Hollesley Bay Colony Stud

Hollesley Bay Colony is situated on the east coast of England, near Woodbridge in Suffolk.

Between the years 1759 and 1803, the Barthorp family acquired various parcels of land in the Wilford Hundred area, of which Hollesley was a part. Originally the Hollesley Bay holdings formed part of the Red House Estate farmed by the Barthorp family, until in 1869 the land was enfranchised in the name John Barthorp. The Barthorps became owners and exhibitors of Suffolk Horses.

Professor Robert Johnson founded and managed a training college on the estate at a time when the property passed to Robert Barthorp. In December 1886, the college was conveyed to the Colonial College and Training Farms Limited, as a Colonial College for Gentlemen to be trained in agriculture for settlement in the Colonial Empire. Hence the word 'colony' became a part of the estate's name, 'Hollesley Bay Colony'.

Kelly's Directory of 1888 described the college as:

an important public institution, established under the auspices of the Agents General of the Colonies and other distinguished persons for the training of young gentlemen intending to become colonists, in all the arts suitable for a colonial life, with all the practical details of farming.

In 1903, the college entered into the hands of the receiver and was sold in February 1905 to Joseph Fels. In the following year the Central (Unemployed) Body for London acquired the estate. It became a Farm Colony for the unemployed of London. Each worker was given a house and a piece of land upon which to become self-sufficient. The Colony became a showpiece for agriculture, with renowned orchards and soft fruit trees. This produce was picked by the women of Hollesley at first light during the soft fruit season.

In 1930 this body became the London County Council and was conveyed to the Prison Commissioners in June 1938.

Hollesley Bay Colony developed into a training borstal for young offenders and in 1971 a detention centre was built. The closed unit at Warren Hill opened in 1982 to house 200 young offenders requiring top security conditions.

Today, the open prison houses adult offenders, who are in employment or on a course. Many of the inmates work on the 200 acre farm, the largest in the Prison Service.

The Stud is of great importance for the survival of the breed. The 20 or so remaining stallions tend to be kept by enthusiasts in ones or twos on farms, mostly in Suffolk, or on rare-breed farms or parks which are open to the public. Keeping stallions is hard work, sometimes dangerous and is costly. The current Groom at Hollesley has 26 years experience in controlling the covering of mares by these very large and temperamental stallions

The Suffolk Punch stud at Hollesley Bay Colony (The Colony Stud) is different. Its raison d’etre is to keep and maintain the breed. It is the largest and probably the oldest stud farm for Suffolk Punch horses in the world. It keeps two stallions and about 20 mares and foals.

There is a long historic relationship between the Suffolk Horse and the coastal area of Suffolk, which has traditionally been the home of Suffolk Horse breeding. The region’s soil and climate are ideal for the development of quality stock and Hollesley Bay Colony Stud is located in the heart of this region.