Movies and Medieval Backdrop: Higham Ferrers star was 602-years-old

Taking centre stage at the screening of five films that were unveiled to a VIP audience in Higham Ferrers recently, was the town's most famous feature that was named after its most famous son.

For the star was 602-year-old medieval Chichele College, which was built by Higham Ferrers-born Henry Chichele, who became the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The college and gardens as well as the nearby Duchy Barn Garden have been the venue for countless activities down the years and several short films, which were funded by various sponsors, and were unveiled to guests at a recent lunch in the college.

Members of the Higham Ferrers Social Prescription Group (for people with various disabilities and medical conditions) were the guests along with the Mayor Councillor Vijay Paul and former Mayor Councillor Nigel Brown and Martin Gaskell, chair of the Heritage forum. The Mayor's fund 2023 Higham Ferrers Tourism and Spring, the Northamptonshire Social Prescription Group footed the bill for the lunch.

The audience heard that the whole site was owned by the Duchy of Lancaster (The Reigning Monarch) and managed by English Heritage, which had a partnership with Chichele College Management Committee.

The films featured different projects at Chichele College and in the town, in partnership with various community groups, Liz Barnatt, chair of Higham Tourism told guests.

''They give insight to our wonderful building and how it is used'' she told the audience.

The first film was about the town's charters, which date back to 1251. Lottery Heritage funding and Higham Ferrers Tourism and Town Council paid for the restoration of five of six precious charters, which had been ''in very bad condition'' explained Carol Fitzgerald.

A local schoolgirl explained on the first film that the first charter remains lost.

The second film captured the transformation of a strip of land sandwiched between Chichele College and a row of barns used by the community.

The unique Duchy barn took shape during lockdown and was described by Carol as ''one of the few positive things to come out of Covid.''

Volunteer gardeners, aided by members of the Gateway Club - a charity for adults with learning problems - worked a safe distance apart from one another to transform the muddy strip into a showpiece garden with vegetables and flower beds, walkways, wheelchair-friendly paths, cobblestones, an arch and well positioned seating.

Carol told how a new development was the addition of a circular picnic table and used by members of the social prescription group who help with gardening and maintenance work.

The third film traced the 600th anniversary celebrations of Chichele College, which was initially built as a college for monks as a place of learning and worship.

The walled Chichele College garden is believed to be the oldest walled garden in the country that still serves the local community.

The garden, which boasts a tree donated by Queen Elizabeth II was also a venue for a local croquet match among five teams later that day, with Higham Ferrers Tourism lifting the trophy.

The 600th anniversary was a chance for the Chichele College Management Committee to re-establish links with All Souls College Oxford, which too was built by Henry Chichele.

As a result of this new relationship, All Souls College now gives the committee money to enable them to ensure people- including local schoolchildren - know all about Chichele College.

Higham Ferrers Junior School pupils were filmed in their movie listing their top 10 places in the town.

The final film highlighted Higham Ferrers Tourism Committee's Horticultural show which is held in Chichele College. Another show is being staged this year on September 7th.

After the film shows, one of the guests, Margaret Nyandoro, a member of the social prescription group said that she had lived near to Chichele College for years and had not known any of the history. ''This was very informative,'' she said.

Pictured with Carol Fitzgerald, from left are: Lauren Mackin team manager of Spring (Social Prescription in Northamptonshire), member Margaret Nyandoro, Liz Barnatt, chair of Higham Ferrers Tourism, and Jacqui Kelly, the social prescription community development worker for Higham Ferrers. And seated left: Cllr Vijay Paul Mayor and past Mayor Cllr Nigel Brown and Martin Gaskell, chair of the Northamptonshire Heritage Forum.