Chichele College
Chichele College stands in the middle of Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire. It is a fine example, and a rare survivor, of a mediæval chantry college.
It is found on College Road, the north extension of the High Street, almost opposite the site of Higham Ferrars Castle and the parish church.
The college was founded in 1422 by Henry Chichele, Archbishop of Canterbury, who was born in the town in about 1362. The foundation was a college of priests, living a communal life in a manner less stringent than those found in a monastery, praying for the founder and his family.
The gatehouse, chapel and other remains of the college buildings survive. The chapel is now regularly used for art exhibitions.
History
In 1422, Henry Chichele, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1414 to 1443, resolved to benefit his home town, Higham Ferrars, by founding a chantry, which became known after him as Chichele College. Chichele was also the founder of All Souls' College, Oxford.
The foundation ceremony was held in 1425, though the buildings here were partly complete by then.
The prime concern of the college was to offer prayers for the souls of the patron and his family, and often they also had an educational function. Chichele College was provided with a master, seven chaplains, four clerks and six choristers.
At the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the college was surrendered to King Henry VIII, in 1542.
Since dissolution. the building has been much altered since, so that many of the original features have disappeared. Parts of the south and east ranges were adapted to form a smaller building, which in the 18th century served as an inn.
By the early 20th century it was reduced to a single farm cottage with an attached granary.
Description
Parts of the college survive only as foundations, bhut what remains is impressive and the chapel is still roofed.
The buildings were laid out around a quadrangle about 45 feet square. The east wall of the east range, which fronts the main road, stands to its full height and incorporates the main entrance gateway.
At its north end is the remnant of a barn built in the late 18th or early 19th century that overlies parts of the original north and east ranges of the college.
The chapel has been much altered and partly rebuilt, but retains a large, blocked east window. Built into both its interior and exterior walls are projecting corbels, carved in the form of human heads, probably placed here after the college was suppressed.
To the north and west of the present building are exposed foundations and stone walls. These include the remains of the western part of the south range and other buildings.
The foundations suggest that a hall took up all or most of the west range, with the kitchens at the north-west corner.
There was once a college garden, where now is found a lawn at the western edge of the site.
Outside links
- Location map: 52°18’14"N, 0°35’45"W
- Streetmap: SP958682
- Chichele College - English Heritage
References
Books
- Charlton, J: ‘The Chichele College, Higham Ferrers’, Archaeological Journal (1953), 110, 153
- Nikolaus Pevsner: The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, 1961; 1973 Penguin Books ISBN 978-0-300-09632-3
