St. John's Seminary

St. John's Seminary is a Grade II listed red-brick building in the village of Wonersh, in the Waverley district of Surrey, a short distance from Guildford. For more than a century it trained Catholic priests, and it remains one of the most recognisable Victorian institutional buildings in the Surrey Hills area.

What is St. John's Seminary?

The seminary was founded at the end of the 1880s by Bishop John Butt of Southwark, with building work starting in 1889. The main building was finished in September 1891, although some accounts give 1889 or 1891 as the founding year, depending on whether they count the decision or the completed house. It was designed by the architect Frederick Arthur Walters, who worked in a Dutch and Jacobean-inspired style: red brick, gables and tall chimneys that give the complex a distinctive silhouette in the Surrey countryside.

The chapel was completed in 1896, and the complex was extended in the 1960s to meet the needs of a growing number of students. Today the whole building is protected as a Grade II listed structure.

Who ran it and who studied there?

The first rector was Francis Bourne, a young priest who later became Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster. Over the decades the seminary had many rectors, and Monsignor Philip Hallett is remembered as one of the most successful and the longest serving. After the junior seminary at St Joseph's, Mark Cross was separated from it, St. John's functioned purely as a major seminary, preparing older candidates for ordination.

During the Second World War the students were not called up. They stayed in Wonersh and took part in local civil defence work, including running a local fire service.

When did the seminary close?

The seminary closed on 3 July 2021. Its remaining students moved to Allen Hall in Chelsea, London. The history of the institution, from its foundation to its closure, is preserved in the archives of the Diocese of Southwark.

Is it known from film and television?

Yes. The building appeared in the television series Foyle's War, where it stood in for the Hastings Royal Hospital. Its imposing facade made it a convincing period setting.

Frequently asked questions

Where is St. John's Seminary? In Wonersh, Surrey, in the Waverley borough, near Guildford. Its coordinates are roughly 51.196 N, 0.535 W.

Is the building listed? Yes, it is a Grade II listed building.

Can I visit the interior? The seminary is no longer operating as a training college, and access is not routine. Local history groups have organised occasional guided visits, so check with local organisations or the diocese before planning a trip. The exterior and the surroundings can be appreciated from the village.

Who designed it? Frederick Arthur Walters, the architect of many Catholic churches and institutions in England.

What is nearby? Wonersh is a village with a traditional centre, and the Surrey Hills, a protected landscape popular with walkers, begin only a few miles away. Guildford, with its castle and high street, is the closest larger town.

Why stop by?

If you enjoy Victorian architecture, church history or filming locations, the seminary is a worthwhile stop on a walk or drive through the Surrey Hills. Even viewed from the outside, it shows the scale and ambition of late nineteenth-century Catholic institutions in southern England, and its place in the story of Cardinal Bourne and of the Southwark diocese gives it historical weight well beyond its village setting.