Wentworth Estate
Coordinates: 51°23′51″N 0°35′04″W / 51.3974°N 0.5845°W
| Wentworth Estate | |
 Wentworth Estate
Wentworth Estate shown within Surrey |
|
| Population | less than 3,000 |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SU985674 |
| District | Runnymede |
| Shire county | Surrey |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Virginia Water |
| Postcode district | GU25 |
| Dialling code | 01344 |
| Police | Surrey |
| Fire | Surrey |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Runnymede and Weybridge |
| List of places: UK • England • Surrey |
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.[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
The 19th-century house the "Wentworths" (now the club house for the Wentworth Club) 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.[2]
In 1912, builder W.G. Tarrant had started developing St George's Hill, Weybridge - a development of houses based on minimum 1-acre (4,000 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, gables, 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.[3]
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.[4]
Post-war development picked up considerably, and by 1960 most of the available land was already utilised.
[edit] Today
In 1962, a committee of residents and the company promoted a private act of Parliament, 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.[5]
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.[6]
The River Bourne runs through the area. The village lies within the census area Virginia Water which has a population of 5,895.[7]
[edit] Transport
Wentworth is just outside the ring of the M25 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.
[edit] Residents
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This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2011) |
The estate hit the headlines in 1998 when former Chilean president General Augusto Pinochet was kept under house arrest in one of its houses prior to his extradition.[8][9]
- Peter Aven - Russian banker[10] formerly Vijay Mallya's residence.
- Boris Berezovsky - Oligarch[11]
- Thomas Bjørn - golfer
- Sultan of Brunei[12]
- Ernie Els - golfer[13]
- Bruce Forsyth - entertainer
- Wilnelia Merced, Lady Forsyth-Johnson 1975 Miss World, the only Puerto Rican to win the title.
- Gary Numan - musician
- Bryan Forbes - Actor and film director.
- Prince Naseem Hamed Former Boxing world champion
- Eddie Jordan Head of former Jordan F1 Team
- Ron Dennis McLaren F1 racing shareholder
[edit] Former residents
- King Edward VIII
- Russ Abbott - entertainer
- Diana Dors - actress
- Sarah, Duchess of York
- Andriy Shevchenko - Striker For Chelsea FC[10]
- Elton John - musician
- Cliff Richard - singer[14]
[edit] References
- ^ BBC NEWS | England | Surrey | Priciest street outside of London
- ^ Archives Network Wales - The de Morella Collection
- ^ Books, Research and Information - Arts & Crafts Home
- ^ BBC - WW2 People's War - It was totally different
- ^ Wentworth Estate - History
- ^ Wentworth Estate
- ^ Census data
- ^ BBC News | World | Pinochet retreats to luxury estate
- ^ Pinochet , General Augusto, Archive news
- ^ a b Safe as houses: the KGB-proof mansion Sunday Times - May 6, 2007
- ^ Moscow on the Thames - Telegraph
- ^ unofficial-guides.com - Royal Holloway
- ^ Time for something Els | Golf | Guardian Unlimited Sport
- ^ Cliff becomes a bungalow boy | the Daily Mail
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Wentworth Estate |
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