Our History

History of Westonbirt as a Private Boarding & Day School for Girls

Westonbirt School has a long and proud history as a private boarding and day school for girls. Westonbirt House, the former stately home and private house of the Holford family, was acquired by the The Martyrs' Memorial and Church of England Trust (now known as The Allied Schools) in 1926 for conversion into a private boarding school for girls. It retained the architectural splendour and family atmosphere of the original house but over time we have added many boarding school facilities, such as a modern specialist classrooms and a Sports Centre.
But back to the beginning...

History of Westonbirt House

Westonbirt House is the third manor on its site and by far the grandest. An Elizabethan house was first acquired by the Holford family when Sir Richard Holford married its owner Sarah Crew in 1665. Their grandson Peter had shares in a company that supplied drinking water to London, which made him a wealthy man - and it was partly thanks to this fortune that his son, George Peter Holford, was able to demolish the Elizabethan manor and build in its place a Georgian house.

History of Westonbirt Heritage Gardens

The grounds of Westonbirt School, now known as Westonbirt Heritage Gardens, have been hailed as "the most historically significant private gardens in Gloucestershire". They were laid out primarily by Robert Holford as the private gardens to Westonbirt House, his country seat.
His estate also included the National Arboretum at Westonbirt, also planted by Holford but now owned by the Forestry Commission. Like Westonbirt House, the Gardens are Grade I listed and full of fascinating features.