Myerscough College Preston

Built on the site of the old Myerscough Hall, some six miles north of Preston, Myerscough College is a land-based Higher and Further Education college dating back to the 19th century.

The original college was agricultural, and based on the south side of Preston near Hutton, moving to the current site in Bilsborrow, near Garstang, in 1969. Various other Myerscough Centres have been added since - in Blackburn, Burnley, Liverpool and Manchester. Each offers a variety of land-based and sport courses. In addition, there is the Myerscough Centre in Dorset - The Lynwood Veterinary Hospital - which specialises in veterinary nursing.

Last year there were around 7000 students, of whom 2500 were full time, and more than 1000 studying Higher Education degrees in partnership with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). Subjects include motorsports, machinery engineering, sports and leisure, golf, arboriculture, landscape design, animal care, equine studies, horticulture, and farriery. Short courses for industry range from crane handling to crop spraying, and short leisure courses from caravan maneuvering to floristry.

There is an International Equine Arena, a golf course and Simulated Golf Training Centre, the National Arboricultural Centre, an off-road driving track, a dedicated Animal Academy, a Plant Centre with tropical and temperate greenhouses, Myerscough Gardens and Arboreta, sports fields and a Gymnasium, as well as woods, fields, ponds and a river all on the site. In addition, Myerscough College houses the Rural Business Centre, which provides support for rural business in the form of courses, advice, links and the Rural Business Incubator for start-up businesses.