Past, Present & Future

WYCHCROFT HOUSE ~ A BRIEF HISTORY

The house stands on the holding known in 1527 as “Wychefelde, two crofts and a wood lying north of Pottersgate”. Its name taken from the Wych elms on the rise above the old farmhouse, long occupied by the Pricklove, or Pritlove family.

About 1870, Warren Smith of Isemongers built this house, calling it Underhills, a name which the Pricklove’s successor had invented for Hanworth, near Cromer, who built the Chapel as a racquet court. He in turn sold it to Thomas R. Stokes in about 1907. Stokes had a large family and enlarged the house. He sold it in 1933 and it was then used as a Farm Training Centre, run by the Southwark Catholic Rescue Society. In 1960 land between South Park and Tilburstow which included Underhills, was put on the market. Uvedale Lambert of South Park purchased it.

Through a chance conversation between Bishop Mervyn Stockwood and Uvedale Lambert, the house was offered to the Diocese of Southwark as a training centre and was opened on 2^nd February 1962. At the outset it was home to the Southwark Ordination Course and then developed into a place for conferences, retreats and events of a religious or educational nature. Wychcroft is owned by the St. Mark’s Foundation (taking its name from Uvedale’s birth on St Mark’s Day 1909) and is leased to the Diocese of Southwark on a peppercorn rent. The Diocese is ever grateful to the St Mark’s Foundation for the continued use of such a wonderful resource.

WYCHCROFT- A VISION FOR THE FUTURE

 

The diocese is committed to significant investment in the building, including plans to make the majority of rooms en-suite, and to refurbish the communal areas.

Work has already begun on this vision and there is potential for significant development of this precious resource: to make the house a more attractive and comfortable place to stay, to create more appropriate spaces for learning, to enhance the grounds to provide opportunities for prayer walks and to offer a greater variety of provision for individuals and groups.

The atmosphere of the house will aim to balance rural tranquillity and purposeful activity. Wychcroft is a peaceful and wonderful place to spend some time away from the bustle of life to think, pray and plan. People will experience a balance of activities: silence, prayer, worship, study, refreshment, companionship. It is a place which can enable people to live into the words of the psalmist ‘Be still, and know that I am God’ Psalm 46:10