On the roadway down to the Golf Club past the Rectory, there is a plaque on the right-hand side at the start of a row of Lime trees. The inscription on the plaque reads:

“These Limes and other trees round this ground were planted in December 1963 in memory of Robin Ridgway, Scholar of Bradfield,1913-1918”.

The plaque was placed in memory of William Robin Palmer Ridgway, who was born in February 1900, arriving at Bradfield in Sept 1913 and leaving in July 1918. While at Bradfield, he was a Prefect at College, Head of Mr Sills' House and Cadet Officer in the OTC. He was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) in 1918. After Bradfield he went to Clare College, Cambridge first as an Exhibitioner, Scholar in 1920 and achieved a Master’s Degree in 1926. After Cambridge he went on to became Assistant Master at Oundle School from 1922–26 and moved to Winchester College from 1926-53.

During the Second World War he joined the Intelligence Corps from 1939-1946 becoming Lieutenant Colonel, serving in Norway, North Africa and Burma and becoming Private Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief in India from 1943-46. He was awarded the Territorial Decoration (T.D.) for long service and an OBE in 1945.

After his death on 10 October 1962, the Bradfield College Chronicle in March 1964 noted about the Ridgway Memorial: "His widow and his brother, Harry Ridgway and a number of his friends have subscribed a sum of money towards a memorial. With Mrs Ridgway's approval it has been decided that this should take the form of trees and shrubs. Limes will be placed the length of Rectory drive; a Tulip tree will be put in at the Rectory corner of the new playing field, an oak by the present oak halfway down that end, some elms near the south west corner and another oak in the middle of the side bordering the Pang. Groups of whitebeams and wild cherries will be planted at the top of the bank at the north-east corner."

I wonder how many students passing through the school have ever seen this plaque and if any Old Bradfieldians have memories of these trees being planted in 1963?

It would appear that many of the beautiful trees that currently grace this area of Bradfield were the result of this Ridgway Memorial donation and for this foresight, we are grateful today.

A photograph of the trees and driveway as it appears today: