Her Majesty The Queen marks Plumpton College centenary during royal visit

Plumpton College, East Sussex was honoured to welcome Her Majesty The Queen to the college on 7^th July 2026 as part of its centenary year celebrations.

Her Majesty has strong links to both the college and the local area and is Patron of the Plumpton College Charitable Foundation and WineGB.

The Queen was welcomed to Plumpton College by Principal & CEO, Jeremy Kerswell, and Chair of Governors, Julie Dougill, before walking through the college’s 800-hectare estate and campus, meeting staff and students.

During the visit, Her Majesty toured the Animal Education Centre with students, including the new lemur enclosure, before visiting the Veterinary Studies Centre. Opened in 2023, the centre includes commercial training facilities such as a canine hydrotherapy pool, giving students experience in a real working environment.

The visit provided a valuable opportunity to update Her Majesty on the college’s continued contribution to the English and Welsh wine sector during its centenary year. The Queen met viticulture degree students at the AgriFood Centre to hear about the recently planted industry leading Digital Centenary Vineyard. Plumpton College was proud to receive a national honour, the Queen’s Anniversary Prize, from Her Majesty in 2023 in recognition of its impact on the sector. Her Majesty also met apprentices from the recently launched School of Bakery, providing the next generation of bakers into production and commercial bakery settings. 

Her Majesty concluded the visit by unveiling a plaque outside the AgriFood Centre to commemorate 100 years of land and environment education at the South Downs campus.

Jeremy Kerswell, Principal of Plumpton College, said:

It’s a huge honour to welcome Her Majesty to Plumpton College during this special year for the college. It was a privilege to share our centenary celebrations, showcase the £40m investment we have made in our campus over the past decade for sector leading technical resources, and give students the opportunity to speak directly about their learning and ambitions.

Plumpton College continues to grow as more students choose to study with us and prepare for careers in the land and environment sector, where new entrants are in demand more than ever before. We are especially grateful for Her Majesty’s support for the Plumpton College Charitable Foundation, which helps ensure that more students can access education and training in these vital industries.

Our purpose remains as strong today as it was 100 years ago: to support the future of food, our land and the environment, and to equip students with the skills they need for a changing world.

Category: College News