Seale-Hayne College

Seale-Hayne is an agricultural college campus spanning 69 acres in Newton Abbot, featuring a Grade II Listed Quadrangle and twelve additional buildings for education and administration. The grounds contain a mix of structures designed to support farming education and professional training.

Established in 1919 through the will of Charles Seale Hayne, a Liberal politician and Devon landowner, the college operated for nearly nine decades until closure in 2005. The founding reflected a growing need for formal agricultural training in the early 20th century.

During World War I, the campus served as a training center for Land Girls, and later housed soldiers recovering from trauma. The buildings on the grounds carry traces of these two distinct roles in the nation's recent past.

The campus is accessible to visitors interested in exploring the historic buildings and grounds, with the Grade II Listed Quadrangle as the focal point. It is best to check ahead which areas are open to the public, since portions of the property now operate as private office and business spaces.

The campus stands out as one of few agricultural colleges in Britain whose buildings were purpose-designed and constructed specifically for educational instruction and training from the start. This set it apart from many peer institutions that adapted existing structures for their needs.

Location: Newton Abbot

Inception: 1919

GPS coordinates: 50.54600,-3.65700

Latest update: December 10, 2025 16:28