After a hiatus to address repairs at Herstmonceux Castle, Bader College will re-open in 2026 for educational programming, with a new academic model and vision guiding its operations and strategic direction.
Herstmonceux Castle, which was donated to Queen's in the early 1990s by Alfred and Isabel Bader
"Bader College is an exceptional place, and we are fortunate to have this international site where students and scholars from Queen's and around the world can gather to learn, discover, and collaborate," says Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane. "What we do at Bader College is deeply connected to the life of Queen's, and the castle offers unique opportunities that are distinct to its setting. This beautiful, 15th-century castle sitting on some 600 acres of ecologically rich land in the south of England, and its proximity to cultural centres in the U.K. and Europe invite forms of teaching and research that cannot be realized elsewhere."
This fall, the essential repairs to the castle building, as outlined in the quinquennial survey conducted by architectural firm Gould Baxter, will be completed, and all areas of the castle will be accessible by the end of the year. These restorations include the newly rebuilt gatehouse parapet and repairs to the southwest tower. Additional restoration works will be conducted over the next few years, but they will not have an impact on operations at Bader College.
"The pause to undertake important renovations to the castle gave us the opportunity to rethink how we deliver academic programming and other initiatives," says Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Matthew Evans. "We are thinking carefully about the land, our commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and our connection with the local community, and this will all be infused into how we operate at the academic level at the castle."
A new academic model
The new academic model aligns with the original vision for the castle when it was donated to Queen's in the early 1990s by Alfred and Isabel Bader.
However, instead of largely undergraduate programming, the model will focus on a variety of transformative, intensive, and experience-rich learning opportunities, including:
- faculty-led international learning, with cohorts of undergraduate and graduate students from Queen's and other global institutions travelling to the castle,
- research and writing residencies (Scholars Retreat)
- collaborations with other institutions, and
- lifelong learning initiatives for mature and community learners.
"Alfred and Isabel envisioned the castle as an international study centre, bringing Queen's students and faculty into dialogue with their peers from around the world, and providing a venue for discussions across cultural and national boundaries," says Diana Gilchrist, who has served for many years as lecturer, senior lecturer, and principal lecturer in Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Bader College, and now leads the development of new academic programming at the castle.
"This continues to be the goal, but with an increased focus on place-based learning and providing a multitude of opportunities to many different types of learners," says Dr. Gilchrist.
Awards for new course proposals
Principal Deane invites interested faculty members to envision how they might engage with Bader College and create new opportunities for students there. To facilitate the development of new undergraduate and graduate courses at the castle, the Bader College Academic Programming Development Initiative will provide financial support to Queen's faculty members to design and deliver innovative courses at the castle. Several awards of up to $10,000 each will be offered for successful course proposals, evaluated by the Bader College Academic Programming Committee.
"Bader College provides a truly special place for learning and discovery," says Principal Deane. "I encourage faculty to imagine how their courses could inspire students at the castle, and I look forward to seeing the creative proposals that will bring this unique experience to life."
Transforming the estate grounds
Part of the revisioning of the castle and Bader College includes a project to rewild much of the grounds of the estate, which for many decades have been farmed intensively through a tenancy agreement. Rewilding focuses on transforming the land through ecological restoration. The project, which was initiated several years ago but is now in full development, will be led by a nature restoration company in the U.K. and supported by a government biodiversity offsetting program. More information on the rewilding initiative will be forthcoming in the coming months.
To learn more about academic programming at the Castle, visit the Bader College website.
Details regarding the Bader College Academic Programming Development Initiative can be found on the Principal's Office website.
