Bagshot Park
Encyclopedia
Bagshot Park is a royal residence located near Bagshot, a village 11 miles (17.7 km) south west of Windsor
and approximately 11 miles (17.7 km) north east of Guildford
(Grid reference
: ). It is the current home of The Earl
and Countess of Wessex
. Bagshot Park is on Bagshot Heath, a fifty square-mile tract of formerly open land in Surrey
and Berkshire
. It is only a few miles from Sunninghill Park
, the former residence of the Duke
and Duchess
of York
, and is the current official residence of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
and his wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
Prince Edward renovated Bagshot Park as a residence for himself and as a base for his film production company, Ardent Productions, until he closed the business. The estate is farmed.
by Inigo Jones
. It was remodelled between 1766 and 1772 according to designs of James Paine for George Keppel
, the 3rd Earl of Albemarle
, and altered in 1798 by Sir John Soane
for the Duke of Clarence (later King William IV
), who lived there until 1816.
Bagshot Park was subsequently used by Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester
, nephew of King George III
. The Duke added pieces of property between the estate and Sunningdale; his widow, Princess Mary, daughter of King George III, continued to live there after his death until she moved out in 1847. The original house was demolished in 1877-78
A new building with 120 rooms was completed in 1879. The 1881 census
records an equerry
and 26 servants living in the main house: an under butler
, a housekeeper
, four valet
s, two lady's maids
, two dressers, a cook
, three kitchen maid
s, three housemaid
s, three footmen, a page, a porter, a scullery maid
, two other junior posts and a soldier
. A coachman
and seven grooms
lived in the stables. Two other domestic staff lived in one of the lodges, three agricultural workers lived in another, and one gardener is recorded as living on the estate. From 1880 this was the principal residence of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
, a son of Queen Victoria
. The Duke, who was Governor General
of Canada
from 1911 until 1916, died at Bagshot Park in 1942.
The house was thereafter the regimental headquarters and depot
of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department
, who famously placed a notice by the pond reading "Please do not walk on the water". They vacated the building shortly before the Earl and Countess of Wessex took over the tenancy from the Crown. The original sign was removed when the chaplains left, but a new one, made by J.M.J. Holland Chairmakers and given to the Earl of Wessex, has replaced it.
Although the house was criticised by the architectural historian Professor Sir Nikolaus Pevsner
for being ugly, Bagshot Park was the most adventurous Royal house to be created since the death of Albert, the Prince Consort
of Queen Victoria, in 1861, and is a remarkable monument in the history of India
n taste in Britain: an Indian billiard room
wing, which inspired the more famous Durbar Room at Osborne House
, was prefabricated in India and installed in the 1880s, the result of the Duke of Connaught's Indian tour, when the Duke met John Lockwood Kipling
and asked him to design and oversee the installation of a billiard room in Indian taste. The Indian craftsmen who assembled and installed the room at Bagshot were housed in a tent in the grounds.
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
and approximately 11 miles (17.7 km) north east of Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
(Grid reference
British national grid reference system
The Ordnance Survey National Grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references used in Great Britain, different from using latitude and longitude....
: ). It is the current home of The Earl
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO is the third son and fourth child of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh...
and Countess of Wessex
Earl of Wessex
The title Earl of Wessex has been created twice in British history, once in the pre-Conquest Anglo-Saxon nobility of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom...
. Bagshot Park is on Bagshot Heath, a fifty square-mile tract of formerly open land in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
and Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. It is only a few miles from Sunninghill Park
Sunninghill Park
Sunninghill Park is a country house and estate of some , located north of Sunninghill, lying between Ascot and the southern boundary of Windsor Great Park in Berkshire, England. It was the official residence of the Duke of York from 1990 until 2004....
, the former residence of the Duke
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
and Duchess
Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York is a British charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whom she married from 1986 to 1996...
of York
Duke of York
The Duke of York is a title of nobility in the British peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of the British monarch. The title has been created a remarkable eleven times, eight as "Duke of York" and three as the double-barreled "Duke of York and...
, and is the current official residence of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO is the third son and fourth child of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh...
and his wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
Prince Edward renovated Bagshot Park as a residence for himself and as a base for his film production company, Ardent Productions, until he closed the business. The estate is farmed.
History
The original Bagshot Lodge (not the present Lodge, visible on the public road at the entrance to the drive) was built between 1631 and 1633 as one of a series of small lodges designed for King Charles ICharles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
by Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones is the first significant British architect of the modern period, and the first to bring Italianate Renaissance architecture to England...
. It was remodelled between 1766 and 1772 according to designs of James Paine for George Keppel
George Keppel, 3rd Earl of Albemarle
General George Keppel, 3rd Earl of Albemarle KG PC , styled Viscount Bury until 1754, was a British soldier nobleman best known for his capture of Havana in 1762 during the Seven Years' War.-Early life:...
, the 3rd Earl of Albemarle
Earl of Albemarle
Earl of Albemarle is a title created several times from Norman times onwards. The word Albemarle is the Latinised form of the French county of Aumale in Normandy , other forms being Aubemarle and Aumerle...
, and altered in 1798 by Sir John Soane
John Soane
Sir John Soane, RA was an English architect who specialised in the Neo-Classical style. His architectural works are distinguished by their clean lines, massing of simple form, decisive detailing, careful proportions and skilful use of light sources...
for the Duke of Clarence (later King William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
), who lived there until 1816.
Bagshot Park was subsequently used by Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester
Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh
Prince William, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh was a member of the British Royal Family, a great-grandson of George II and nephew of George III.-Early life:...
, nephew of King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
. The Duke added pieces of property between the estate and Sunningdale; his widow, Princess Mary, daughter of King George III, continued to live there after his death until she moved out in 1847. The original house was demolished in 1877-78
A new building with 120 rooms was completed in 1879. The 1881 census
Census in the United Kingdom
Coincident full censuses have taken place in the different jurisdictions of the United Kingdom every ten years since 1801, with the exceptions of 1941 and in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in 1921; simultaneous censuses were taken in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, with...
records an equerry
Equerry
An equerry , and related to the French word "écuyer" ) is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a Sovereign, a member of a Royal Family, or a national...
and 26 servants living in the main house: an under butler
Butler
A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...
, a housekeeper
Housekeeper (servant)
A housekeeper is an individual responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the interior of a residence, including direction of subordinate maids...
, four valet
Valet
Valet and varlet are terms for male servants who serve as personal attendants to their employer.- Word origins :In the Middle Ages, the valet de chambre to a ruler was a prestigious appointment for young men...
s, two lady's maids
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
, two dressers, a cook
Cook (servant)
A cook is a household staff member responsible for food preparation. The term can refer to the head of kitchen staff in a great house or to the cook-housekeeper, a far less prestigious position involving more physical labour....
, three kitchen maid
Kitchen maid
-Great house kitchen maid:A kitchen maid is a young maid, or junior female servant. In the hierarchy of a great house she ranked below a cook and above a scullery maid...
s, three housemaid
Maid
A maidservant or in current usage housemaid or maid is a female employed in domestic service.-Description:Once part of an elaborate hierarchy in great houses, today a single maid may be the only domestic worker that upper and even middle-income households can afford, as was historically the case...
s, three footmen, a page, a porter, a scullery maid
Scullery maid
In great houses, scullery maids were the lowest-ranked and often the youngest of the female servants and acted as assistant to a kitchen maid. The scullery maid reported to the cook or chef...
, two other junior posts and a soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
. A coachman
Coachman
A coachman is a man whose business it is to drive a coach, a horse-drawn vehicle designed for the conveyance of more than one passenger — and of mail — and covered for protection from the elements...
and seven grooms
Horse grooming
Horse grooming is hygienic care given to a horse, or a process by which the horse's physical appearance is enhanced for horse shows or other types of competition.-Reasons for grooming:...
lived in the stables. Two other domestic staff lived in one of the lodges, three agricultural workers lived in another, and one gardener is recorded as living on the estate. From 1880 this was the principal residence of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the shared British and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha royal family who served as the Governor General of Canada, the 10th since Canadian Confederation.Born the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and...
, a son of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
. The Duke, who was Governor General
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
from 1911 until 1916, died at Bagshot Park in 1942.
The house was thereafter the regimental headquarters and depot
Distribution center
A distribution center for a set of products is a warehouse or other specialized building, often with refrigeration or air conditioning, which is stocked with products to be redistributed to retailers, to wholesalers, or directly to consumers. A distribution center is a principal part, the order...
of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department
Royal Army Chaplains' Department
The Royal Army Chaplains' Department is an all-officer corps that provides ordained clergy to minister to the British Army.As of 2007, there are about 280 serving regular chaplains in the British Army; these can belong to either one of several Christian churches, or to the Jewish faith, although...
, who famously placed a notice by the pond reading "Please do not walk on the water". They vacated the building shortly before the Earl and Countess of Wessex took over the tenancy from the Crown. The original sign was removed when the chaplains left, but a new one, made by J.M.J. Holland Chairmakers and given to the Earl of Wessex, has replaced it.
Although the house was criticised by the architectural historian Professor Sir Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
for being ugly, Bagshot Park was the most adventurous Royal house to be created since the death of Albert, the Prince Consort
Prince consort
A prince consort is the husband of a queen regnant who is not himself a king in his own right.Current examples include the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , and Prince Henrik of Denmark .In recognition of his status, a prince consort may be given a formal...
of Queen Victoria, in 1861, and is a remarkable monument in the history of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n taste in Britain: an Indian billiard room
Billiard room
A billiard room is a recreation room, such as in a house or recreation center, with a billiards, pool or snooker table...
wing, which inspired the more famous Durbar Room at Osborne House
Osborne House
Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat....
, was prefabricated in India and installed in the 1880s, the result of the Duke of Connaught's Indian tour, when the Duke met John Lockwood Kipling
John Lockwood Kipling
John Lockwood Kipling, C.I.E. was an English art teacher, illustrator, museum curator, and father of author Rudyard Kipling.-Biography:...
and asked him to design and oversee the installation of a billiard room in Indian taste. The Indian craftsmen who assembled and installed the room at Bagshot were housed in a tent in the grounds.