15 September 2021
A blue plaque to commemorate the life of William Wilberforce, politician and anti-slavery campaigner, is to be unveiled on Friday 15 October at 2.30pm by local MP Claire Coutinho. Wilberforce spent two years living at Marden Park with his family towards the end of his life from 1821-23.
As one of the leading politicians in the abolition of slave trade in 1807, the date of the plaque unveiling was chosen being close to Anti-slavery Day on Monday 18 October.
The house Wilberforce rented in the 1820s was damaged by fire in 1879 and Main House, at the heart of Woldingham School today, was built to replace it. Parts of the school, such as the former stable block where the clocktower is today, remain from Wilberforce’s time here.
If any parents would like to attend the unveiling, please email Woldingham's Director of Communication Ms Jenny Rawlinson.