# Farfield

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{{other uses|Far field (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
thumb|right|300px|{{center|Farfield House, Holt}}
'''Farfield''' is one of the seven [boarding houses](/source/House_system) at [Gresham's](/source/Gresham's_School), an English [public school](/source/Public_school_(UK)) at [Holt, Norfolk](/source/Holt%2C_Norfolk).

Farfield is currently home to approximately fifty boys.

==History and traditions==
Farfield was the third new boarding house to be built at the school, following its move from the town centre to the Cromer Road at the beginning of the 20th century, in a surge of renewal and expansion at Gresham's led by [George Howson](/source/George_Howson_(headmaster)). Completed in 1911, it was shortly followed by a new school chapel.<ref>Jane Hales, ''Three Centuries at Holt'' (1968), p. 10</ref>

The first housemaster, Major J. C. Miller, and boys were transferred from a smaller house called Bengal Lodge.<ref name=FHA>[https://www.greshams.com/archives/boarding-houses/farfield-house-archive/ Farfield House Archive], greshams.com, accessed 15 December 2022</ref> The school magazine noted that a useful donkey was being kept in an outbuilding at Farfield.<ref name=FHA/>

The young [Benjamin Britten](/source/Benjamin_Britten) recorded his life at Farfield in the 1920s and 1930s in his diaries. In 1929, he mentions that the house then had two "sickrooms" of its own.<ref>John Evans, ''Journeying Boy: The Diaries of the Young Benjamin Britten 1928-1938'' (Faber & Faber, 2010), p. 15</ref> He commented that the Honours System was a positive failure, as "It is no good trying the Honours System on boys who have no honour."<ref>Geoff Andrews, ''The Shadow Man: At the Heart of the Cambridge Spy Circle'' (I. B. Tauris, 2015), p. 24</ref>

The school was evacuated to [Newquay](/source/Newquay) in [Cornwall](/source/Cornwall) during the years 1940–1945, but the division into houses was continued there, and Farfield occupied the Pentire Hotel.<ref name=FHA/> There were thus some Farfield boys who never set foot in the house.<ref>Benson, chapter 2</ref>

The traditions of the house include an Entertainment, held every March, which features music, sketches, and dramatic scenes. The ritual of ''House Prayers'' is maintained in Farfield on three evenings of the week. This is a short evening service, organised by the prefects, which consists of a hymn, a reading, and a prayer, and concludes with the familiar mantra "Goodnight Boys".<ref name=FHA/>

The symbol of Farfield is an owl. This dates from 1949, when the wife of the housemaster, Mr Andrew Bruce Douglas, pointed out how much a wooden owl belonging to a boy called Simpson looked like her husband, and it was adopted as the house mascot.<ref name=FHA/> 

On 24 September 2011, Farfield marked its centenary, with events attended by 160 old boys and four old housemasters. After [Evensong](/source/Evensong) in the School Chapel, a Farfield [Broadcasting House](/source/Broadcasting_House) entertainment was led by [Paddy O'Connell](/source/Paddy_O'Connell), followed by a banquet in Big School.<ref name=FHA/> 
thumb|right|140px|The symbol of Farfield is an owl

==Geography==
The main Farfield House building is H-shaped and faces the Cromer Road, which lies to the south beyond a wide green space. A short distance away to the north is the Auden Theatre, named after a Farfield old boy. Boarders live on the first floor and in the new wing, in individual bed-sitters, with separate corridors for each year group. Day boys each share a study on the ground floor with another member of their age group, and there is a large common room, formerly the dining hall, where a roll-call takes place at 8:10 every morning for both boarders and day-boys. There is also a computer room. <ref name=Guide>[https://www.greshams.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Farfield-House-Guide-for-Parents-and-Pupils-201718-Final-Version.pdf Farfield House Guide for Parents and Pupils, 2017/2018"], greshams.com, accessed 14 November 2025</ref>

The Farfield House Guide states that "Alcohol can only be administered by the Housemaster at special events".<ref name=Guide/>

Between August and September, the Farfield Lawn is home to a colony of the orchid [Spiranthes spiralis](/source/Spiranthes_spiralis), also known as Autumn Ladies'-tresses, which was once among the finest such colonies in Great Britain.<ref>Tony Leach, "The rise and fall of Autumn Lady’s-tresses Spiranthes spiralis at Gresham’s School, Holt and its status in Norfolk", in ''Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society'', vol. 50 (2017)</ref>

The [grand piano](/source/grand_piano) in the common room is a [Bechstein](/source/C._Bechstein) given by the [Worshipful Company of Fishmongers](/source/Worshipful_Company_of_Fishmongers). It is believed that Benjamin Britten used it to compose his anthem ''A Hymn to the Virgin.''

==Housemasters==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Major J. C. Miller<sup>*</sup>
| 1904–1920<ref name=FF/>
|-
| E. A. Robertson
| 1920–1928<ref>died 1928: ''Mr. E. A. Robertson'' (obituary) in ''[The Times](/source/The_Times)'', Thursday, 31 January 1929; Issue 45115; p. 14; column E</ref><ref name=FHA/>
|-
| G. R. Thompson
| 1929–1936<ref name=FHA/>
|-
| A. B. Douglas
| 1936–1957<ref name=FHA/>
|-
| B. W. Sankey
| 1957–1965<ref name=FHA/>
|-
| W. O. Thomas
| 1965–1980<ref name=FHA/>
|-
| R. W. Coleman
| 1980–1988<ref name=FHA/>
|-
| G. B. Worrall
| 1988–1998<ref name=FHA/>
|-
| A. A. Edwards
| 1998–2003<ref name=FHA/>
|-
| J. R. P. Thomson
| 2003–2013<ref name=FHA/>
|-
| D. J. Atkinson
| 2013–2021<ref name=FHA/>
|-
| T. Burnett<ref name=FHA/>
| 2021–<ref name=FF>[https://www.greshams.com/senior-school/houses/farfield/ Farfield], greshams.com, accessed 15 December 2022</ref>
|}

<sub>* in Bengal Lodge until 1911</sub>

==Assistant Housemasters==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| David Beaney
| 1984–1998
|-
| Spencer Coates
| 1998–2000
|-
| John Seaman
| 2000–2002
|-
| Adam Stanworth
| 2002–2008
|-
| Andrew 'Freddie' Grounds
| 2008–2011
|-
| David Saker
| 2011–2019
|-
| Tom Burnett
| 2019-2021
|-
| James Beales
| 2021–<ref name=FF/>
|}

==Notable old boys==
Many old boys have achieved success or notoriety.  Names are in chronological order, and the years at Farfield (or its predecessor Bengal Lodge) are given in round brackets.

*[Dr Hildebrand Hervey](/source/H._W._Harvey) [FRS](/source/Fellow_of_the_Royal_Society) (1902–1906) – [marine biologist](/source/marine_biology)
*[Lord Reith](/source/John_Reith%2C_1st_Baron_Reith) (1904–1906) – first Director General of the [BBC](/source/BBC), later politician
*[Donald Cunnell](/source/Donald_Cunnell) (1909–1910) – [World War I](/source/World_War_I) [flying ace](/source/flying_ace) who shot down and injured the [Red Baron](/source/Red_Baron)
*[Tom Wintringham](/source/Tom_Wintringham) (1912–1915) [General Strike](/source/UK_General_Strike_of_1926) planner, commander of the British contingent of the [International Brigades](/source/International_Brigades) in the [Spanish Civil War](/source/Spanish_Civil_War), founder of ''The Daily Worker'' (subsequently ''[The Morning Star](/source/Morning_Star_(British_newspaper))'')<ref name=FHA/>
*[W. H. Auden](/source/W._H._Auden) (1920–1925) – poet<ref name=FHA/><ref>Wystan Hugh Auden, ''The Complete Works of W. H. Auden: Prose 1949–1955'', Volume 3 (Princeton University Press, 2008), p. 771</ref> 
*[Benjamin Britten](/source/Benjamin_Britten) (1928–1930) – composer and conductor<ref name=FHA/><ref>John Evans, ed., ''Journeying Boy: The Diaries of the Young Benjamin Britten'' (2010), p. 14</ref>
*[Norman Cohn](/source/Norman_Cohn) (1929–1933) – historian and Fellow of the [British Academy](/source/British_Academy)
*[Bill Mason](/source/Bill_Mason_(director)) (1929–1934) – film director and father of [Pink Floyd](/source/Pink_Floyd) drummer [Nick Mason](/source/Nick_Mason)
*[David Hand](/source/David_Hand_(bishop)) (1932–1937) – [Archbishop](/source/Archbishop) of [Papua New Guinea](/source/Papua_New_Guinea)
*[Major General A. E. Younger](/source/Elton_Younger) (1933–1937) – soldier<ref>Rayner, p. 10</ref>
*[John Bradburne](/source/John_Bradburne) (1934–1939) – soldier, [missionary](/source/missionary)<ref name=FHA/>
*[Sir Philip Dowson](/source/Philip_Dowson) (1938–1942) – architect and President of the [Royal Academy](/source/Royal_Academy)<ref>Rayner, p. 14</ref>
*[Robert Aagaard](/source/Robert_Aagaard) (1944–1949), furniture maker and founder of the youth movement Cathedral Camps<ref>Rayner, p. 17</ref>
*[Martin Burgess](/source/Martin_Burgess) (1944–1949) – master [clockmaker](/source/clockmaker)<ref>Rayner, p. 19</ref>
*[Dr Anthony Yates](/source/Anthony_Yates) (1946–1948) – [rheumatologist](/source/rheumatologist)<ref name=r26>Rayner, p. 26</ref>
*[Dr Colin Leakey](/source/Colin_Leakey) (1947–1952) – [botanist](/source/botanist)<ref name=r26/>
*[Sir John Tusa](/source/John_Tusa) (1949–1954) – TV presenter and managing director of the [BBC](/source/BBC) [World Service](/source/World_Service)<ref name=FHA/><ref>Rayner, p. 30</ref>
*[Stephen Frears](/source/Stephen_Frears) (1954–1959) – film director<ref name=FHA/><ref>Rayner, p. 37</ref>
*Robert Eagle (1961–1965) – writer and director<ref>Rayner, p. 42</ref>
*[Roger Carpenter](/source/Roger_Carpenter) (1958–1963) – neurophysiologist<ref>Rayner, p. 43</ref>
*[Nigel Dick](/source/Nigel_Dick) (1966–1971) – music video director<ref>Rayner, p. 56</ref>
*[Jeremy Bamber](/source/Jeremy_Bamber) (1974–1979) – convicted for five murders
*[Matt Arnold](/source/Matt_Arnold) (1975–1980) – television presenter<ref>Rayner, p. 79</ref>
*[Nick Youngs](/source/Nick_Youngs) (1976–1978) – [England](/source/England_national_rugby_union_team) rugby union footballer<ref name=FHA/><ref>Rayner, p. 84</ref>
*[Paddy O'Connell](/source/Paddy_O'Connell) (1979–1983) – BBC radio and television presenter<ref>Rayner, p. 91</ref>
*[Ralph Firman](/source/Ralph_Firman) (1988–1993) – [Formula One](/source/Formula_One) racing driver<ref name=FHA/><ref>Rayner, p. 117</ref>

==Roll of honour==
The Following Old Boys of Bengal Lodge and Farfield gave their lives during the Great War of 1914–1918:

Armitage SW, Aveling LN, Barratt GR, Beeton RH, Biden LTGV, Brownsword DA, Cole AH, Crosse ECM, Crosse MEB, [Cunnell DC](/source/Donald_Cunnell), Davies LFStJ, Ellis JC, Frost GK, Johnson GB, Kirch C, Robinson HHK, Rumsby RW, Shepherd CA, Simpson JH, Thorn H, Wilson Ian Maclean & Wright JMS

        File:Farf1.jpg File:Farf3.jpg

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* ''The History and Register of Gresham's School, 1555–1954'' (Ipswich, 1955);
*S. G. G. Benson, ''I Will Plant Me a Tree: an Illustrated History of Gresham's School'' (London: James & James, 2002)
*John Rayner, ed., ''Old Greshamian Club Address Book 1999'' (Cromer: Cheverton & Son, 1999)
* ''The Gresham'' Magazine Vol. III & IV
*[http://www.greshams.com/ Gresham's School online]

==External links==
* [http://www.brittenpears.org/?page=resources/popups/greshams.html Gresham's] photo from the Britten-Pears library
* [http://www.audensociety.org/18newsletter.html Newsletter of the Auden Society] at audensociety.org

{{coord|52.9108|1.1066|type:edu_region:GB-NFK|display=title}}

Category:1911 establishments in England
Category:Gresham's School
Category:Houses in Norfolk

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Farfield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farfield) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farfield?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.