Newton Rigg College

a group of two-storey buildings with Georgian-style multipane windows, seen across a lawn. The original farmhouse to the left has a central green-painted front door and windows to either side with three windows to the upper floor.
The original Newton Rigg farmhouse, on the left, with later extensions

Newton Rigg College was an agricultural college near Penrith, Cumbria, England, founded in 1896 as the Cumberland and Westmorland Farm School.[1] From 2011 it was part of Askham Bryan College, which in 2020 announced that it would close in 2021.[2]

History

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The Cumberland and Westmorland Farm School was founded in 1896 by Henry Charles Howard, of Greystoke Castle, MP for Penrith.[3] Local business leaders involved in the committee which led to its foundation included builder George Henry Pattinson JP, OBE, engineer Gilbert Gilkes and paper-maker James Cropper.[4] Newton Rigg farm, between Newton Reigny and Penrith, was bought to be the school's premises. Initially the school offered dairying courses for girls in summer, and farming courses for boys in the winter when they had less farm work and could be spared.[1]

a modern building in an open grassy area, with a sign stating "Cumbria Campus at Newton Rigg" and with the University of Central Lancashire name and logo
Seen in 2006 when it was part of University of Central Lancashire

In 1967 the school was renamed the Cumberland and Westmorland College of Agriculture and Forestry and home to the newly established National School of Forestry. The college became part of the University of Central Lancashire in 1998. Its website 1998 uses the name "Newton Rigg College" with the strapline "The Centre for Learning in the Heart of Cumbria" and has a logo showing an image of a green cultivated field with hills and mountains in the background; it is described as a "partner college" of the University of Central Lancashire.[5] Its mission statement at that date was "To strive for excellence in the provision of high quality education and training on a sound economic basis, with the main sphere of operation being the rural economy and land based industries."[6] Newton Rigg was transferred to the new University of Cumbria in 2007. In 2011 it became part of Askham Bryan College, an agricultural college based near York.[7]

Recent years

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In 2014 the Frank Parkinson Building was opened, providing teaching, library, reception and office accommodation, as part of a £3m development plan and with the support of the Frank Parkinson Agricultural Trust.[8]

the entrance to a modern building incorporating red sandstone and large glass windows, with grass in foreground
The Frank Parkinson Building seen in 2017

In 2019-2020 there were 888 students, made up of 667 further education students and 221 apprentices; in 2020-2021 there were 536 students, being 440 FE students and 96 apprentices.[2] The college taught the land-based subjects of agriculture, gamekeeping, animal and equine management, forestry, horticulture and agricultural engineering, and more general further education courses including indoor and outdoor sport, hairdressing and beauty therapy, childhood studies and health and social care.[9]

The Northern School of Game and Wildlife, a department of Newton Rigg, was described as "One of the UK's premier gamekeeping colleges", and was the only such college to have its own grouse moor.[10][11]

After much discussion and despite local campaigning,[12] it was announced in 2020 that Newton Rigg would close in July 2021.[13][14][15][16][17] As of January 2021 a local organisation Newton Rigg Ltd. is "working to keep Newton Rigg College open, realise its potential and protect its future for generations to come".[14]

The closure of the college was discussed on 23 March 2021 by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs parliamentary select committee, along with "the future of land-based education".[18][19][20]

In July 2021 it was announced that the Ernest Cook Trust had bought the college's hill farm, Low Beckside Farm, "with the promise of maintaining it as a resource for agricultural education",[21][22] In August 2021 it was reported that the rest of the campus had been sold, with The Leo Group, owners of Penrith based Omega Proteins, said to be "involved in the process".[23][24]

References

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  1. ^ a b Humphries, Andrew (2015). "Newton Rigg College" (PDF). Cumbria Vernacular Buildings Group Newsletter: 3–6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Newton Rigg Review Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)". Askham Bryan College. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Portrait unveiled of Cumberland and Westmorland Farm School founder". The Westmorland Gazette. 17 July 2012. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Useful information". Newton Rigg Ltd. Protecting the Future. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Newton Rigg College". Archived from the original on 29 May 1998. Retrieved 14 January 2021. Shows old logo
  6. ^ "Mission Statement". Newton Rigg College. Archived from the original on 29 May 1998. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  7. ^ Postlethwaite, Alan (3 April 2016). "Farming – The Educators". Industrial History of Cumbria. Cumbria Industrial History Society. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  8. ^ "New Agricultural Hub for Newton Rigg College". Newton Rigg College. 8 October 2014. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  9. ^ "About the College". Newton Rigg College. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Game and Wildlife Newton Rigg College". www.schoolandcollegelistings.com. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  11. ^ "Major gamekeeping college to close". Fieldsports Channel. 22 May 2020. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  12. ^ "Newton Rigg Archives". Rory Stewart. Archived from the original on 24 May 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Newton Rigg Review". Askham Bryan College. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  14. ^ a b "Newton Rigg Ltd - Protecting the Future". Newton Rigg Ltd. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  15. ^ "Newton Rigg College: Review finds no new suitable owner". BBC News. 19 December 2020. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  16. ^ "Newton Rigg College: Campaign group asks government to pause sale". BBC News. 24 December 2020. Archived from the original on 24 December 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  17. ^ "'Hammer blow' to Cumbria as agricultural college is to close with the loss of 117 jobs". News and Star. 21 May 2020. Archived from the original on 31 May 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  18. ^ Hodges, Maureen (20 March 2021). "Inquiry into closure of Newton Rigg welcomed". News and Star. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  19. ^ "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Parliamentary Select Committee". Askham Bryan College. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  20. ^ Laycock, Mike (26 March 2021). "'College in York needs to sell Cumbrian campus for £12m to survive' claim MPs". York Press. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  21. ^ Hodges, Maureen (2 September 2021). "Newton Rigg's hill farm sale nears completion". News and Star. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  22. ^ Moffitt, Dominic (5 July 2021). "Farm at 125-year-old agricultural college saved with land purchase". LancsLive. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  23. ^ "Newton Rigg College campus sold". The Keswick Reminder. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  24. ^ "New owner of Newton Rigg College site revealed". Cumbria Crack. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.

Further reading

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54°40′16″N 2°47′20″W / 54.671°N 2.789°W / 54.671; -2.789

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