The College of St Gregory and St Martin at Wye, commonly known as Wye College, was an education and research institution in the village of Wye, Kent. In 1447, Cardinal John Kempe founded his chantry there which also educated local children. As of 2020, it still includes a rare, complete example of medieval chantry college buildings.
After abolition in 1545, parts of the premises were variously occupied as mansion, grammar school, charity school, infant school and national school, before purchase by Kent and Surrey County Councils to provide men's technical education. For over a hundred years Wye became the school, then college, of London University most concerned with rural subjects, including agricultural sciences; business management; agriculture; horticulture, and agricultural economics. Chemist and Actonian Prize winner, Louis Wain developed synthetic auxin selective herbicides 2,4-DB, MCPB and Bromoxynil at Wye in the 1950s alongside his other research into insecticides, plant growth regulators and fungicides. Wain's colleague Gerald Wibberley championed alternative priorities for the college with an early emphasis on land use and the environment. Following World War II and a 1947 merger with Swanley Horticultural College for women, Wye transformed itself from small agricultural college, providing local practical instruction, to university for a rapidly increasing number of national and international students. Successive phases of expansion developed the college's campus along Olantigh Road, Withersdane Hall the country's first post-war, purpose built university hall of residence, and accumulated an estate of nearly 1,000 acres (400 ha). However, after a difficult 2000 merger with Imperial College and controversial 2005 attempt to build 4,000 houses on its farmland, Imperial College at Wye closed in 2009. As of 2010, the pioneering postgraduate distance learning programme created at Wye College continued within SOAS. Many of the college buildings have been redeveloped, though some are retained for community use or occasional public access.
History
Chantry Church leaders from the 14th century onwards were concerned by the influence of John Wyclif and his fellow Lollards on the Weald and Romney Marsh. They felt priests educated in Latin and theology, living in the community, would be better able to counter circulation of heretical translations and interpretation. Where these priests' persuasion failed, the alerted church authorities could punish committed dissenters, or even have them burnt as at Wye in 1557. Several chantries were established in the vicinity, at least in part for this purpose.
In 1432, John Kempe, then Archbishop of York and a native of adjoining Olantigh, was granted royal license by King Henry VI to found the College of Saints Gregory and Martin in the parish of Wye. In 1447 after protracted negotiation, he obtained about an acre of land, including dwellings known as Shalewell, Goldsmyth and Shank, from the Abbot and Convent of Battle who owned the Manor of Wye. Kempe constructed the Latin School, and buildings around a cloistered quadrangle for the accommodation of secular priests. There were up to ten priests at any one time in his chantry. Kempe had also rebuilt adjoining Wye Church in 1447 and Archbishop of Canterbury, John Stafford granted its vicarship to the college. The priests acted as a college of canons for the now collegiate church; performed their chantry duties for the Kempes' souls, and included a teacher of grammar (Latin). The master had to be a scholar of theology and member of Kempe's alma mater, Merton College. Kempe's statutes required the college to teach all scholars free, both rich and poor, though as a welcome seasonal exception grateful students could reward the schoolmaster with gifts of fowl and pennies on Saint Nicholas Day, confuetam galloram & denariorum Sancti Nicholai gratuitam oblationem. The dedication to Saint Gregory and Saint Martin mirrors that of Kempe's adjoining church. An earlier 1290 Wye Church, on the site, had been solely named for Saint Gregory. The further reference, at both the college and church, to Saint Martin may have been to recognise the contribution of Battle Abbey, itself dedicated to him. By 1450, Wye College had appropriated the pilgrim's church at Boughton Aluph, and acquired land in Canterbury, Wye, Boughton Aluph, Crundale, Godmersham, Bethersden and Postling. King Edward IV granted it the west Kent coast churches of Newington, Brenzett and Broomhill in 1465. The rules were not universally upheld. In 1511, Master Goodhewe was reported to Archbishop Warham for appointing himself, rather than other fellows, to the College's remunerated positions, and taking the entire benefit of its endowment to the neglect of divine service and the cure of souls. He failed to annually proclaim Kempe's statutes and maintained a relationship with a woman, in breach of them. Goodhewe also found time to be Rector of Staplehurst without papal dispensation to hold two incompatible benefices. But he was not removed from office for his misconduct. By 1534 the college had annual gross income of £125 15s 41⁄2d, or over £94,000 at 2022 values.
Other partially surviving chantry colleges near Wye include the larger Maidstone, and smaller Cobham Colleges. Traces remain at Ashford.
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