Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    Z1148
  • Title
    Maryland College
  • Date free text
    1904-2003
  • Production date
    From: 1904 To: 2003
  • Admin/biog history
    Maryland College was a residential college for adult education situated in Woburn. It was run by Bedfordshire County Council from c. 1966 until its in 2003. The building was originally built between 1901 and 1903 as Maryland Hospital for Mary, Duchess of Bedford, wife of the 11th Duke of Bedford. It was intended to be a cottage hospital for the Woburn area. The architect was H Percy Adams FRIBA. The cottage hospital operated until 1937. In 1939 the building was requisitoned by the Government and used as a country base for the Political Warfare Executive. During WW2 printed propaganda for dropping as leaflets onto occupied Europe was produced. This inclued Nachritten fur die Truppe (News for the Troops) for German forces and the SHAEF newspaper for liberated areas. The typesetting was done at Maryland and the newspapers printed in Luton for daily droppnig by the USAAF flying from RAF Cheddington. Counterfeit German currency and ration coupons were also produced. The PWE left in December 1945. In 1964 the Bedford Record reported that the former hospital was to be turned into an adult education centre and in 1966 Bedfordshire County Council purchased the site and buildings from the trustees of the Bedford Estate. Marylands College opened in September 1967 offering an extensive range of adult education courses, some of which were residential. The college operated until 2003. After the closure of the residential college the building stood empty for some time before being sold and turned into luxury apartments, which came on the market in 2013.
  • Scope and Content
    Brochures and material re. courses at Maryland college, printed ephemera.
  • Archival history
    Material received from Maryland College on its closure as a residential college in 2003.
  • Level of description
    fonds
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