History Windsor Great Park

the great park in winter

windsor castle begun in 11th century william conqueror afforded defensive point on river thames. vast area of windsor forest south of castle became reserved king personal hunting , supply castle wood, deer, boar , fish. not until later became necessary formally define area. in 1129, first parker appointed, , in 1240, king henry iii officially set out borders of park , region many times larger current great park. castle mere fortress @ time and, when hunting, king henry have been resident @ more comfortable manor house of old windsor (what later became known manor lodge). title parker exists today ranger of park , current title-holder being prince philip. kings edward , edward iii used park jousts , tournaments , latter had royal stud there supply horses hundred years war. moat @ bear s rails contained manor house of wychamere, home of william of wykeham while building castle. later used bear-baiting.

except brief period of privatisation oliver cromwell implying subdivision pay civil war, area remained personal property of monarch until reign of george iii when control on crown lands handed on parliament. today park owned , administered crown estate, public body established act of parliament in monarch , family members associated particular parts have non-executive, advisory roles.

18th century

by 18th century, food value of park land windsor had decreased in importance , new hanoverian monarchs preferred build , garden land rather hunt in it. long walk had been laid out king charles ii , planting of trees completed william of orange in 1680s, double rows of elms lasted until world war ii, georges extended , built numerous features , monuments, such copper horse (depicting george iii) , obelisk (in honour of william, duke of cumberland). george iii had set of 2,000-year-old roman ruins imported libya , placed in park.

virginia water begun in 1746 william, duke of cumberland ranger of park. few details recorded of building of lake; has been suggested prisoners of war recent jacobite risings, incamped @ nearby breakheart hill, involved. original lake smaller current form, , destroyed in flood in 1768. in 1780, paul , thomas sandby began construction of larger lake @ site, , went on add artificial waterfall, meadow pond , obelisk pond. lake replaced small stream of same name named after queen elizabeth i, known virgin queen .

19th & 20th centuries

queen elizabeth ii , ronald reagan riding on horseback in grounds of windsor great park during president reagan s 1982 official visit united kingdom.

queen victoria greatest patron of park. following death of beloved albert, largely withdrew public life, retreating in part park. @ adjoining frogmore built royal mausoleum albert. later buried there upon own death, along number of other subsequent members of royal family.

during 19th , 20th century, 1 of main events farmers near , far christmas sale of stock royal windsor estates. held on same week smithfield show, buyers came on country buy monarch. sale in 1850 held on 17 december messrs buckland & sons of windsor, , included superior fat heifers £20 each; 10 fat ewes, fed prince albert 33/10; fine old wether sheep fed grace duke of buccleuch 40/6. sale made total of £226. on 12 december 1894, messrs buckland & sons proud announce:

view snow hill

during world wars, smith s lawn area of park used housing troops. during 1940s, of deer park ploughed , farmed food, involved felling of hundreds of ancient trees. on 200 large bombs fell on land, including several v-2 rockets. during 1948 summer olympics, park used road cycling venue. in 1950s, park gradually turned recreation area open public today. involved re-planting of savill gardens (which had been allowed run wild during war) , new valley gardens. in 1951, large wall creeping plants built @ savill using bricks bombed-out london buildings. in 1958, totem pole installed nearby, gift british columbia queen.

in 1972 ubi dwyer organised people s free festival , first of windsor free festivals in park, attended 700 people. co-organiser sid rawle claimed windsor great park has been common land until 18th century, , inclosed (made private) george iii. prince philip, duke of edinburgh reported furious . ubi , allies repeated festival in 1973 @ least 1,400 in attendance. in 1973 windsor great park regulations introduced. in 1974, 7,000 people turned violently broken police, made 220 arrests , festival banned. dwyer jailed next year distributing leaflets promote festival , rawle given 3 months reproducing parts of ubi s leaflets in underground newspaper international times.

a new visitor centre designed glenn howells architects , buro happold opened in june 2006, , nominated 2007 stirling prize.