FORMER Bridgwater and Taunton College (BTC) students and staff members have come together to celebrate 100 years of land-based studies in Cannington.

Past and present members met at The Walled Gardens, a BTC-owned shop and tearoom, to plant a tree to celebrate the centenery and share their memories. 

The college opened its doors in autumn 1921 as the Somerset Farm Institute. 

All rural counties were encouraged to establish education in agriculture following World War I.

The college has changed its name several times in the past century but has remained a thriving land-based college with a national reputation in the industry. 

Guest speaker Caroline Woolley, who studied at the college in 1961/2 and was a member of the Cannington Students Association, reminisced about her studies and the courses on offer at the time. 

She discussed the life of a land-based student and what the curriculum looked like in the 1960s. 

Jason Gunningham, assistant principal for land-based studies at BTC, said: “It was wonderful to meet with alumni and hear about their time at the college.

“It struck me that past and present students have the same thing in common; the motivation to make a difference in our environment and the lives of animals by creating sustainable practices that enrich the lives of every living thing that inhabits the earth.”

“It seems to me that over the last 100 years, this motivation hasn’t changed, however, the drive for environmental sustainability is being seen as increasingly important.

“It is the college’s vision to become a world class leader of education so we aim to ensure we are always at the forefront of innovation, best practice and teaching and learning.”

The college is continuing to explore and adopt the industry's latest technological advancements. 

It will soon start a project funded by a regional Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) that will use satellite imagery technology and drones used to map land and analyse soil.

Mr Gunningham added: “I won’t be around to see it, but I wonder what the next 100 years will bring. I feel sure that there will still be a thriving college at Cannington.”

BTC's land-based campus in Cannington gives students the chance to get hands-on with agriculture, animal care, and horticulture. 

The facilities are spread across 200 acres of farmland, its Agricultural Innovation Centre, and living accommodation. 

Main image, L-R: Caroline Woolley, Gordon Fraser (past BTC governor), Claire Winson (head of land-based studies), Sukey Elstob (past staff member), Jason Gunningham (assistant principal for land-based, sport, and foundation studies), Jane Lockyer (past staff member), Andy Berry (principal and CEO), Aymeric Huguerre (Walled Gardens of Cannington manager).