Wanstead House

IN the 18th century Wanstead House and its surrounding parkland was noted for its grand design and spectacular formal gardens and lakes.

Over the years the gardens were modified in response to changing ideas and new features were added to provide points of interest to the many visitors who wandered along its clipped alleys and gravel walks or sauntered beside its limpid lakes.

Contemporary views and maps show that the grounds contained a large number of garden buildings ranging from covered seats, and bridges over the lakes as well as boathouses, all of which were designed to ornament the landscape as well as providing useful facilities.

Only two of these survive today. One is the ruin of the Boathouse Grotto on the Ornamental Water and the other is the Temple, both of which date from about 1760.

Sir Josiah Child acquired the Wanstead Estate in 1667 and he started to improve the layout of the surrounding gardens.

His son, the 2nd Earl Tylney, became the owner of the estate in 1750 and for the next 10 years he spent much of his time in Wanstead entertaining on a grand scale.

The 2nd Earl developed a taste for travelling abroad, especially in Italy absorbing the culture, visiting grand gardens and talking to landscape designers about their latest ideas.

One such person was the architect, Sir William Chambers, best remembered for his buildings in Kew Gardens which include the Pagoda, who designed a small octagonal garden at Wanstead in 1753, but this appears not to have been constructed.

It is likely that work began on the Temple in about 1760 as a feature within the formal gardens very much in keeping with the latest fashion.

The central section was entered through a four columned portico designed in the Tuscan order.

This room has a coved ceiling, windows front and back and a handsome stone chimneypiece.

In 1992 in preparation for the repair works to the Temple, it was possible to carry out a detailed examination of its construction.

Doors led from the central room to the side wings and the upper rooms were used as a summer pavilion.

The rooms below were entered from the back and were used by gardeners and keepers.

The building was recorded in 1779 as being a 'poultry house' and a map of 1815 shows it as a keeper's lodge or pheasantry.

But 1822 the owners of the estate had fallen heavily into debt and in an attempt to raise funds, the contents of the house, the outhouses and the fine ornaments in the gardens were sold by auction.

But the auction raised insufficient cash and by 1824 Wanstead House had been demolished and its building stones sold.

Fortunately, the Temple was not demolished and may well have been occupied by keepers who would have been useful in maintaining some order on the estate.

Some time before 1863 an extension was added to the south wing.

The 1881 census records that two gamekeepers, George Randle and Sidney Way, were in occupation, with a John Paveley living in the nearby stable block.

The Corporation, acquired the Temple along with 100 or so acres of the estate in 1882 and Wanstead Park was opened to the public in August of that year.

John Paveley became a forest keeper in 1882 as did William Puffett, who had been head keeper of the park before the Corporation took it over.

The Corporation began to make use of the Temple for meetings of its Epping Forest Committee.

Various keepers lived in the Temple until the late 1950s, their families occupying rather cramped conditions.

Their role was to patrol the park to ensure that all was in order and that the public behaved themselves.

As the park was fenced, it was closed at night and the duty of the keeper was to ring the bell on the Temple to warn people of the impending closure.

However, as the park was used as a short cut, many people continued to climb the fences and cause a nuisance.

Repair works completed in 1997 included the reglazing of the windows with hand made roller cylinder glass and black pantiles on the roof.

An historically appropriate paint scheme dating from the 18th century was selected for the central room, which now has a soft white ceiling, mid-blue walls and light cream joinery and cornice.

The skirting riser is chocolate brown.

The rooms downstairs have been repaired and redecorated and are now used by forest staff.

Other recent improvements include the erection of a new perimeter fence to the garden of the Temple and plans are in hand to improve access to the upper floor for those with limited mobility.

09:30 Thursday 18th July 2002

Printer Friendly Format

Send This Page To A Friend

• Vincent shows his eye for a picture
• Sars fears hit Redbridge
• Attack costs veteran his home