.
25) A side angle shot of the room.
26) The "Wheel Room" which looks as though it was a bar. It also isn't as old as it looks I don't think. I could be wrong.
27) The eponymous wheel.
28) And finally, some toilet porn for those who like shots of toilets.
Thanks for readin'!
