St Thomas'
St Thomas’ is a house for 53 boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1946 and placed under the patronage of St Thomas a Becket of Canterbury. The House is beautifully situated to the north of the Ampleforth to Oswaldkirk road in the National Park. The Millennium Cross, dedicated to Cardinal Basil Hume, is located in the extensive grounds of the house. The boys enjoy stunning views to the east as the house, from its hillside position, overlooks the Vale of Pickering to the Wolds. The house was extended in the early 1980s when a sixth form wing was added to the existing dwelling.
Paul Brennan is the fifth Housemaster of St Thomas’, where he follows: Fr Denis Waddilove; Fr Aidan Gilman; Fr Henry Wansbrough and Fr Richard ffield. Paul is in his ninth year as housemaster. Before that he was head of the Geography department, in which he still maintains an active role along with his other interests of skiing and scuba diving. He is a graduate of Newcastle and Liverpool universities where he studied geology and geography. Paul and his wife Catherine have two children. Daniel who having graduated in French and History from Trinity College Dublin is now a platoon commander with the 3rd battalion of the Yorkshire regiment. Their daughter Laura who left St Margaret’s house last year is currently on a GAP year working in Australia. In October she has a place to study biomedical science at St George’s college in London.