New Hall School – new owner of Boreham House
New Hall School, the award-winning Catholic independent school in Chelmsford, has acquired Boreham House, just one mile from New Hall. This is planned to be the new home of New Hall’s Preparatory Divisions from September 2025, subject to the normal planning consents. Boreham House, like New Hall, is a Grade I listed property. It is a stunning heritage building, with extensive facilities, set in 35 acres of countryside.
Boreham House
New Hall and Boreham House are historically linked, and both were originally part of the New Hall estate. The jewel in the crown at Boreham House is the oak staircase that was taken from New Hall by Benjamin Hoare in the 1730s and modified in the 1800s, with the addition of heavy cast iron railings.
The vision is that Boreham House will provide enhanced and bespoke facilities for New Hall Preparatory Divisions. In turn, this will free up space on the New Hall site for the Senior Divisions and, in particular, will provide a new, university-style Thomas More Sixth Form Centre and substantial extra space for the Performing Arts in Walkfares.
New Hall School, founded in 1642 by the Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre, has been located in Boreham since 1799, occupying the Grade I listed buildings on the site of King Henry VIII’s Palace of Beaulieu.
Boreham House dates from c.1728 and is associated with renowned architects James Gibbs and Henry Flitcroft. It is Grade I listed and set within a designed landscape, included on the Register of Parks and Gardens of special interest at Grade II. The house lies on land which was originally part of the New Hall estate. In 1713, when the widow of Christopher Monck, Lady Elizabeth Cavendish the Duchess of Albemarle, sold part of the estate to Benjamin Hoare (son of the Fleet Street banker Richard Hoare, whose family also had ties to New Hall), the agreement was that she could continue living at New Hall until her death. As it turned out, Lady Elizabeth lived on considerably longer than anticipated, so Hoare built Boreham House.
Hoare not only transferred the grand oak staircase from New Hall to his new property, but he is also believed to have commissioned the construction of a tunnel between the two buildings, with the entrance, at the New Hall end, being in the Chapel.
When the Great Eastern railway cut through the Boreham House estate in 1844, the railway company was obliged by the owner, then Sir John Tyrell, to provide a personal railway station and Tyrell secured the right to stop any train which passed through. The private station consisted of a small hut, located directly opposite the house. This was immediately demolished by the railway company upon Tyrell’s death.
Boreham House has a long-established use for commercial and educational purposes. Henry Ford purchased the site in 1930, apparently after his train to London had stopped, providing him with a view along the canal to the house. Under his ownership, Boreham House and the surrounding land was used to establish a training college, called the Henry Ford Institute of Agricultural Engineering. In 1952, ownership transferred to the Ford Motor Company, where it became the main training centre for the Ford Tractor Operation in Europe. In 1962, Boreham House also served as a temporary home for the National College of Agricultural Engineering. The site was a private house between the mid 1990s and 2007. In 2007, permission was granted to use the site as a wedding venue.
Since 2008, Boreham House has been run by the entrepreneur Teresa Ward as a successful, award-winning wedding and event venue. Mrs Ward now plans to retire and is delighted to hand on the care of this elegant property to New Hall School.
Mrs Katherine Jeffrey, Principal of New Hall School, said “We are all so excited by the unique opportunity that owning Boreham House presents for our Preparatory Divisions, as we reunite these two magnificent, historically linked properties under the care of New Hall School Trust. This investment demonstrates our commitment to innovation, growth and excellence of education, for all our students. The house and grounds are truly beautiful. This will be an inspirational setting for our Preparatory children.
I greatly admire all that Teresa Ward has achieved at Boreham House, with her award-winning wedding business. She has a great love of Boreham House, with its fine architecture, rich history and glorious setting. Over the past 15 years, Mrs Ward has worked closely with advisers to ensure that care has been taken of the property’s heritage features. We are both delighted that the historic link between Boreham House and New Hall is now restored and renewed – and that we finally have our oak staircase back!
As the new owners, New Hall School Trust will be using its considerable expertise and experience in maintaining and enhancing the neighbouring Grade I listed site, to benefit Boreham House and its parkland setting. As a Catholic school charity, we are committed to sharing our resources with schools and parishes in the Diocese of Brentwood, with our international sister Religious Communities and their schools, and of course with our local community in Boreham, where I have lived for the past 22 years as Principal at New Hall.
I am looking forward to continuing Teresa Ward’s legacy, caring for and enhancing this stunning building, with its breathtakingly beautiful setting. Boreham House is a fantastic community asset; activities there will bring joy to so many people, as has been the case over the past 15 years for countless couples, and their family and friends, who have celebrated their wedding at Boreham House.”
The historic moment on 22 November 2024, when Katherine Jeffrey, Principal, signed the purchase documents for Boreham House
Mrs Samantha Twomey, Head of the Preparatory Division, said “I could not be more thrilled to be part of this exciting new chapter in the history of New Hall. I am looking forward to the Preparatory Divisions’ pupils benefiting from all that this beautiful setting has to offer.
On 10 August 2027, New Hall will be celebrating the 80th anniversary of the founding of New Hall’s Preparatory provision and, this year, the School is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of education for this age group in Boreham.
It will not be the first time that New Hall’s Preparatory School has been on the move. It used to be located on a separate site in Berkshire. After a period of closure, a pioneering model of all-through education was established by New Hall’s Trustees, the Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre, with the Preparatory Divisions opening at New Hall in 1994. I cannot think of a better 30th anniversary present for New Hall Preparatory Divisions than the plan for this move to a new home at Boreham House!”
New Hall has a long history of development and innovation over many generations, particularly in the last 70 years. These changes contribute to the education of children at New Hall and to the School’s success. The School was pleased to have its achievements recognised in the recent report from the Independent Schools’ Inspectorate (ISI). In particular, the School was proud to be celebrated for living out the values of the founding Religious Community, the Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre, and for its emphasis on pastoral care. In 2024, the central work of the New Hall Voluntary Service (NHVS) was recognised as a ‘significant strength’ of the School, the highest honour possible within the new inspection framework.
Sister Margaret Mary Horton, former Headmistress of New Hall School, and Sister Moira O’Sullivan, Prioress, sent the following message: “The Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre, New Hall’s founding Community, are delighted to hear the news of New Hall acquiring Boreham House, giving the School immense possibilities going into the future.
This will enable more children to benefit from the distinctive pioneering education which has been the hallmark of the School since its inception in 1642. We see this as an exciting step towards securing the Community’s educational legacy.
Congratulations on a bold & promising development!”
Mr Philip Wilson, Chair of Governors, said: “I am so proud of Mrs Jeffrey’s unwavering commitment and visionary leadership that have led us to this historic moment for New Hall. Boreham House and its grounds are an important feature in the local landscape and to know that they will be benefitting future generations of young people, in this new role, gives me great hope, and I feel honoured to be a part of this exciting acquisition”. Mr Navin Khattar, Governor and former New Hall parent, said: “The Governing Body has been unanimous in its support of this acquisition from the outset. We share a clear vision for the School and there is a tremendous sense of achievement in seeing this realised.”
Teresa Ward, CEO of Boreham House, said: “Purchasing iconic Boreham House was my dream and it’s been an honour and pleasure to be the custodian of one of the only independent-owned stately homes in Essex for almost 16 years. Having successfully operated it as a wedding and events venue, surviving Covid and economic recessions, it was amazing to have built up its reputation as the leading and award-winning multicultural venue in Essex. Without our Brides and Grooms trusting us for their special day, we would not have created such a successful wedding business. I would like to thank my team and family for all their help and support over the years. It is only fitting that the house now returns home to its rightful place as part of New Hall estate, and I am confident that Mrs Jeffrey and her team will maintain the integrity and heritage of Boreham House as they transfer it once again back to a successful academic building.”
Teresa Ward handing over the keys of Boreham House to New Hall School’s Principal, Katherine Jeffrey, on 25 November 2024
New Hall has been in preliminary discussions with the Chelmsford City Council’s Principal Heritage Officer ahead of submitting formal applications for change of use and associated alterations. These discussions have been very positive.
New Hall School, Boreham, Chelmsford
Katherine Jeffrey, Principal, and the Council’s Principal Heritage Officer have been in conversation about ways to enhance the heritage of the site. Early investment is likely to focus on the two approach drives flanking the canal, which historically had avenue trees, giving a stately and formal approach. There is now a mixture of small trees and shrubs. Formal tree planting may be added to reinstate the avenues. Commenting on this proposal, Katherine Jeffrey said: “As well as being historically appropriate, this will have resonance with the New Hall community, which values greatly the magnificent approach to New Hall along the tree-lined Avenue. The Avenue is a much-loved feature of the School.”
