Royal Holloway University

I spent two days this week in Egham at Royal Holloway University for the JISC Innovation Forum 2010.

I had a couple of speaking slots at the forum and arrived early on the first day in bright sunshine and was immediately struck by the imposing building shown here, the Founder's Building.

It was designed along the lines of the Château de Chambord in the Loire Valley by Crossland and is now a Grade 1 listed building. It was opened by Queen Victoria in 1886.

Someone told me this building had been built as a finishing school for just 12 ladies, their retinues required the rest of the rooms. But Wikipedia tells a different story, there having been 28 students originally at the Royal Holloway College, which later became a constituent of the University of London.

Whilst it was fit for purpose and quite comfortable, my own room in the student accomodation block was not quite as spacious as is suggested by the size of the building for so few students!

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