About us

From the early Middle Ages, Salisbury was an important centre for theological training, its great cathedral and Close attracting students and scholars from the whole of Europe.

The history of theological study begins with St Osmund and the completion of the first cathedral at Old Sarum in 1092. After Old Sarum was abandoned in favour of New Sarum (or Salisbury, as it came to be known) and the new cathedral was built in the 1220s, several colleges were established as well as a medieval school of theology here on the site of 19 The Close.

The oldest part of Sarum College is the main building at the front of the site which was built in 1677. Attributed to Sir Christopher Wren, it was built for Francis Hill, a distinguished London lawyer and Deputy Recorder for Salisbury. He chose a particularly striking site, at the north end of Bishop’s Walk, facing directly down to the Bishop’s Palace, now the Cathedral School.

The establishment of the theological college in 1860 began with a gift. Walter Kerr Hamilton, Bishop of Salisbury used an anonymous donation to buy the house (then no. 87) from Miss Charlotte Wyndham – and the first students arrived in January 1861.

In the 1870s William Butterfield, foremost church architect of his day, and best-known for Keble College, Oxford, was commissioned to add a residential wing to provide accommodation for students, and then, in 1881, a chapel and library. In 1937 further extensions designed by William Randall Blacking were added, study bedrooms for students and a meeting room that is now the Common Room.

Eight students of Salisbury Theological College were killed in WWl. A memorial in Butterfield Chapel records their names.

During WWll the College was taken over by the women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women’s branch of the British Army.

The creepers which covered the front of the building were said to have been hastily removed ahead of a visit by the Queen as she did not like them.

In October 1971 the two theological colleges in Salisbury and Wells merged and became Salisbury & Wells Theological College.The additional students required more space, and two further extensions were built: a three storey block of flats and study bedrooms at the eastern end of the Butterfield building (the East Wing), and a new chapel (now the Royal School of Church Music’s administrative centre), refectory and library were added.

In 1994 Salisbury & Wells College closed, and the following year Sarum College was established to provide ecumenical theological education for all.

In 2006, the new link building joining the 1677 and 1877 buildings and incorporating lift access won the 2006 Salisbury Civic Society’s Conservation award. In early 2007 the five guest rooms in the Wren building were transformed from servants’ attic quarters to en-suite bedrooms with wonderful views across the Close to the cathedral. In 2008, two of the four meeting rooms in the Wren building were refurbished.

The college dining room was refurbished in 2011, and in 2013 the Victorian wings with residential accommodation were renovated, bringing the total number of en-suite bedrooms to forty. In 2015, the College library was given a comprehensive make-over thanks to a legacy from a keen library member, the late Heather Mathews. The Common Room was refurbished in early 2016 thanks to funding from The Mercers’ Company.

In 2022 the College is undergoing repairs and renovations to the Wren building and the building exterior.

Sarum College is an independent charity.

Charitable activity income comes from educational programmes, bookshop and library, charitable hospitality and property income.

Hospitality is an important part of Sarum’s life and purpose. The College has a trading subsidiary for hospitality revenue and gratefully accepts grants, donations and legacies. These funds help us to offer theological education more widely.

The full accounts can be found on the Charity Commission website and the financial review is on page 8 of that document.

The Bishops of Salisbury and of Bath and Wells are at all times Foundation Trustees by virtue of their office. New or additional Trustees are appointed by the existing body of Trustees. Trustees (other than the Foundation Trustees) serve for a four-year term and are then eligible for re-appointment for one further four-year term only.

The Trustees are responsible for overseeing Sarum’s management and administration. Their responsibilities include:

• Sarum’s policies, finances, budget and management;
• envisioning Sarum’s future;
• planning Sarum’s strategic development; and
• giving guidance and direction to the College Leadership team.

The Board of Trustees have three appointed committees. These are the Finance and General Purposes Committee, The Board of Studies and the Nominations and Remuneration Committee.

Sarum College is a registered charity in England and Wales, Charity No. 1161253, Company No. 951356. Sarum College’s trading subsidiary is Sarum College Services Ltd, Company No. 1931038.

In a time when formal religion seems to struggle to connect with people — Sarum, in its message and its methods, offers a special place and a series of imaginative communities for nourishing the soul, growing wholeness, and giving confidence for a richer future. The way of Christ being opened through joining in the seeking and sharing of a Spirit of grace and goodness. Sowing seeds of new hope amidst individual anxiety and institutional insecurity.

The Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, Chair of Trustees

Sarum College is located within the beautiful Cathedral Close in the centre of the medieval city of Salisbury

The College enjoys a beautiful location in Salisbury Cathedral Close and draws on its own long and continuous tradition of prayer, worship and study since the foundation of Salisbury Theological College in 1860.

People come to Sarum for a variety of reasons: to retreat and take a break from ministry; to read, pray and think; to engage in serious postgraduate study; to train for ordination or lay ministry; to attend day programmes or explore spiritual direction; to stay for B&B, conferences, or to visit art exhibitions.

Sarum College staff enjoy a friendly work environment in a thriving learning community.

The College is committed to the fair treatment of staff, students and guests regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, responsibilities for dependants, age, physical/mental disability or offending background.

Policy on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders

Code of Practice

Vacancies

Sarum College is recruiting for the following roles:

Housekeeping Assistant