Wentworth Estate
Encyclopedia
The Wentworth Estate is a 1920s development village of houses, shops and restaurants on an area of 700 hectares (1750 acres) around the world famous Wentworth Club
in Virginia Water
, Surrey
, England. It encompasses one of Europe's premier residential areas.
) was the home for the brother-in-law of The Duke of Wellington
. It was purchased in 1850 by exiled Spanish
count Ramon Cabrera, who after his death his wife bought up the surrounding lands which were later to form the nucleus of the Wentworth Estate.
In 1912, builder W.G. Tarrant
had started developing St George's Hill, Weybridge
- a development of houses based on minimum 1 acres (4,046.9 m²) plots based around a golf course. In 1922 Tarrant acquired the development rights for the Wentworth Estate, getting Harry Colt to develop a golf course around the "Wentworth" house. Tarrant developed the large houses on the estate to a similar Surrey formula used at St George's Hill - tall chimneys, dormer
windows, gable
s, leaded lights, tile-hung or half-timbered or a combination of both; most using hand-made bricks and tiles. Some houses had stonework round the front door and stone fireplaces, a few had a marble floor in the hall, and the rarest – of which he was most proud – had a stone tablet with his initials WGT.
Development of Wentworth Estate ground to a halt due to depression
in the late 1920s, and in 1931 when the banks asked for repayment of a large debenture, Tarrant was forced to declare bankruptcy
. The ownership of the land passed to Wentworth Estates Ltd, which came under the control of Sir Lindsay Parkinson & Co Ltd. Construction picked up in the late 1930s, with many houses built by Tarrant Builders Ltd, with Tarrant's son Percy as one of the directors; but again stopped during World War II
when the need arose to build high-density housing close to Virginia Water railway station
.
Post-war development picked up considerably, and by 1960 most of the available land was already utilised.
, and on 31 July the Wentworth Estate Act was given Royal assent
. The Act established the Wentworth Estate Roads Committee, which appoints its members on advice from the Wentworth Residents' Association.
Today the Wentworth Estate covers 700 hectares (1750 acres), and encompasses one of Europe's premier residential areas. Within the estate borders are a mixture of both public and private roads, footpaths and open areas as well as the village shops, restaurants and other amenities.
The River Bourne
runs through the area. The village lies within the census area Virginia Water which has a population of 5,895.
near to the M3. It is served by two railway stations, Virginia Water
and Longcross
, as well as being located just a few miles south-west of Heathrow Airport.
an president General Augusto Pinochet
was kept under house arrest in one of its houses prior to his extradition.
Wentworth Club
Wentworth Club is a privately owned golf club and health resort in Virginia Water, Surrey on the south western fringes of London, not far from Windsor Castle. The club was founded in 1926.-History:...
in Virginia Water
Virginia Water
Virginia Water is an affluent village, a lake and, originally, a stream, the village being in the Runnymede Borough Council in Surrey and the bodies of water stretching over the borders of Runnymede, Old Windsor and Sunninghill and Ascot, England....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England. It encompasses one of Europe's premier residential areas.
History
The 19th-century house the "Wentworths" (now the club house for the Wentworth ClubWentworth Club
Wentworth Club is a privately owned golf club and health resort in Virginia Water, Surrey on the south western fringes of London, not far from Windsor Castle. The club was founded in 1926.-History:...
) was the home for the brother-in-law of The Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
. It was purchased in 1850 by exiled Spanish
Mid-nineteenth century Spain
Spain in the 19th century was a country in turmoil. Occupied by Napoleon from 1808 to 1814, a massively destructive "war of independence" ensued, driven by an emergent Spanish nationalism. An era of reaction against the liberal ideas associated with revolutionary France followed the war,...
count Ramon Cabrera, who after his death his wife bought up the surrounding lands which were later to form the nucleus of the Wentworth Estate.
In 1912, builder W.G. Tarrant
Walter George Tarrant
Walter George Tarrant was a builder born in Brockhurst, near Gosport, Hampshire, England. He is best known as a Surrey master builder and developer of St George’s Hill and the Wentworth Estate in Surrey....
had started developing St George's Hill, Weybridge
Weybridge
Weybridge is a town in the Elmbridge district of Surrey in South East England. It is bounded to the north by the River Thames at the mouth of the River Wey, from which it gets its name...
- a development of houses based on minimum 1 acres (4,046.9 m²) plots based around a golf course. In 1922 Tarrant acquired the development rights for the Wentworth Estate, getting Harry Colt to develop a golf course around the "Wentworth" house. Tarrant developed the large houses on the estate to a similar Surrey formula used at St George's Hill - tall chimneys, dormer
Dormer
A dormer is a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows.Often...
windows, gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
s, leaded lights, tile-hung or half-timbered or a combination of both; most using hand-made bricks and tiles. Some houses had stonework round the front door and stone fireplaces, a few had a marble floor in the hall, and the rarest – of which he was most proud – had a stone tablet with his initials WGT.
Development of Wentworth Estate ground to a halt due to depression
Depression (economics)
In economics, a depression is a sustained, long-term downturn in economic activity in one or more economies. It is a more severe downturn than a recession, which is seen by some economists as part of the modern business cycle....
in the late 1920s, and in 1931 when the banks asked for repayment of a large debenture, Tarrant was forced to declare bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
. The ownership of the land passed to Wentworth Estates Ltd, which came under the control of Sir Lindsay Parkinson & Co Ltd. Construction picked up in the late 1930s, with many houses built by Tarrant Builders Ltd, with Tarrant's son Percy as one of the directors; but again stopped during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when the need arose to build high-density housing close to Virginia Water railway station
Virginia Water railway station
Virginia Water railway station serves the village of Virginia Water, in Surrey, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by South West Trains....
.
Post-war development picked up considerably, and by 1960 most of the available land was already utilised.
Today
In 1962, a committee of residents and the company promoted a private act of ParliamentAct of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
, and on 31 July the Wentworth Estate Act was given Royal assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
. The Act established the Wentworth Estate Roads Committee, which appoints its members on advice from the Wentworth Residents' Association.
Today the Wentworth Estate covers 700 hectares (1750 acres), and encompasses one of Europe's premier residential areas. Within the estate borders are a mixture of both public and private roads, footpaths and open areas as well as the village shops, restaurants and other amenities.
The River Bourne
River Bourne, Chertsey
There are two rivers named Bourne in Surrey which join together at St George's College, Weybridge. This article refers to the north branch which runs through Chertsey...
runs through the area. The village lies within the census area Virginia Water which has a population of 5,895.
Transport
Wentworth is just outside the ring of the M25M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
near to the M3. It is served by two railway stations, Virginia Water
Virginia Water railway station
Virginia Water railway station serves the village of Virginia Water, in Surrey, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by South West Trains....
and Longcross
Longcross railway station
Longcross railway station is situated 1 mile from the village of Longcross in Surrey, England. It is served by South West Trains. The station is inaccessible by vehicles...
, as well as being located just a few miles south-west of Heathrow Airport.
Residents
The estate hit the headlines in 1998 when former ChileChile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an president General Augusto Pinochet
Augusto Pinochet
Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte, more commonly known as Augusto Pinochet , was a Chilean army general and dictator who assumed power in a coup d'état on 11 September 1973...
was kept under house arrest in one of its houses prior to his extradition.
- Peter Aven - Russian banker formerly Vijay Mallya's residence.
- Boris Berezovsky - Oligarch
- Thomas BjørnThomas BjørnThomas Bjørn is a professional golfer from Denmark who plays on the European Tour. He is the most successful Danish golfer to have played the game having won thirteen tournaments worldwide on the European Tour. In 1999 he also became the first Dane to qualify for a European Ryder Cup team...
- golfer - Sultan of Brunei
- Ernie ElsErnie ElsTheodore Ernest "Ernie" Els is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing...
- golfer - Bruce ForsythBruce ForsythSir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson, CBE , commonly known as Bruce Forsyth, or Brucie, is an English TV personality...
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- musician - Bryan ForbesBryan ForbesBryan Forbes, CBE is an English film director, actor and writer.-Career:Bryan Forbes was born John Theobald Clarke on 22 July 1926 in Queen Mary's Hospital, Stratford, West Ham, Essex , and grew up at 43 Cranmer Road, Forest Gate, West Ham, Essex .Forbes trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of...
- Actor and film director. - Prince Naseem Hamed Former Boxing world champion
- Eddie JordanEddie JordanEdmund "Eddie" Jordan also known as "EJ" founded and owned Jordan Grand Prix, a Formula One constructor which operated from 1991 to 2005...
Head of former Jordan F1 Team - Ron DennisRon DennisRonald "Ron" Dennis CBE is the executive chairman of McLaren Automotive and McLaren Group, and is also a significant shareholder in both companies...
McLaren F1 racing shareholder
Former residents
- King Edward VIIIEdward VIII of the United KingdomEdward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
- Russ Abbott - entertainer
- Diana DorsDiana DorsDiana Dors was an English actress, born Diana Mary Fluck in Swindon, Wiltshire. Considered the English equivalent of the blonde bombshells of Hollywood, Dors described herself as: "The only sex symbol Britain has produced since Lady Godiva."-Early life:Diana Mary Fluck was born in Swindon,...
- actress - Sarah, Duchess of YorkSarah, Duchess of YorkSarah, Duchess of York is a British charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whom she married from 1986 to 1996...
- Andriy ShevchenkoAndriy ShevchenkoAndriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko is a Ukrainian footballer who plays for Dynamo Kyiv and the Ukraine national team as a striker. He is the third-highest scorer in the history of European club competition with 67 goals as of 2011-03-10, behind Filippo Inzaghi and Raúl. With 175 goals scored with A.C...
- Striker For Chelsea FC - Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
- musician - Cliff RichardCliff RichardSir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
- singer