Exhibition: The History of Walton Hall

The Open University arrives at Walton Hall

In 1967 the building of Walton Hall and the surrounding estate were sold to Milton Keynes Development Corporation (MKDC) who used the property to accommodate the planning and architects’ office for the ‘new city’ that was being developed. In the same year The Open University Planning Committee began its work. One of the many things it had to decide was where the University would be based. Certain conditions had to be fulfilled – for instance it needed to be within an hour’s commuting distance from Alexandra Palace in London where the OU’s broadcast programmes were to be made.

 

Several potential sites in London were considered - but Vice Chancellor Walter Perry’s view was that an urban setting for the Open University would make it difficult to create anything like a university ambiance on a campus where there would be no undergraduates. The Ministry of Works was asked to try to find a country house with space available for new building. The 70 acre site of Walton Hall was proposed and found to be suitable. The MKDC planners moved out in the summer of 1969 and Open University staff began to relocate from the University’s temporary base in Belgrave Square, London in October of that year.

 

The first image on this page shows an aerial photograph of Walton Hall and its farm buildings as it was in 1968, the year before The Open University purchased the property.

 

You can read more about the move to Walton Hall and view some early video footage in theme one of the online exhibition: Milton Keynes and The Open University 

 

As well as developing the new University campus and the creation of many new buildings on site, The Open University fully restored Walton Hall to accommodate the offices of the Vice Chancellor and executive staff. The Hall is still used for this purpose today. Restoration of the building included completely replacing the roof of the Hall.

 

In August 1973 OU staff member George Low wrote in the staff newspaper ‘Open House’ that he intended to start a small society to raise funds for the restoration of St Michael’s Church – then owned by the Oxford Diocese – which was suffering appalling neglect and decay. In December 1973 Architects surveying the building discovered that Little Owls were nesting in the belfry! That month the Diocese agreed that St Michael’s Church should be conveyed to The Open University.

 

In the early 1970s services were still held at St Michael's Church including Harvest Festival when the church was beautifully decorated and attended by OU staff and local residents. In 1974 a well-attended lunchtime service was held for OU staff on Ash Wednesday. A photograph of that service can be viewed on this page. The last parish service was held in St Michael's Church on 8th December 1974 and the building was declared redundant. The Open University undertook a £90,000 programme of restoration. 

 

The third photograph on this page shows restoration work being undertaken to the roof of St Michael's Church in 1976. The flat roof of the Nave was in particularly bad shape and its restoration included returning it to its original Medieval pitch. Time had also taken its toll on the stonework, much of which had to be repaired or replaced. The windows were reset and the foundations were underpinned. Modern heating and lighting were installed. Landscaping was carried out in the churchyard and several of the gravestones were straightened.

 

The church reopened with a concert on 23rd November 1978 for use by the University. During 1994 when St Mary's Church in Woughton was being repaired, St Michael's was used for Sunday services over a period of several months. Today it provides a meeting space for university clubs such as yoga, martial arts and tai chi, and for practice and performances by the University Choir and Open Voices singing group. The OU's Christian Forum meets in the church weekly and organises three services a year there - usually for Advent, Easter and in early Summer. Contrary to OU myth the church has not been deconsecrated. The churchyard is still used for burials and in recent years several members of OU staff and ex-staff have been laid to rest there. 

 

You can view several more images of St Michael's Church photographed during the 1970s, both before and after its restoration, here.