The Kibworth Academy

Back in June I wrote about the legend that Stamford once had a university to rival Oxford and Cambridge. Sadly, it turned out not to be true.

But there was once an institution even nearer to Market Harborough that had some right to make this claim. As any one who watched Michael Wood's The Story of England will know, in the 18th century Kibworth was home to a Dissenting Academy.

As the Kibworth History Society explains:

Dissenting Academies had become established because nonconformists were barred from attending Oxford and Cambridge universities. The Academy rivalled the great universities of Oxford and Cambridge, teaching Hebrew, Greek, philosophy, logic, algebra, trigonometry and theology.

In 1729 the Academy moved to Northampton when its leading light Philip Doddridge was appointed pastor at Castle Hill Congregational Chapel in the town.

The photograph above shows the White House, the building that housed the Academy. It is on the Kibworth Harcourt side of the A6. After the Academy moved it became the Crown Inn, but is now a private house.