WATERPERRY HORTICULTURAL SCHOOL

Scope and Content

These records are of local and national importance relating to the Waterperry Horticultural School for Women, in Waterperry, Oxfordshire. This horticultural school was founded in 1932 by Beatrix Havergal and her partner, Avice Sanders.

The school became renowned in the horticultural world for providing a sound training for women, many of whom went on to maintain gardens of national importance here and abroad. Beatrix Havergal's determination to make the school work shone through many hardships and she was rewarded by being given an MBE, the Veitch Memorial Medal, and the Victoria medal of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society.

This collection also contains records relating to the Chelsea flower show, where the strawberries grown at Waterperry won numerous gold medals, Thatcham Fruit and Flower Farm, where Beatrix Havergal received her training, and Pusey Fruit and Flower Gardens, where Beatrix and Avice first set up their school in 1927 before moving to Waterperry in 1932.

As well as the records of the horticultural schools, this collection also contains records relating to Beatrix Havergal's life.

Waterperry Horticultural School was sold in 1971, but still operates as a garden centre. (See O6/7/MS/1) for a summary of the main events and personalities).

This catalogue is divided into 7 sections.

O6/1 relates to the Horticultural School at Waterperry.

O6/2 contains Beatrix Havergal's personal papers.

O6/3 relates to Pusey Fruit and Flower Gardens.

O6/4 relates to Chelsea Flower Show.

O6/5 has records about Thatcham Fruit and Flower Farm (School of Gardening for Girls), Near Newbury, Berkshire

O6/6 relates to Downe House

O/7 is a miscellaneous section

The records in this collection were deposited with Oxfordshire Archives in May 1980 as accession 1924. The collection was catalogued by Madeleine Simms and Jenny Childs, May 2002.

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Geographical Names