College Guide 12-13

Cartmel’s History
The area of Cartmel, after which the college is
named, is one of the most beautiful in Lancashire. It
is home to the famous Cartmel Priory that was built
by Augustian canons between 1188 and 1220.
According to legend, the church was built between
two parallel streams in response to a “heavenly voice.” A great part of the
priory’s structure was destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries
under Henry VIII but a large part survived because the ruling King realised
that the villagers of Cartmel had no-where else to worship. Cartmel is also
famous for having the smallest National Hunt
Racecourse in Britain.
Cartmel College residences were opened in 1968; much to the relief of its
members of staff who were called out to haul bedsteads and mattresses
upstairs before the first students arrived! The old Cartmel (now County South
and the Institute for Advanced Research) was designed by the Manchesterbased
architect, Mr Haydyn Smith. Smith designed the college in such a way
as to expose it to as much natural light as possible. The college was also
dominated by a number of large, multi-purpose grassed areas that were very
popular during the warmer months. Extra residences were built in 1969 to
cope with the expanding student population.
In 1992 the John Creed block of en-suite accommodation was opened in
Cartmel. It was named the John Creed block after Mr John Creed, the
founding principal of Cartmel College and the first Provost of the University.
In 2003 Cartmel’s Syndicate decided to embrace the university’s offer to
relocate the college down to south west campus along with Lonsdale College
and become entirely en-suite with brand new accommodation and new
facilities and college offices.
After some negotiation it was decided that Cartmel would take the refurbished
Barker House Farm complex as the centre of their college, having housed
within it the offices, porters lodge, bar and Junior Common Room, with the
accommodation built around it.
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