Berystede
Encyclopedia
The Berystede is a hotel in South Ascot, Berkshire, England.
, an area of great antiquity. There are a number of Bronze Age barrows in the district and the course of the great Roman road, the Devil’s Highway crosses the Bagshot-Sunninghill road near Little Stream. Sunninghill was first called a manor in 1362 when it was settled by John de Sunninghill and his wife, Joan. It was subsequently sold many times, being held, among others, by Elizabeth Woodville
wife of Edward IV and the Abbots of Chertsey.
By the end of the 18th century the original manor had been divided to provide land for the large houses which were clustering around fashionable Windsor
. In the 19th century the Berystede site, shown only as rough pasture-land on contemporary maps, belonged to the Murray family, Lords Elibank, whose fine Victorian house, ‘Elibank’, was only recently demolished.
In the 1870s the 10th Lord Elibank leased over 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of land to the Standish family who built the original Bery Stede.
At the end of the 19th century Sunninghill parish, having become unwieldy during the period of Victorian expansion, was divided and the Berystede celebrated its metamorphosis into a hotel in the newly created parish of South Ascot
.
The choice of site was probably influenced by their friendship with the Barnetts who were already in residence at Kings Beeches on the eastern side of Bagshot Road.
The original building would have looked very much like the core’ of the present hotel, its quaint Gothic
Tudor mix of styles the height of Victorian fashion. The turrets, then both conical, were a delightful reminder of the couple's French connections, for not only was Helene from Rambouillet
, but also Henry's family hailed from France his maternal grandfather being the Duke de Poix. The choice of the name 'Bery Stede’ (then two words) was appropriate as the land had been shown as pastureland on maps throughout the century. The old English word 'bere’ indicates corn or pasture land and 'stede' means the site of a dwelling.
The residence was well staffed with butler, valet, cook, housekeeper, maidservants, a lady's maid and a night watchman. A small army of gardeners tended the newly landscaped grounds and Berystede Lodge, still standing at the Brockenhurst Road entrance, has until recently, always been the home of the head gardener. The stables, now the Garage, housed grooms, footmen, coachmen, fine horses and splendid carriages emblazoned with the Standish crest of an owl, with a rat in its talons proper.
There was little that could have been done to save the house, despite the efforts of the Barnett family and other neighbours. Running water was a scarce commodity in the Victorian household and the nearest fire services were miles away at Windsor, Egham
, and Staines
, and, of course, both messenger and appliance were horse drawn.
By the morning only the walls of the house remained and the Prince of Wales
himself came over from Windsor to inspect the ruins and comfort the family, then being cared for at Kings Beeches.
for some years, but towards the end of the century the ruins were rebuilt and the Berystede was converted into a hotel
.
The management of the hotel during this Edwardian period
was in the hands of Miss Halford and Miss Hancock. In 1913 Horace Myers took over the management and was to remain in charge until 1930. During the First World War he kept the home fires burning quite literally by filling the garages with coal.
course, but it was always a splendid occasion - even in 1936 when court mourning after the death of George V
threatened to dampen spirits.
The fashionable ladies made it the famous-Black and White Ascot' and how striking they must have looked against the green background of the turf. During Race Week the great families came to their Ascot homes and the local newspapers ran a 'Court Circular' on the house parties and guests, the Berystede featuring alongside all the great houses of the district.
The hotel suffered another disastrous fire in the early 1930s, but after a period of refurbishment the Berystede emerged slightly larger and modernized to a considerable extent. An entry in Kelly's Directory for 1931 states that the hotel was 'now rebuilt and re-equipped to meet the high standards of modem luxury; two hard and two grass tennis courts, 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of woodland and heated lock-up garages'.
Trust Houses Ltd. acquired the hotel in 1937 with 14 acres (56,656 m²) of ground and although some land was later sold, the lovely old Victorian garden remained a feature of the grounds.
Woolwich Arsenal
also moved from its vulnerable London home and came to Ascot Racecourse
. The men of the Royal Artillery
and Royal Horse Artillery
were billeted locally whilst the officers found a very cosy billet at the Berystede. For the last two and a half years of the war 30 officers of the 8th and 9th United States Air Force, the First Allied Airborne Army
and the IX Troop Carrier Command
were accommodated in rooms 20 - 35 as they were stationed at nearby Silwood Park
.
In May 1970 a Conference Wing, comprising two main conference rooms, four small meeting rooms, a lounge area and bar were constructed. This wing gave the hotel an extra 32 bedrooms and now houses the present day conference centre.
As a Macdonald hotel
In 2001 the Forte Heritage Berystede Hotel became a member of the Macdonald Hotels Group and is today one of over 40 Macdonald Hotels & Resorts across the United Kingdom and Spain.
In 2006 The Macdonald Berystede Hotel underwent a £10million redevelopment. This included the addition of a new health and beauty spa
, 39 new 'Club Class' bedrooms and a complete refurbishment of all the bedrooms and public areas with the addition of air cooling and free broadband internet access.
The Hyperion Restaurant also received a refurbishment and the addition of its roof terrace. The centrepiece of the re-development at the hotel was the addition of a 500 capacity conference and function suite - The Windsor & Eton Suite, allowing the hotel to cater for large scale events as never before.
As a hotel, the Berystede has prided itself on recreating this house-party atmosphere for its Ascot Week guests, and named two rooms after racing events: the Hyperion Restaurant takes its name from the famous Derby winner who sired more champions than any horse before him. When he died in 1960, he had sired the winners of 748 races. The bar is named after the Diadem Stakes, a 6 furlong sprint first held at Ascot in October, 1946, the first year, incidentally, in which a meeting other than the Royal Meeting had been held.
In such an atmosphere many a race has been discussed, losers, consoled and winners toasted. But those who gather in the Diadem Bar before the races would do well to heed the words of ‘Patroclus', racing correspondent of the Sporting Magazine which ring as true today as they did when they were first written in 1827: ‘I have seen flowers grow in stony places, / Kindness done by men with ugly faces / And the Gold Cup won by the worst horse at the races.’
History
The Berystede site was originally part of the parish of SunninghillSunninghill, Berkshire
Sunninghill is a village in the civil parish of Sunninghill and Ascot in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the English shire county of Berkshire-Location:...
, an area of great antiquity. There are a number of Bronze Age barrows in the district and the course of the great Roman road, the Devil’s Highway crosses the Bagshot-Sunninghill road near Little Stream. Sunninghill was first called a manor in 1362 when it was settled by John de Sunninghill and his wife, Joan. It was subsequently sold many times, being held, among others, by Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Edward IV from 1464 until his death in 1483. Elizabeth was a key figure in the series of dynastic civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses. Her first husband, Sir John Grey of Groby was killed at the Second Battle of St Albans...
wife of Edward IV and the Abbots of Chertsey.
By the end of the 18th century the original manor had been divided to provide land for the large houses which were clustering around fashionable Windsor
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....
. In the 19th century the Berystede site, shown only as rough pasture-land on contemporary maps, belonged to the Murray family, Lords Elibank, whose fine Victorian house, ‘Elibank’, was only recently demolished.
In the 1870s the 10th Lord Elibank leased over 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of land to the Standish family who built the original Bery Stede.
At the end of the 19th century Sunninghill parish, having become unwieldy during the period of Victorian expansion, was divided and the Berystede celebrated its metamorphosis into a hotel in the newly created parish of South Ascot
South Ascot
South Ascot is a village just south of and down the hill from the small town of Ascot in the English county of Berkshire. It is bounded on the west by the Kingsride area of Swinley Woods, on the north by the Reading to Waterloo railway line and merges with Sunninghill to the east.- Local government...
.
The Standish family and the original Berystede
In 1870 the 23-year-old Henry Noailles Widdrington Standish married Helene de Perusse, daughter of the French Comte Des Cars. The couple had estates in both England and France, but their close friendship with the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) made a country house within easy reach of London and Windsor essential.The choice of site was probably influenced by their friendship with the Barnetts who were already in residence at Kings Beeches on the eastern side of Bagshot Road.
The original building would have looked very much like the core’ of the present hotel, its quaint Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
Tudor mix of styles the height of Victorian fashion. The turrets, then both conical, were a delightful reminder of the couple's French connections, for not only was Helene from Rambouillet
Rambouillet
Rambouillet is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France.It is located in the suburbs of Paris southwest from the center...
, but also Henry's family hailed from France his maternal grandfather being the Duke de Poix. The choice of the name 'Bery Stede’ (then two words) was appropriate as the land had been shown as pastureland on maps throughout the century. The old English word 'bere’ indicates corn or pasture land and 'stede' means the site of a dwelling.
The residence was well staffed with butler, valet, cook, housekeeper, maidservants, a lady's maid and a night watchman. A small army of gardeners tended the newly landscaped grounds and Berystede Lodge, still standing at the Brockenhurst Road entrance, has until recently, always been the home of the head gardener. The stables, now the Garage, housed grooms, footmen, coachmen, fine horses and splendid carriages emblazoned with the Standish crest of an owl, with a rat in its talons proper.
The Fire
The original house was destroyed by fire in the early hours of 27 October 1886. Local newspaper reports give a graphic account of the conflagration, the injury to members of the family and staff and of the tragic death of Eliza Kleininger, Mrs. Standish's lady's maid.There was little that could have been done to save the house, despite the efforts of the Barnett family and other neighbours. Running water was a scarce commodity in the Victorian household and the nearest fire services were miles away at Windsor, Egham
Egham
Egham is a wealthy suburb in the Runnymede borough of Surrey, in the south-east of England. It is part of the London commuter belt and Greater London Urban Area, and about south-west of central London on the River Thames and near junction 13 of the M25 motorway.-Demographics:Egham town has a...
, and Staines
Staines
Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...
, and, of course, both messenger and appliance were horse drawn.
By the morning only the walls of the house remained and the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
himself came over from Windsor to inspect the ruins and comfort the family, then being cared for at Kings Beeches.
Rebuilding and conversion into hotel
After the fire the land reverted to the Elibanks and remained derelictAbandonment
The term abandonment has a multitude of uses, legal and extra-legal. This "signpost article" provides a guide to the various legal and quasi-legal uses of the word and includes links to articles that deal with each of the distinct concepts at greater length...
for some years, but towards the end of the century the ruins were rebuilt and the Berystede was converted into a hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
.
The management of the hotel during this Edwardian period
Edwardian period
The Edwardian era or Edwardian period in the United Kingdom is the period covering the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910.The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 and the succession of her son Edward marked the end of the Victorian era...
was in the hands of Miss Halford and Miss Hancock. In 1913 Horace Myers took over the management and was to remain in charge until 1930. During the First World War he kept the home fires burning quite literally by filling the garages with coal.
Twenties and Thirties
The ownership of the hotel changed in 1920 when it was bought by the Chaplain family. It was an elegant period with the highlight of the year being the Royal Ascot Meeting 4 June. The June meeting was the only one held at the AscotAscot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...
course, but it was always a splendid occasion - even in 1936 when court mourning after the death of George V
George V
George V was king of the United Kingdom and its dominions from 1910 to 1936.George V or similar terms may also refer to:-People:* George V of Georgia * George V of Imereti * George V of Hanover...
threatened to dampen spirits.
The fashionable ladies made it the famous-Black and White Ascot' and how striking they must have looked against the green background of the turf. During Race Week the great families came to their Ascot homes and the local newspapers ran a 'Court Circular' on the house parties and guests, the Berystede featuring alongside all the great houses of the district.
The hotel suffered another disastrous fire in the early 1930s, but after a period of refurbishment the Berystede emerged slightly larger and modernized to a considerable extent. An entry in Kelly's Directory for 1931 states that the hotel was 'now rebuilt and re-equipped to meet the high standards of modem luxury; two hard and two grass tennis courts, 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of woodland and heated lock-up garages'.
Trust Houses Ltd. acquired the hotel in 1937 with 14 acres (56,656 m²) of ground and although some land was later sold, the lovely old Victorian garden remained a feature of the grounds.
Second World War
During the Second World War the Berystede was requisitioned for war service. When the Courts of Justice became a casualty of the bombing they found a temporary home at the hotel. 180 cases were dealt with during this period and prisoners were brought down daily from London to stand trial before Mr. Norman Birkett.Woolwich Arsenal
Royal Arsenal
The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, originally known as the Woolwich Warren, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the British armed forces. It was sited on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England.-Early history:The Warren...
also moved from its vulnerable London home and came to Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...
. The men of the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
and Royal Horse Artillery
Royal Horse Artillery
The regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
were billeted locally whilst the officers found a very cosy billet at the Berystede. For the last two and a half years of the war 30 officers of the 8th and 9th United States Air Force, the First Allied Airborne Army
First Allied Airborne Army
The First Allied Airborne Army was an Allied formation formed on 2 August 1944 by the order of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force. The formation was part of the Allied Expeditionary Force and controlled all Allied airborne forces in Western...
and the IX Troop Carrier Command
IX Troop Carrier Command
The IX Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946...
were accommodated in rooms 20 - 35 as they were stationed at nearby Silwood Park
Silwood Park
Silwood Park is the rural campus of Imperial College London, England. It is situated near the village of Sunninghill, near Ascot in Berkshire. Since 1986, there have been major developments on the site with four new college buildings...
.
Late 20th and early 21st centuries
In 1961, Trust House Hotels Training Centre was begun and enlarged in 1965, when an extension of 28 bedrooms was added. The aim was to give personnel throughout the group instruction in all aspects of hotel operations, and since 1971, when Trust Houses merged with Forte Holdings this training scheme had become a feature of each individual hotel. A restaurant was also added over the existing ballroom and an outdoor swimming pool (now gone) was built.In May 1970 a Conference Wing, comprising two main conference rooms, four small meeting rooms, a lounge area and bar were constructed. This wing gave the hotel an extra 32 bedrooms and now houses the present day conference centre.
As a Macdonald hotel
In 2001 the Forte Heritage Berystede Hotel became a member of the Macdonald Hotels Group and is today one of over 40 Macdonald Hotels & Resorts across the United Kingdom and Spain.
In 2006 The Macdonald Berystede Hotel underwent a £10million redevelopment. This included the addition of a new health and beauty spa
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
, 39 new 'Club Class' bedrooms and a complete refurbishment of all the bedrooms and public areas with the addition of air cooling and free broadband internet access.
The Hyperion Restaurant also received a refurbishment and the addition of its roof terrace. The centrepiece of the re-development at the hotel was the addition of a 500 capacity conference and function suite - The Windsor & Eton Suite, allowing the hotel to cater for large scale events as never before.
The Berystede and Royal Ascot
From its beginning in the 1870s the Berystede has always been involved in the Royal Ascot Meeting. The Standishes not only joined the Royal Family’s party at the races, but also held their own Ascot Week Celebrations.As a hotel, the Berystede has prided itself on recreating this house-party atmosphere for its Ascot Week guests, and named two rooms after racing events: the Hyperion Restaurant takes its name from the famous Derby winner who sired more champions than any horse before him. When he died in 1960, he had sired the winners of 748 races. The bar is named after the Diadem Stakes, a 6 furlong sprint first held at Ascot in October, 1946, the first year, incidentally, in which a meeting other than the Royal Meeting had been held.
In such an atmosphere many a race has been discussed, losers, consoled and winners toasted. But those who gather in the Diadem Bar before the races would do well to heed the words of ‘Patroclus', racing correspondent of the Sporting Magazine which ring as true today as they did when they were first written in 1827: ‘I have seen flowers grow in stony places, / Kindness done by men with ugly faces / And the Gold Cup won by the worst horse at the races.’
Sources
- "Some Ramblings of an old Bogonian, Stories In and Around South Ascot" Percy Hathaway (1995)