Worcester Park House facts for kids
Worcester Park House was a large house built in 1607 in Surrey, United Kingdom. It was one of the homes of the 4th Earl of Worcester. He was put in charge of the big hunting park near Nonsuch Palace in 1606.
The area we now call Worcester Park was once part of this huge park. King Henry VIII used it a lot for hunting.
During the time of the English Commonwealth, a famous soldier named Colonel Thomas Pride bought the park and house. Colonel Pride died in the house in 1658. Later, in 1663, King Charles II gave a long lease of the house and park to Sir Robert Long, 1st Baronet.
A famous writer named Samuel Pepys visited Sir Robert Long at Worcester Park House in November 1665. This was when the government offices were using Nonsuch Palace because of the plague.
Some people believe that the first version of the famous painting The Light of the World (1851–1853) was painted here. The artist, William Holman Hunt, was part of the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. He might have painted it at night in a small, temporary hut at the house.
Worcester Park House was destroyed by a big fire in 1948. Over the next ten years, young people in the area gradually pulled down the remaining walls and chimneys. The fruit from the old orchards, which were left behind, was very welcome after World War II.
The lake at the house also filled up with mud around this time. This happened after improvements were made to the Hogsmill river nearby. The remains of a beautiful ornamental lake were still visible in the woods. It had a bridge with many arches and a fancy railing. The house was built so it had a great view of these features.
What remains of Worcester Park House today?
Even in the late 1950s, the house itself was not visible. There were no clear ruins, except for the lake and some piles of bricks. The lake had drained into the Hogsmill River. However, no water source flowing into the lake could be seen. To the northeast of the site, there is a small stream that is often dry. It runs into the Hogsmill River.
There was also an impressive kitchen garden at the house. It had glasshouses and a walled garden inside. During World War II, a local policeman took care of the walled garden and kept everyone else out.
Near where the bridge used to be, there was a ruined dome-shaped building. It looked like an ice house, which was used to store ice. However, it was full of dirt and rubbish, so it couldn't be explored in the 1950s. Today, it has almost completely disappeared.
Local people thought the house was called "Worcester Park House." They even suggested that Blakesley School was the original house. However, old records suggest the name was "Worcester House." A map from 1871 shows a building labeled "Worcester Park House" next to the lake. This land was covered with trees in the 1950s. The few overgrown ruins in old photos match this map.
When the site was explored in May 2006, the fancy railings, the bridge, and the lake were gone. The lake had been filled in and was being used for horses. The rest of the area is now heavily wooded with thick plants. Unfortunately, some people have also left rubbish there.
Images for kids
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Hogsmill Tavern, Cromwell Road
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Entrance to the ruins behind the Hogsmill Tavern
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View from entrance of possible ice house
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View of ice house from the right of prior picture
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View from the ice house towards where the balustrade used to be
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View from the point where the bridge used to be along the old lake
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View across the old lake, with the ruined bridge to your right
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Brick rubble - Part of the ruins?
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Apparent ruined walls in bricks covered by earth
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Apparent ruined walls in bricks covered by earth
