, motto_translation = Go in faith , established = 1896 , type =

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

boarding

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...

, religion =

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

, head_label = Headmistress , head = J. Duncan , chair_label = Chairman of the council , chair = Peter Warren , founder = Dame

Frances Dove Dame Jane Frances Dove, DBE, JP (27 June 1847 – 21 June 1942) was an English women's campaigner, who founded Wycombe Abbey and other girls' schools. Early life and education Born in Bordeaux, France the eldest of ten children of Revd. Joh ...

, city = High Wycombe , county =

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...

, country = England , postcode = HP11 1PE , urn = 110547 , dfeno = 825/6018 , staff = 117 Teaching
167 Support , capacity = Approx. 650 , enrolment = 650 , gender = Female , lower_age = 11 , upper_age = 18 , houses = 11 , colours = , website = Wycombe Abbey is an independent girls' boarding and day school in High Wycombe,

, England. It is consistently ranked as one of the top all-girls schools in academic results. The school was founded in 1896 by Dame

(1847–1942), who was previously headmistress of St Leonards School in Scotland. Its present capacity is approximately 650 girls, aged 11 to 18. The current headmistress is Jo Duncan. The school is on a 69 hectare campus in central High Wycombe. The land includes woods, gardens, a Cold War bunker (

RAF Daws Hill RAF Daws Hill was a Ministry of Defence site, located near High Wycombe and Flackwell Heath, in Buckinghamshire, England, close to the M40 motorway. The station was established in 1942 on land owned by Wycombe Abbey School, for use by the Uni ...

) and a lake, and rises up to 150 metres above sea level in the

Chiltern Hills The Chiltern Hills is a chalk escarpment in England. The area, northwest of London, covers stretching from Goring-on-Thames in the southwest to Hitchin in the northeast - across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire. ...

. The freehold is owned by the school; the main house and several buildings at Wycombe Abbey are Grade II* listed.

History

Early history

In the 13th century, the area, with the parish church, was part of the holding of the Abbess of

Godstow Godstow is about northwest of the centre of Oxford. It lies on the banks of the River Thames between the villages of Wolvercote to the east and Wytham to the west. The ruins of Godstow Abbey, also known as Godstow Nunnery, are here. A bridge s ...

. 600 years later, the priory at Godstowe was also re-founded as a school by Dame Frances Dove, and today is a 'feeder' preparatory school for Wycombe Abbey. On the site of the present Wycombe Abbey was a large

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

known as 'Loakes House' which was the seat of the Archdale family, until 1700, when Thomas Archdale sold it to Henry Petty, 1st Earl of Shelburne. The earl, in turn, bequeathed the estate to his grandnephew, William Petty, (who inherited a different Earldom of Shelburne in 1761 and became

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

in 1782). The Shelburnes, though, had a far larger and grander residence at

Bowood House Bowood is a Grade I listed Georgian country house in Wiltshire, England, that has been owned for more than 250 years by the Fitzmaurice family. The house, with interiors by Robert Adam, stands in extensive grounds which include a garden designed ...

in the

Savernake Forest Savernake Forest stands on a Cretaceous chalk plateau between Marlborough and Great Bedwyn in Wiltshire, England. Its area is approximately . Most of the forest lies within the civil parish of Savernake. It is privately owned by the Earl of Ca ...

and spent little time at Loakes House. Consequently, Lord Shelburne sold his estates in the area. Loakes House was purchased from them at auction by Robert Smith, 1st Baron Carrington, in 1798. He employed the architect James Wyatt to transform Loakes House into Wycombe Abbey as we see it today. The original house and other parts of the school are listed Grade II* on the National Heritage List for England with the landscaped grounds of the school listed Grade II on the

Register of Historic Parks and Gardens The Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England provides a listing and classification system for historic parks and gardens similar to that used for listed buildings. The register is managed by Historic England ...

World War II

The

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...

requisitioned Wycombe Abbey School in March 1942 to serve as the headquarters of the United States

Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Force ...

after the entry of the United States into

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. It was returned to Wycombe Abbey on 9 May 1946.

Houses

As at most independent schools, the pupils are placed in houses. The houses at Wycombe Abbey are: Airlie, Barry, Butler, Campbell, Cloister, Pitt, Rubens, Shelburne and Wendover. Girls in UVI live in Clarence, while the junior-most girls, UIIIs, live in Junior House. Every house at Wycombe Abbey is linked to a colour and, as part of the school uniform, girls wear ties which correspond to their House colour i.e., sky blue – Barry, green – Cloister, brown – Airlie, pink – Rubens, yellow – Pitt, orange – Butler, purple – Campbell, dark blue – Shelburne, red – Wendover, lavender – Junior. Each girl has her own 'House Mother', a girl in the year above in the same house who looks after her, particularly when new to the school. Each house has a housemistress and matrons.

Notable alumnae (Wycombe Abbey Seniors)

Rosie Alison Rosie Alison (born 1964) is a British television documentary director, film producer and novelist. Her debut novel, ''The Very Thought of You (novel), The Very Thought of You'' was nominated for the 2010 Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction. Rosie ...

, producer and writer *

Eve Best Emily "Eve" Best (born 31 July 1971) is an English actress and director. She is known for her television roles as Dr. Eleanor O'Hara in the Showtime series ''Nurse Jackie'' (2009–13), First Lady Dolley Madison in the ''American Experience'' t ...

, actress * Elsie Bowerman, suffragette, ''Titanic'' survivor and lawyer *

Kate Brooke Kate Brooke, Lady Lovegrove is a British screenwriter. Origins, education and early career Brooke is the daughter of the late Timothy Sergison-Brooke and the Hon. Mary Anne Hare (b. 9 April 1936), eldest daughter of John Hare, 1st Viscount Blake ...

, screenwriter *

Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss Ann Elizabeth Oldfield Butler-Sloss, Baroness Butler-Sloss, GBE, PC (''née'' Havers; born 10 August 1933), is a retired English judge. She was the first female Lord Justice of Appeal and was the highest-ranking female judge in the United King ...

, British judge, Deputy Coroner of the Queen's Household *

Sue Carr Dame Sue Lascelles Carr, (born 1 September 1964), styled The Rt Hon Lady Justice Carr, is an English judge, who has served as a Lady Justice of Appeal since 2020. Origins and education Carr is the daughter of Richard Carr and Edda Harvey (née ...

, Lady Justice of Appeal *

Judith Chaplin Sybil Judith Chaplin , known as Judith Chaplin (née Schofield; 19 August 193919 February 1993), was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. Career Chaplin was elected councillor for Norfolk County Council 1975, following her hu ...

, Member of Parliament (1992) * Lorraine Copeland, archaeologist * Gabrielle Drake, actress * Penelope Fitzgerald, novelist and biographer *

Jackie Forster Jackie Forster (née Jacqueline Moir Mackenzie; 6 November 1926 – 10 October 1998) was an English news reporter, actress and lesbian rights activist.p.270 From the Closet to the Screen – Jill Gardner Early history Forster's father was a ...

, actress, TV personality, feminist and lesbian campaigner *

Elizabeth Haysom Elizabeth Roxanne Haysom (born April 15, 1964 in Salisbury, Rhodesia) is a Canadian citizen who, along with her boyfriend, Jens Söring, was convicted of orchestrating the 1985 double murder of her parents Derek and Nancy Haysom in Bedford Count ...

, orchestrated the double murder of her parents *

Molly Hide Molly, Mollie or mollies may refer to: Animals * ''Poecilia'', a genus of fishes ** ''Poecilia sphenops'', a fish species * A female mule (horse–donkey hybrid) People * Molly (name) or Mollie, a female given name, including a list of persons ...

, English cricketer * Lady Patricia Ann Hopkins, architect *

Elspeth Howe, Baroness Howe of Idlicote Elspeth Rosamund Morton Howe, Baroness Howe of Idlicote, (; 8 February 1932 – 22 March 2022) was a British life peer and crossbench member of the House of Lords (2001–2020) who served in many capacities in public life. As the widow of Geof ...

India Knight India Knight (née Gisèle Aertsens; born 14 December 1965) is a British journalist and author. She writes for British newspapers, and has written the books: ''My Life on a Plate'', ''Don't You Want Me?'', ''The Shops'', ''Neris and India's Id ...

, journalist *

Dorothy Lamb Lady (Dorothy) Brooke Nicholson, (1887–1967), better known by her maiden name Dorothy Lamb, was a British archaeologist and writer known for her catalogue of terracotta in the Acropolis Museum, Athens and her work in Mediterranean field arc ...

, archaeologist *

Beverley Lang Dame Beverley Ann Macnaughton Lang, KC (born 13 October 1955), styled The Hon. Ms Justice Lang, is a judge of the High Court of England and Wales. She was educated at Wycombe Abbey School and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. She was called to the ...

, Justice of the High Court * Fiona MacCarthy, biographer and cultural historian *

Diana Magnay Diana Magnay is a British journalist who is currently Sky News' Moscow correspondent. She was educated at Wycombe Abbey, and holds a BA in Modern History from St Hugh's College, Oxford where she received the Arnold Modern History Prize in 1999, and ...

, journalist * Charlotte Moore, BBC's Director of Content * Florence Nagle, trainer and breeder of racehorses, breeder of pedigree dogs, feminist * Melanie Nakhla, soprano 2 in classical crossover group All Angels * Winifred Peck (née Knox), English author * Sally Phillips, actress * Joan Riviere, psychoanalyst *

Merryn Somerset Webb Merryn Rosemary Somerset Webb (born 23 June 1970), is a Senior Columnist at ''Bloomberg L.P., Bloomberg'' writing about wealth, investing and personal finance and is a radio and television commentator on financial matters. Life and career She ...

, editor in chief of ''

MoneyWeek ''MoneyWeek'' is a British weekly investment magazine that covers financial and economic news and provides commentary and analysis across the UK and global markets. ''MoneyWeek'' is edited in London. It is owned by MoneyWeek Limited, which is no ...

'' *

Sarah Springman Dame Sarah Marcella Springman (born 26 December 1956) is a British-Swiss Triathlon, triathlete, civil engineer, and academic. She was educated in England and spent much of her career in Switzerland. She is a former Rector (academia), rector of ...

, CBE FREng, engineer and sportswoman, rector of

ETH Zurich (colloquially) , former_name = eidgenössische polytechnische Schule , image = ETHZ.JPG , image_size = , established = , type = Public , budget = CHF 1.896 billion (2021) , rector = Günther Dissertori , president = Joël Mesot , ac ...

Polly Stenham Polly Stenham (born 16 July 1986) is an English playwright known for her play ''That Face'', which she wrote when she was 19 years old. Background Stenham was born and raised in London. She attributes her love of theatre to her father as he to ...

, playwright * Rachael Stirling, actress * Lady "Red Jessie" Street, Australian suffragette, social reformer and founding United Nations envoy *

Florence Temko Florence Maria Temko (October 20, 1921 – November 12, 2009), a pioneer in spreading origami in the United States, was perhaps the most prolific author on this subject. With fifty-five books to her credit on paper arts and folk crafts, she was a ...

, origami pioneer and author *

Mary Wakefield Mary Wakefield (born August 12, 1954) is an American nurse and health care administrator, who served in the Obama administration as acting United States Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2015 to 2017, and as head of the Health ...

, journalist * Sonya Walger, actress * Lady Charlotte Wellesley, socialite and producer * Kathy Wilkes, philosopher *

Lady Nicholas Windsor Lady Nicholas Windsor (born Paola Louise Marica Doimi de Lupis, 7 August 1969) is the wife of Lord Nicholas Windsor, son of the Duke and Duchess of Kent. Early life Lady Nicholas Windsor was born as Paola Louise Marica Doimi de Lupis. She used ...

, wife of

Lord Nicholas Windsor Lord Nicholas Charles Edward Jonathan Windsor (born 25 July 1970) is a relative of the British royal family, youngest child of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. As a Catholic convert, he has forfeited his right of succession to the throne. Lord Ni ...

Clarissa Ward Clarissa Ward (born January 31, 1980) is a British-American television journalist, who is currently chief international correspondent for CNN. She was with CBS News, based in London. Before her CBS News position, Ward was a Moscow-based news cor ...

, chief international correspondent for CNN

Notable staff

Mary Cartwright Dame Mary Lucy Cartwright, (17 December 1900 – 3 April 1998) was a British mathematician. She was one of the pioneers of what would later become known as chaos theory. Along with J. E. Littlewood, Cartwright saw many solutions to a problem ...

* Gustav Holst *

Annie Whitelaw Annie Watt Whitelaw (17 August 1875 – 11 August 1966) was a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British headmistress and educationist. She was a headteacher in New Zealand and the first NZ woman to attend Girton College and to lead a B ...

, Head from 1910 to 1925 * Elsie Bowerman, governor and school historian

References

External links

Wycombe Abbey official websiteProfile
on the ISC website
Wycombe Abbey: British International School in Hong Kong official website
{{Authority control 1896 establishments in England Educational institutions established in 1896 Boarding schools in Buckinghamshire Independent schools in Buckinghamshire Girls' schools in Buckinghamshire Houses in Buckinghamshire Member schools of the Girls' Schools Association Gardens by Capability Brown Grade II* listed buildings in Buckinghamshire Grade II listed parks and gardens in Buckinghamshire High Wycombe