Sackville College facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sackville College |
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Sackville College from the High street
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| General information | |
| Status | Grade I listed |
| Type | Almshouse |
| Architectural style | Jacobean |
| Town or city | East Grinstead |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°07′29″N 0°00′15″W / 51.1246°N 0.0041°W |
| Opened | 1609 |
| Cost | £1,000 |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Sandstone |
Sackville College is a special old building in East Grinstead, England. It was built a long time ago, in 1609, and is known for its beautiful Jacobean style. For hundreds of years, it has been a safe and welcoming home for older people who need a place to live. It was started with money from a man named Robert Sackville, 2nd Earl of Dorset.
How Sackville College Started
Sackville College was created because Robert Sackville, 2nd Earl of Dorset wanted to help people. He left £1,000 in his will to build a "hospital or college." This place was meant to be a home for 21 poor men and 10 poor women.
His family members, like his brother-in-law Lord William Howard, started building the college around 1616. It was called 'Sackville College for the Poor'. People began living there before 1622.
Over time, there were some problems with the money that was supposed to support the college. But in 1700, after a long legal fight, a smaller amount of money was set aside for the college. This meant the number of residents was reduced to twelve, plus a warden. The college buildings were later fixed up in the 1800s by two countesses, Countess Amherst and the Countess De la Warr.
Sackville College Today
Sackville College still operates as a charity today. It follows rules from an Act of Parliament passed in 1624 and a Royal Charter from 1631. The college is still supported by the Sackville family, specifically William Sackville, 11th Earl De La Warr.
The building is located at the end of the High Street, near St Swithun's Church. It is made from local sandstone. The main part of the building was finished in 1619. It is still in amazing condition, looking much like it did hundreds of years ago.
The original lock is still used on the Chapel door. Many pieces of furniture from the 1600s and 1700s are kept inside. The college is considered a Grade I listed building, which means it's a very important historical site.
The building has a courtyard in the middle with a well. The inside walls have large windows with stone frames. The Great Hall has its original hammer-beam roof, which is a special type of wooden ceiling. The living areas for the elderly residents have been updated to be modern and comfortable.
A warden manages the college. The warden lives in a part of the building that the Sackville family used when they visited their estates. The warden's office looks much like it did when Revd Dr John Mason Neale was warden. He lived there from 1846 until he passed away in 1866. J.M. Neale was famous for writing hymns, including "Good King Wenceslas".
The college is open to visitors from Wednesday to Sunday during the summer months.
