A history of the Bedgebury estate

The first records of Bedgebury come from as early as the 9th century, when Begcgebyra (as it was then known) was granted by the King of Mercia to one of his earls following the conquest of the county of Kent.

The beginnings of the modern estate stem from 1836, when Bedgebury was sold to Marshal Viscount Beresford, one of the Duke of Wellington’s commanders in the Peninsular Wars. In 1832, Lord Beresford married Louisa Hope and together they spent a happy life at Bedgebury, carrying out a number of alterations to the main house, adding two wings and encasing the building in stone. He also planted the rose garden and many of the trees which, still today, make the estate so attractive.

Following Beresford-Hope’s death in 1887 the house passed to his son, Philip Beresford-Hope, who sold the estate in 1899 to Isaac Lewis, a city financier. Lewis maintained the estate diligently, installing electricity and ensuring it remained in good condition.

In the aftermath of the first world war, the British Government had a huge demand for timber and it was partly this which led Lewis to sell the whole estate to the Crown in 1919. The Crown retained large parts of the estate for forestry purposes (this was the forerunner of Bedgebury Pinetum, now owned by the Forestry Commission) although had no need of the house and parkland which it sold to the Church Education Corporation in August 1919 to establish a school for girls.

Bedgebury School duly opened in January 1920 and operated successfully for many years before closing in summer 2006. In 2007 the school was purchased by the Bell Educational Trust, an educational charity established by Frank Bell to promote international understanding through education. In summer 2007 the school reopened as the Bell Bedgebury International School and the extensive grounds also play host to the Bell Bedgebury Language Centre, a year round
English language training and teacher development centre. Students at the International School share some adult recreational facilities, although student accommodation and teaching facilities are kept separate.

Bell Bedgebury International School is an important part of the local community and all students are encouraged to play their part in local community life.

Bedgebury alumni

In 1920, the Church Education Corporation purchased 220 acres of the Bedgebury estate and established Bedgebury School, the forerunner to the Bell Bedgebury International School.

For nearly 90 years the school offered an outstanding, holistic education for generations of girls, preparing them to take their place in the wider world.

Click here to visit the the official website for Old Girls and Staff of Bedgebury School, Goudhurst Kent.