Past donations to the Millfield Campus

Piano for Overleigh House

As a way of giving back to the school, the former parents of a Millfield student regularly donated to facility enhancement projects which improved the experience and opportunities we offer.

One such project was the purchase of a Yamaha Piano for our day girls based in Overleigh House. It is currently used for piano practice and for our students to relax when they have the time.

Squash Cannon

This excellent addition to our squash facilities was generously donated by the father of a young squash player who attended training sessions provided by the school. The family also donated a video camera system and laptop for analysis, enabling our coaches to more closely observe and instruct their students.

The continuous rhythm of the cannon accelerates the development of our teams technique.

Cricket Ground Picket Fence

The Millfield Cricket ground benefits from a superb pavilion, two electronic scoreboards and an enchanting view over Glastonbury Tor.

When the Wilson Pavilion was built and opened, a visiting parent felt that the addition of a complete white picket fence would make all the difference to the appearance of the ground and the experience of our players.

That parent generously funded the complete installation of the full 470 metres of fencing required to surround the Millfield flagship ground.

Underwater swimming analysis camera system

Generously funded by Mr and Mrs S Cain (former parents)

Millfield School is recognised as one of the top swimming clubs in Great Britain. To help analyse the technique of our elite swimmers, an underwater camera system was donated by one of our team members' parents. This is an important component in our coaching toolkit, teaching Millfield students winning technique and enabling a competitive advantage.

“The swimpro underwater camera has given our department the opportunity to move further into the professional world of swimming, not only does it give the coaches a better way of looking at technique but it gives the athlete a much more visual development aid.”

Euan Dale - Millfield Swim Coach (double Commonwealth silver medallist, European silver medallist and 9-time British National Champion and competitor in the 2008 Olympic Games).

A & B Block

The A & B blocks were opened in 1967 and they have become central to the Millfield campus, playing an important part in the education of almost all Millfield students by housing 30 classrooms.

Our sincere thanks go to Rush and Tompkins, Joe Bamford and the many Alumni who generously donated through the 'Ladies Committee' which was led by Betty Thompkins, Carol Delfont and Cathy Grade.

Millfield House

In 1963, Joseph Levy, with support from the school governors, launched a fundraising campaign to buy Millfield House from the Clark family who owned the Freehold.

Mr Levy approached many people who he knew were likely to give generously to a worthy charitable cause and, within one year, he raised £150,000 which was more than enough to buy Millfield House and so the campaign was extended to fund A & B Blocks.

Being the founding component of Millfield, Millfield House continues to be the schools spiritual home and is currently very much occupied as a boarding house.

The Wilson Pavilion

As parents of two of our cricket team, Mr Roger Hamilton-Brown and Mr Reinhard Cordes funded the majority of building and developing our stunning 'Wilson' cricket pavilion in 2005.

Millfield students enjoy some of the best cricket opportunities a school in the UK can offer, enabling them to build their game and reach their full potential.

At Millfield we provide numerous cricket squares, indoor and outdoor (all weather) nets, bowling machines and several cricket pavilions including the Wilson Pavilion sitting alongside our flagship ground. Coupled with an experienced and very capable coaching team, students will find a solid platform for success.

Find out more about cricket at Millfield here.

The Fencing Salle

Generously funded by Mr Irving Allen who helped enable Millfield to be the only school in the UK offering training in all three fencing weapons to both sexes up to the highest levels. Fencing is our fourth school sport to have been given an Academy status with a dedicated Director of Fencing and the sport is available to every student as a games option irrespective of their age or skill.

The Salle allows us to provide the unique all round support required to create the success that Millfield students enjoy, with over 60 students receiving international honours in the sport.

"The combination of expert individual lessons, tactical exercises and physical sessions have meant that, not only my fencing but also my ability to focus and succeed at my studies and other interests have been enhanced at Millfield.” 

OM, GB Senior Silver medallist and multiple National Champion, Harriet Dixon (2006-2008; MPS/2008-2013; Kernick).

Find out more about fencing at Millfield here.

The Meyer Theatre

This is a special facility enjoyed by thousands of people in the audience and performers on the stage.

The Meyer Theatre was opened in 1995 and is a versatile 500 seat Drama facility which was funded jointly by a range of generous donors and Millfield reserves. It is comparable to the very best drama schools in the world with a large and highly versatile multi-form performance space including full technical facilities. It has the capability for various stage configurations, allowing productions to be staged front-on, thrust, in the round, and in many other effective and creative ways. The theatre is a fantastic and exciting performance space in which every student has the opportunity to perform.

In addition, there is a large dance studio, as well as five other studio spaces for rehearsals and performances for smaller projects.

The theatre is also extremely well resourced with a large scene dock for set building and storage, as well as an impressive properties, a gauze screen for projecting images (pictured below) and a costume store. To all extents and purposes, the Meyer Theatre is a professional theatre, with professional standards, staging productions of the utmost quality throughout the year.

Our thanks go to the many donors who provided this exceptional opportunity for Millfield students.

The Millfield Swim Centre

In 1995, plans for a new 25 metre swimming centre were substantially upgraded through a generous donation by the Denbies Trust extending the pool to a wonderful, state of the art 50 metre complex.

This project has influenced the careers of countless students and swimmers throughout the South West of England providing a purpose built training and competition venue and will continue to develop County, National, European and World Champions for years to come.

In addition to training for our students, the centre has enabled the school to host a variety of swim club meets, competitions, Olympic training, the World Modern Pentathlon Championships and so many other exceptional opportunities which bring elite sport to our school and to our students.

Kingweston House and Estate

A generous donation by Mrs Joy Burden. In 1946 Mrs Burdens’ family agreed to support Millfield School by permitting us to use Kingweston house and its grounds as boarding accommodation and a sports facility.

In 1998, Mrs Burden changed the future of our school by donating her family home and estate to us. Since then Kingweston has provided Millfield students with a stunning campus where they can live and develop skills in sports like golf, rugby and football. It has also provided us with the facility to be the only UK school with its own Polo ground. Millfield has embraced this great opportunity, ensuring Kingweston is used to its full potential for the benefit of hundreds of students, helping foster talent like Sophie Keech (2009-2014; Martins), U18 National Girls Golf Champion.

Over 600 boys have lived in Kingweston House where the dining room and swimming pool are some of the most unique features.

Acacia Girls Boarding House

A campus based, purpose built girls boarding house which first opened in 1980, Acacia is at the centre of our campus and provides excellent accommodation for 56 girls.

This is one of the most established boarding houses in Millfield and the layout has evolved over a period of time. Acacia is a very social environment with friendships across the year groups, the design of the common room, the secluded garden and the free flowing nature of the house allows the girls to mix comfortably.

Acacia house was anonymously funded by a very generous parent.

Gauze Screen

In 2019, Millfield was delighted to receive a gauze screen for the Meyer Theatre, generously donated in memory of Rob Wilkins (1951-1962; Millfield) who was a very keen amateur thespian. The ‘magical’ properties of the screen enable special effects and experiences to be created on stage. With the right lighting, gauzes can create misty mornings, dream-like or ghostly figures, a romantic street-lit scene, or an eerie, foreboding setting. 

Writing, direction, set building, acting, fund raising, committee work, or, just supporting same – were all a huge part of Rob’s 74 years and the pleasure all this involvement gave was immeasurable. The screen is a fitting tribute to a man who would have thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated such a facility.