Windsor Great Park
There are references in the Domesday Book to some of William the Conquerer’s woodland at Windsor being enclosed in 1086, but it is probable that the first real formation of the Great Park, culled from the great forest of Windsor, took place about 1241 when King Henry III was on the throne. He built a Manor House on the northern bank of what is now Virginia Water, conveniently near to the old Roman road running from Winchester to London, and enclosed a large area of forest round it. The area was considerably smaller than what is now known as Windsor Great Park but new areas were added until 1365 when it began to be known as Great Park to distinguish it from the area round Windsor Castle which was known as Little Park (now called Home Park). Additional major purchases of land were later carried out by King George III and Queen Victoria.
In the 16th C during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, many trees were planted in the Great Park, to replenish timber stocks which had been depleted during the war with Spain. After the execution of Charles I, Oliver Cromwell set up a committee to survey Parks, Forests, etc and, in 1652, the House of Commons resolved that the Castle, Little and Great Parks should be sold for “ready money”. The decision relating to the Great Park and the Castle (but not the Little Park) was rescinded the following year.
In 1665 Samuel Pepys, the great Diarist, visited his Chief, Sir George Carteret, Treasurer to the Navy Board who was living in Cranbourne Tower or Lodge (built about 1500), to report that the Dutch had destroyed the entire British Fleet off Bergen, which, to quote the Diary “troubled him mightilie, but we were merrie and made the best of it”! In 1666 soon after the Great Fire of London, he visited again and recorded “an abundance of burnt papers were cast by the wind as far as Cranbourne”. The Lodge fell into decay and in 1861 the greater part was demolished leaving only the Tower.
About 1670 the Mansion (now called Cumberland Lodge) was built and later lived in by the Duchess of Marlborough from 1709 until her death in 1744 at the age of 85. She held the Rangership jointly with her husband, the Duke of Marlborough. The Duke died there in 1722. During her time as Ranger, deer, which had been practically wiped out during the Commonwealth, were introduced into the Park. Later, in 1816 (just before the enclosure awards of 1817) many deer from surrounding forest areas stretching to beyond Bagshot were driven into the Park so that they could be “enclosed” there.
In 1680 King Charles II purchased land for a drive to be made from Castle to Park, and the planting of the great avenue of elms which became the Long Walk began almost at once. This was the start of a period of much landscaping when many avenues and woods were completed.
The Obelisk situated to the East of Smith’s Lawn was erected by King George II “to commemorate the services of his son William, Duke of Cumberland, the success of his arms and the gratitude of his father”. William, on being appointed Ranger of the Park in 1746, enlarged The Lodge and gave it its present name Cumberland Lodge. He, with Thomas Sandby, commenced the landscaping of the South part of the Park with the formation of Virginia Water. For this work he used the army, originally raised to fight the Jacobites, and brought South after the Battle of Culloden. The total cost for the work done by the 23rd Regiment of Foot from 29th June to 23rd Sept. 1789 came to the colossal sum of £1054.0.2.
King George III (1738-1820) who was a very keen farmer with progressive ideas contributed to the development of the Park which included the introduction of farms, and “forming roads, rides and plantations” He is commemorated by the “Copper Horse”, the statue of the King astride a horse, which dominates the skyline at the Southern end of the Long Walk. The foundation stone for this huge equestrian statue was laid by his son George IV in 1829. The pedestal is unusual as it is formed of many pieces of granite instead of one block. The statue itself was erected in 1831. It had been badly damaged when it fell off the wagon conveying it from London. The height from the top of the pedestal to the top of the statue is 25 feet 6 inches.
George IV when Prince Regent lived in the Park in what was called Lower Lodge (now the Royal Lodge) .He, with his architect John Nash, carried out many alterations and additions. He also brought granite marble columns, 2000 years old, ruins of the Roman city Leptis Magna (near Tripoli in Libya), and imported them into England about 1818. They can be seen at the S-E extremity of Virginia Water and are of antiquarian importance. He built the Royal Chapel now partially rebuilt and private, but used by all who live and work on the Estate as their place of worship.
Queen Victoria was very attached to the Great Park. Cottages were built for estate workers and the Royal School was built in 1845 to provide for their children’s education. The Prince Consort founded a Library and Reading Room in Cumberland Lodge. This became the social centre of the Park where concerts and lectures were held.
In 2006 a new entrance to the Park through a magnificent award winning building, containing a shop and restaurant, was completed. This is the entrance from Englefield Green to the area of 1000 acres now called the Royal Landscape, comprising the Savill Garden, Valley Gardens and Virginia Water.
Items on display were: -
1. A sketch plan of Windsor Great Park
2. A view on Windsor Forest. 1802
3. Plan of Virginia Water, drawn by W A Delamotte
4. The Long Walk (with a view of “The Copper Horse”)
5. The “Copper Horse” statue
6. The Avenue, Long Walk, Great Park, Windsor
7. The Obelisk Pond with the Obelisk erected by King George II
8. The New Lodge. A copy of an engraving by Paul Sandby
9. An early Cumberland Lodge
10. Cumberland Lodge rebuilt and enlarged
11. The Chapel Royal, Cumberland Lodge
12. A view of the Cascade and Grotto, Virginia Water
13 & 13a. Views of the Leptis Magna ruins, Virginia Water
Joan Wintour
May 2011