Grizedale College

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Grizedale College is named after Grizedale forest that lies on the edge of the Lake District and is bordered by Coniston water to the West and Windermere to the East. Grizedale means "valley of the wild boar" and this ties in with the fact that the forest used to be inhabited by wild boars. (picture) The forest itself is a major visitor attraction; there are 50 miles of tracks for cyclists and walkers and 6,000 acres of terrain that are home to deer, squirrels and woodland birds (but no boars!) The area has become a recreation centre for walking and hiking but this isn’t Grizedale’s only attraction. The forest also creates a stunning backdrop for over 80 outdoor sculptures created by local artists, and randomly placed around the forest.

Grizedale is the largest college on campus and was created in 1974.In fact, it recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. It was one of the last colleges to be built and although there were no doors on the showers or toilets when the college opened, its members learnt to love it! Initially, Grizedale incorporated a number of buildings that would later become Pendle college and the two colleges were jointly managed until they split.

The Grizedale boar was only recently inaugurated as the college mascot. In the 1970’s, Depravo the rat, a character invented by the renowned actor Michael Palin, represented the college. An early member of college staff was friendly with Mr Palin and obtained the rights to the character. However, it was only later in the 1980’s that a number of parents questioned the relevance of Depravo and the Grizedale boar was created.

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