Bagshot Park

[Durham]

I would describe Bagshot as an interesting rather than a beautiful house. Not my architectural cup of tea at all. Gatcombe is definitely lovelier. The paneling however does look splendid.

 

[Claire]

There is a bit of information about the park, house and the panel walls on the Bagshot Website.
https://www.bagshotvillage.org.uk/


I would actually like to find out more about the Park. But my efforts both to the Palace and Wessex's office never really got anywhere. There is some interesting information in a wedding book and in a book of Ingrid Seward.


Bagshot Park was shown to Prince Charles, Andrew and Anne as a possible place to live.
The Queen Mother wanted to buy it in the 1980's but the Queen advised against it. The QM used to visit the house even when the army was renting it. She did visit the Duke of Clarence there, but I wonder if the house was not going to be her home if the abdication hadn't happened.
It was the QM that appears to really want someone to buy the house and it was her who suggested it to Edward. It was not Edward's first choice, that was a house in London and it didn't work out.
After the Royal Army Chaplets ended their lease with the royal estates - the house stood empty and it was even looked into selling the house into the housing market. However due to its proximately to Sandhurst and several other areas of high risk sites on the area, it could not be. An American Actor even toured it in the 1990's in the hoper to purchase.


It was however judged too high risk and it was decided that they would rather have it left empty as only government and military occupancy would have been accepted at that time.

 

[JR76]

The Queen Mother wanted to buy it in the 1980's but the Queen advised against it. The QM used to visit the house even when the army was renting it. She did visit the Duke of Clarence there, but I wonder if the house was not going to be her home if the abdication hadn't happened.

Don't you mean the Duke of Connaught? He had the lease on the house until he died in 1942. Because of this there are descriptions of the house in many biographies and memoirs about or by his daughter Margaret and her Swedish and Danish descendants, but unfortunately I can't remember any photos of the interiors. What I do remember reading about is an Indian room that was made in India and shipped to Bagshot where Queen Victoria took such a liking to it that it inspired the much larger and opulent Indian room at Osborne.

 

[Durham]

There is a bit of information about the park, house and the panel walls on the Bagshot Website.

Thanks for the link.

 

[An Ard Ri]

The original house in 1790 a far cry from the late Victorian version

 

[Durham]

The original house in 1790 a far cry from the late Victorian version

It looked rather pleasant as it was. It certainly grew!

 

[Claire]

Don't you mean the Duke of Connaught? He had the lease on the house until he died in 1942. Because of this there are descriptions of the house in many biographies and memoirs about or by his daughter Margaret and her Swedish and Danish descendants, but unfortunately I can't remember any photos of the interiors. What I do remember reading about is an Indian room that was made in India and shipped to Bagshot where Queen Victoria took such a liking to it that it inspired the much larger and opulent Indian room at Osborne.

yes - Connaught

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Bagshot Park, Hill Park, 1906
http://www.maryevans.com/history/10257592

 

[Tibi Froy]

I think I posted the following in the wrong place the other day - sorry, I am new to the Royal Forums and don't have the hang of it yet. I meant for it to go here but accidentally put it under "Bagshot Park - Social Life and Lifestyle":

I happened upon this photographic print of the original floor plan of Bagshot Park as it was constructed for the Duke of Connaught in 1879. It has been renovated a number of times since then, including before the Wessexes moved into the house in 1999, so is undoubtedly considerably changed, but I thought people might be interested to see how it was originally laid out.

https://www.mediastorehouse.com/fine...0&cid=20674980

Some of the labeling on the smaller servants' rooms is too blurry to read, but I found it interesting that it had a Still Room across from the Kitchen. In the late 19th century, a Still Room would have been used for brewing coffees and teas and making things like jams and preserves, but they were originally used in medieval times for the concoction of both alcoholic spirits and medicines.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

The Japanese House and Wisteria Pagoda of Bagshot Park
http://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/M495834