Wickham Court

Wickham Court is a historic country house in West Wickham, within the London Borough of Bromley in south-east London. Although the area is now part of Greater London, the estate has longstanding historical associations with Kent. The building dates from the period of Henry VII and is recognized as a Grade I listed structure, reflecting its architectural and historical importance. The house is a square, brick-built structure of three principal storeys. Its original plan enclosed a small internal courtyard, which was later roofed over. Octagonal towers rise at each corner to five storeys, and both the towers and the main house feature castellated parapets that give the property its semi-fortified appearance. The east elevation has four windows, while the remaining principal elevations have three windows each. A porch with a crow-stepped gable was added to the west side during the reign of Charles I. Later alterations included a modern attic level with dormer windows and a modern wing on the south front. Wickham Court was originally built for Sir Henry Heydon, who died in 1504. Through marriage, Heydon was connected to the Boleyn family: his wife, Anne Boleyn, was the daughter of Sir Geoffrey Boleyn, an ancestor of Anne Boleyn, the future queen consort of Henry VIII. In 1579 the property was sold by the Heydon family to John Lennard. It subsequently remained in the Lennard family for several centuries, with a number of family members holding baronetcy titles. Sir John Farnaby Lennard, 1st Baronet, also served as chairman of Kent County Council during the 1890s. The property changed function after 1929, when its heir, Sir Stephen Lennard, emigrated to Canada and Wickham Court was converted into a hotel. During the Second World War it was requisitioned for use by the Army, providing offices and accommodation. In 1952 it became the home of Coloma College of Education, a teacher-training institution. From 1978 until 1996, it was occupied by Schiller International University. The building later served as an educational site for Wickham Court Preparatory School, which moved into the property in 2003 and closed in 2023. Since September 2023, Wickham Court has been used by the Coptic Orthodox Church. The congregation known as St Mary and St John moved there from Dunbar Avenue in Beckenham. The site's current significance therefore combines protected historic architecture with continuing religious and community use. Wickham Court is not a conventional commercial brand, product line, or corporate enterprise; its identity is primarily that of a listed heritage building and an institutionally reused historic property.

Wickham Court is a historic country house at West Wickham, an area of the London Borough of Bromley that was historically associated with Kent. Its origins reach back to the Tudor period, during the reign of Henry VII. The house was commissioned for Sir Henry Heydon, who died in 1504. Heydon's marriage connected the property to the Boleyn family: his wife, Anne Boleyn, was the daughter of Sir Geoffrey Boleyn, whose descendants included Anne Boleyn, the wife of Henry VIII. The property was transferred from the Heydon family to John Lennard in 1579. It then remained within the Lennard family until 1929. The family produced several baronets, and its historical association with local public life included Sir John Farnaby Lennard, 1st Baronet, who chaired Kent County Council in the 1890s. The long Lennard period established Wickham Court as a landed-family residence rather than a commercial institution. Architecturally, the building is a square, three-storey brick structure with a distinctive defensive or castellated character. It originally surrounded a small open courtyard, though the courtyard was later covered. Four octagonal corner turrets extend to five storeys. Castellated parapets run across the principal building and turrets, reinforcing the semi-fortified appearance. The east front contains four windows, while the other fronts have three. A west-side porch with a crow-stepped gable was added during the reign of Charles I. A modern attic storey with dormer windows and a modern south wing represent later additions and adaptation. A major change occurred in 1929. After Sir Stephen Lennard, the heir, emigrated to Canada, the house was converted into a hotel. During the Second World War, the property was requisitioned for Army purposes and used for offices and accommodation. This wartime occupation marked a transition from private residential use to institutional and public use. In 1952 Wickham Court was acquired by Coloma College of Education, a teacher-training establishment. The educational role continued under a different institutional occupant when Schiller International University used the building from 1978 to 1996. In 2003 the property became the home of Wickham Court Preparatory School. The school remained associated with the building until its closure in 2023. Following the end of the preparatory school's occupation, the building entered another phase of adaptive reuse. From September 2023, it became the home of the St Mary and St John Coptic Orthodox Church, whose congregation moved from Dunbar Avenue in Beckenham. Wickham Court's current role is therefore religious and community-oriented, while its protected architectural character remains central to its identity. The building is listed at Grade I, indicating the highest level of statutory heritage significance in England.

• 2023

  Educational use ends

  [1]Wickham Courten.wikipedia.org

  Wickham Court Preparatory School closed.

• 2023

  Coptic Orthodox church occupation begins

  [1]Wickham Courten.wikipedia.org

  From September, Wickham Court became the home of St Mary and St John Coptic Orthodox Church after the congregation moved from Beckenham.

• 2003

  Preparatory school opens at the site

  [1]Wickham Courten.wikipedia.org

  Wickham Court became the home of Wickham Court Preparatory School.

• 1996

  Schiller International University occupation ends

  [1]Wickham Courten.wikipedia.org

  Schiller International University's period of occupation concluded.

• 1978

  Schiller International University occupation begins

  [1]Wickham Courten.wikipedia.org

  Schiller International University began using Wickham Court, continuing the site's institutional and educational role.

• 1952

  Coloma College of Education occupation

  [1]Wickham Courten.wikipedia.org

  Wickham Court was acquired by Coloma College of Education and used as a teacher-training institution.

• 1939

  Wartime requisition

  [1]Wickham Courten.wikipedia.org

  During the Second World War, the building was requisitioned for Army offices and accommodation.

• 1929

  Conversion into a hotel

  [1]Wickham Courten.wikipedia.org

  After heir Sir Stephen Lennard emigrated to Canada, Wickham Court ceased to function as a private family residence and became a hotel.

• 1890

  Lennard family prominence in Kent

  [1]Wickham Courten.wikipedia.org

  During the 1890s, Sir John Farnaby Lennard, 1st Baronet, served as chairman of Kent County Council.

• 1579

  Property passes to the Lennard family

  [1]Wickham Courten.wikipedia.org

  The Heydon family sold Wickham Court to John Lennard, beginning several centuries of Lennard family ownership.

• 1504

  Early Tudor ownership

  [1]Wickham Courten.wikipedia.org

  Sir Henry Heydon, for whom Wickham Court was originally built, died. The house is associated with the Tudor period and the reign of Henry VII.

A protected English heritage property whose identity is defined by medieval and early modern architecture, historic ownership, adaptive reuse, and current Coptic Orthodox religious occupation.

• 2023

  Religious and community reuseStrategy

  Background

  After the preparatory school closed, the building required a new institutional use.

  Action taken

  St Mary and St John Coptic Orthodox Church moved into Wickham Court from Dunbar Avenue in Beckenham.

  Aftermath

  Since September 2023, the historic house has served as a Coptic Orthodox church.

  Source

• 2003

  Adaptive reuse as a preparatory schoolStrategy

  Background

  Following earlier higher-education use, the property was adapted for a school serving younger pupils.

  Action taken

  Wickham Court Preparatory School began operating from the site.

  Aftermath

  The school occupied the building until its closure in 2023.

  Source

• 1952

  Conversion to teacher-training useStrategy

  Background

  After its wartime requisition, the historic property was acquired for educational use.

  Action taken

  Coloma College of Education established its occupation of Wickham Court.

  Aftermath

  The building entered a sustained period of institutional use.

  Source

• 1929

  Conversion from private residence to hotelStrategy

  Background

  Following the emigration of heir Sir Stephen Lennard, the long-standing family residence was repurposed.

  Action taken

  Wickham Court was converted into a hotel.

  Aftermath

  The change marked the beginning of the building's modern pattern of adaptive institutional and commercial reuse.

  Source

• 2023

  Wickham Court becomes home to St Mary and St John Coptic Orthodox Church[1]Wickham Courten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  From September 2023, Wickham Court began serving as the home of the St Mary and St John Coptic Orthodox congregation after its move from Dunbar Avenue in Beckenham.

• 2023

  Wickham Court Preparatory School closes[1]Wickham Courten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The preparatory school that had occupied Wickham Court since 2003 closed in 2023, preceding the building's subsequent religious use.

1. 1Wickham Courten.wikipedia.org