LKE The Withymead Centre

DATE: 1926-1972

LEVEL: Series

This series records Leonard and Dorothy Elmhirst's involvement in, and financial assistance to, The Withymead Centre, Countess Wear, Exeter, Devon. The records were accumulated by Leonard Elmhirst through his role as Trustee and Chairman of the Withymead Trust (1949-1960). They include: correspondence; memoranda; reports; copies of deeds and leases; accounts; budgets; applications and receipts for grants from the Elmgrant Trust; plans and minutes from meetings of the Withymead Management Committee, the Withymead Trustees and the Elmgrant Trust.

Other correspondence relates to: finance, purchase, development, repair, alterations and sale of land and property. Other information relates to The Withymead Centre Policy and Appeal, staff appointments, training and advice from doctors. There is correspondence between Leonard Elmhirst and Gilbert and Irene Champernowne; and Withymead Trustees including: John Trevelyan; Maurice Ash; Anthony Belton and Frank S Walters. Records of Withymead staff and medical advisors include: Joanna Hogg; Ben Belton; Hilary Bates; Sylvia Weiss; Elizabeth Collyer; Carol Paul-Jones; Dennis Hill; Molly Kemp; Dennis and Margaret Scott-Maxwell; Dr Hardy Gaussen; Dr Barbara Hannah and Dr Geoffrey Wilcock.

Other material in this series includes: photographs; press cuttings; The Withymead Centre prospectus and programmes for courses; pamphlets; publications; and lectures (including lectures by Irene Champernowne); journals; poems and poetry publications.

The Withymead Centre for Remedial Education through Psychotherapy and the Arts, was founded by Gilbert and Irene Champernowne in 1942. With both resident and non-resident patient/students, the therapeutic centre based on the psychology of Carl G Jung, intended to provide a place of healing for those whose lives had been disturbed by psychological difficulties. A retreat to show people how to find themselves through self expression in the arts through painting, pottery, music, movement and drama.

In 1946 the management of Withymead formed a small private Company under the name of 'Healnes' in association with Dr Joyce Partridge of the Lympstone Grange Nursing Home. This association ended in 1949 as it was felt no longer appropriate for The Withymead Centre to be merged into a wider Centre for the promotion of Art Therapy. In 1949 - 1960 Leonard Elmhirst, John Trevelyan and Maurice Ash and later The Viscount Chaplin, Anthony Belton became Trustees of The Withymead Centre and established by deed of trust 'The Trust Fund' to finance its work and expansion. The Withymead Centre was now wholly under the control of its Trustees. In 1960 Douglas Bertram Crosse, Michael Douglas Trollope Loup and Irene Champernowne were appointed as its Trustees, later joined by The Lord Bishop of Exeter and Sir George Hayter-Hames. After his retirement as chairman of the Withymead Centre Trust, Leonard Elmhirst continued to advise and financially support the ongoing work of The Withymead Centre.

Information for Researchers

All papers belonging to The Dartington Hall Trust Archive (with the exclusion of Dartington Hall School pupils individual records) are held at the Devon Record Office. All enquiries relating to research should be made to Devon Records Office, Great Moor House, Bittern Road, Sowton, Exeter, Devon EX2 7NL
+44 (0)1392 384253
+44 (0)1392 384256
devrec@devon.gov.uk
www.devon.gov.uk/record_office

The following requests should be made direct to the Archives & Records at The Dartington Hall Trust as shown below:
Copies of images as seen on The Dartington Hall Trust online catalogue with appropriate reference number (Ref No.)
Permission to publish or quote from any document held in the Dartington Hall Trust Archive
Former pupils of Dartington Hall School wishing to view their records
Archives & Records
The Dartington Hall Trust
Dartington Hall
Totnes TQ9 6EL
01803 847200
yvonne.widger@dartington.org

This information is copyright The Dartington Hall Trust