This week in 1981, the University agreed to sell Ashcombe House – the Vice-Chancellor’s official residence.

The then-VC Professor Sir Denys Wilkinson was released from his contractual obligation to live at Ashcombe House, in order to acquire a property of his own.

Here is an extract from the Bulletin article published on 28 April 1981:

Vice-Chancellor’s Residence

The Vice-Chancellor is to give up his official residence, Ashcombe House, and acquire a house of his own in the neighbourhood. Council has agreed to release the Vice-Chancellor from his condition of service which requires him to live at Ashcombe House and has authorised the sale of the house which was bought in 1963.

Sir Denys’s new home will be used for University purposes including official entertaining to the same extent as Ashcombe.

£30,000 from the proceeds of the sale of Ashcombe are to be earmarked to meet the possible costs of alterations to Swanborough Manor if it is subsequently decided to revert it to the practice of providing a residence for the Vice-Chancellor…

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