History of Bryanston Prep School

Knighton House (now Bryanston Prep) was built in about the middle of the 18th Century and was the village farmhouse when Henry William Portman purchased Durweston in 1774.

It remained a farm until about the 19th Century when the farmer moved to the house by the church, Knighton Manor.

1830-1939

1940-1950

1950-2014

2015-Today

Knighton was enlarged for the first time in 1830 and became the Dower House for the Portman family of Bryanston. In 1857 the house was further enlarged for the 1st Viscount’s eldest son, William Henry Berkeley Portman. In 1888 he inherited the title and moved to Bryanston House.

From 1893 the second daughter, Susan Alice lived and brought up her family at Knighton.

In about 1920 Frances, Lady Portman, widow of the 2^ndViscount moved to live at Knighton until her death in 1939.

In 1940 the fifth son of the second Viscount, Seymour Berkeley Portman, moved into Knighton. He died in 1946 and the house remained empty until 1948 when Gerald William, Lord Portman’s eldest son, moved in with his wife. They vacated the house in June 1950 after the estate was acquired by the Crown Estate.

John and Peggy Booker started a Girls’ Preparatory School at Knighton shortly after. They had been running another school near Ilminster and Knighton became their home.

The intention was always that the school be for girls only, but because the Bookers moved some boys and girls from their previous school, the boys were allowed to stay on for two years.

Between 1950 and 2014 the School leased its premises from the Crown Estate.

1978 – saw the opening of the Pre-Prep
1985 – Jean Bosie Hall opened
1988 – Booker Music School opened

Bryanston Prep History - Climbing Frame 1950s

In September 2015 at the 65th anniversary of the school, it was announced that Knighton had bought the freehold of the site outright.

In 2020, Bryanston School purchased Knighton’s freehold site, restoring it as part of the original Portman Estate for the first time in almost a century.

Also in 2020, Knighton decided to make the move to co-education. Other than a few boys that had attended in the pre-prep, this became the first time that boys were welcomed back to the school for the first time in over 60 years.

On 1 September 2021, Knighton House merged with Bryanston School and the prep school was renamed Bryanston Knighton House.

On 1 September 2022, Bryanston Knighton House was renamed Bryanston Prep.