Former seminary wins major national award for education

A former Catholic seminary in the north-east of England has won a major conservation award for its work in education.

Ushaw in County Durham is the 2024 winner of the Historic Houses’ Frances Garnham Award for Education.

The award commemorates the achievements of Frances Garnham, who worked as director of policy and campaigns at Historic Houses until 2015.

Frances was passionate about encouraging heritage sites to embrace the opportunities of engaging with a wide range of audiences, and this award in her name seeks to shine a light on innovative examples of learning and outreach.

Ushaw is a former Catholic Seminary which re-opened for tourism and the local community in 2014.

Ushaw has been operated by a charitable trust as a heritage attraction and has a collection of fine art, religious and secular objects, and books which reflects both its two centuries as an educational foundation on this site and its more ancient antecedents.

Since April 2021, the team has run a weekly ‘Forest School’ in the gardens, helping children to learn more about the world around them, to follow their interests and develop at their own pace.

This work has brought together a community of like-minded families who have grown in confidence through sharing their experiences in a safe and supported space.

The team has welcomed hundreds of children to Ushaw to engage in a range of arts and well-being activities plus a healthy meal, all free of charge (thanks to the “Fun and Food” funding initiative).

As part of Ushaw’s wider commitment to support local families, they have provided complimentary Ushaw Annual Memberships for all who are entitled to Free School Meals in their 12 nearest schools.

Through this work staff have welcomed many people to Ushaw who have not previously been inside a heritage building.

Ben Cowell, director general at Historic Houses, said: “Many families in the local area only discovered the delights of Ushaw during the Covid lockdowns.

“The team there has worked hard to sustain interest in this remarkable survival, a former Catholic Seminary and boarding school.

“A rich tapestry of education and engagement has included forest schools, performance poetry, and drama events that bring history to life, with a commitment to ensuring access for all.

“Ushaw is an inspiration to all Historic Houses member properties, showing what can be done to engage children of all ages in the stories told by buildings and collections.”

Megan Jones, learning and engagement officer at Ushaw, said: “We are thrilled to have won the 2024 Frances Garnham Award for Education.

“Engaging with our community is a huge part of what we do and it is an honour to be recognised for the innovative and creative work we’re doing to use Ushaw’s rich history, heritage and collections to connect with our community.”

The present complex was created by scholars from the English College at Douai, fleeing the consequences of the French Revolution.

The French establishment was itself a product of exile, designed to train Englishmen as Catholic priests during the ban on the public practice of their faith in Reformation England.

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