Bedford College

'The Residence': Mrs Reid's home in Grenville Street housed early boarders attending Bedford College, until the purchase of 48 Bedford Square.

Bedford Square: The College opened at 47 Bedford Square in 1849. In 1860, Mrs Reid created a Trust for the Managers of the Residence to lease 48 Bedford Square for the use of boarders. The leases were given up on the move of the College to York Place.

York Place, Baker Street: Bedford College moved here in 1874. The Managers of the Residence leased Numbers 8 and 9, and though the College were their tenants for Number 8, the two houses acted as one, with the College using the downstairs rooms and the Residence the upstairs. The Managers passed the lease for both houses to the College Council in 1894. In 1889-1890, the Shaen Wing was built behind the York Place houses to create Physics and Chemistry laboratories. In 1896 10 York Place was leased to provide for Botany and Geology laboratories, a Training Department, a gymnasium, a Library extension and a Professors' Common Room. 7 York Place was leased in 1903. All the York Place leases were sold by 1915.

East Street: Running behind York Place, 64, 65 and 66 East Street were leased by the Managers of the Residence and held for Bedford College until the move to Regent's Park.

Regent's Park Site: Bedford College bought the lease to the South Villa Estate in 1908, and raised money for a new college through a Building and Endowment Fund. The existing house was maintained until after World War One, and from 1909 housed the Training Department and the Art School, and acted as a Residence for the boarders. Designed by the architect Basil Champneys, the new Bedford College was built 1910-1913, and included Reid and Shaen Halls of Residence, (later [1948-1950] renamed Reid Hall, with Shaen, Bostock and Oliver Wings), Oliver Dining Hall, South and North Science Blocks, the Arts and Administration Block, and the Tate Library. Several extensions were made to the original buildings. The Sargent Laboratory for Botany was opened in 1925, the Tuke Building, designed by Maxwell Ayrton, was completed in 1931 and included Inorganic and Physical Chemistry laboratories, an Observatory, space for the Departments of Philosophy, Psychology, Social Studies, Geography, Italian, French and German, lecture rooms, staff rooms, common rooms, Student Union rooms and a large hall, and the Tate Library was divided into two storeys in 1932. Following severe bombing during World War Two, Oliver Hall, the Arts and Administration Building and the North Science Block were practically destroyed. Rebuilding began immediately, and comprised a rebuilt Oliver Hall (1947-1949) with kitchens, refectory, common rooms and a Mathematics Department; a new arts building called the Herringham Building (1948-1951) housing a Hall, Council Room, and the Departments of Greek, Dutch and Latin; and the Darwin Building (1950-1952) to contain the Departments of Geology, Botany and Zoology. The South Science Block was renamed the Arthur Acland Building. Owing to the growth of the College, further extensions were made, such as additions to the Acland Building in the 1950s; the extension of Reid Hall to house a Common Room and Student's Union (1958-1959); the addition of a new wing and extra storey to the Tuke Building; the building of the Botany Garden Laboratories, 1965-1966; the four-storey extension of the Library known as the Jebb Building, 1962-1964; the rebuilding of the kitchens in 1967-1969; the Tuke-Darwin Infill Building in 1971; and the Wolfson Psychology Library, built over the kitchens in Oliver Hall.

Dorset Square: In 1915, 20 Dorset Square was taken as a hostel for 15 students (it was given up in 1924). Numbers 35 and 36 were acquired in 1918 to provide additional accommodation. In 1925, the buildings were extended further with the purchase of two more adjoining houses and the refurbishment of the premises to hold 60 students. The buildings were then named Notcutt House in memory of the former student and Librarian, Miss Rachel Notcutt. The Hall was damaged beyond repair by the 1941 bombing raids on London. The leases of 10, 11 and 12 Dorset Square were acquired in 1966 after money was received from an anonymous benefactor. Named Tennyson Hall, the building opened in 1968 as a residence for 50 male students.

Bedford College House: Three adjoining houses in Adamson Road and one house in Buckland Crescent were taken in 1919. These housed 37 students and were named Bedford College House in 1925. They formed the nucleus of a residential centre to which more houses were later added. Bedford College House was renamed Lindsell Hall in 1944. Various changes were made over the years so that by 1968 the buildings housed 87 students. During the 1969-1970 session male students were housed in part of the Hall in Buckland Crescent. It therefore became the first mixed Hall of Residence.

Hanover Lodge: The building stood in the Outer Circle of Regent's Park, and was leased in 1947 as a residence for 30 students. It was extended in 1962-1963 so that by the 1966-1967 session it provided accommodation for a total of 231 students. From 1970 the accommodation was made available for men and women.

Broadhurst Gardens: 15-26 Broadhurst Gardens were taken as a residence in 1945 to solve the accommodation problem caused by damage to buildings during World War Two. The six buildings housed 60 students and were kept until 1949.

The Holme: Another property taken as a result of bomb damage to College buildings, the Holme was leased from 1946. Situated in the Inner Circle, it housed the Departments of English, Classics and Italian, while the second floor became an extension of the College Residence. The lease was given up in 1975.

St John's Lodge: This building in the Inner Circle, just beyond The Holme, was leased in 1944-1946 to hold the English and Classics Departments. In 1959 it was leased again. At first it provided residential and Union accommodation and later housed the Departments of History, Greek and Latin. Alterations were made to it in 1962.

Nottingham Place: This building was acquired in 1951 and later renamed Rachel Notcutt Hall. It was reserved for women and accommodated 16-22 students. It was given up in 1984.