Burwood Park
51°20′20″N 0°25′34″W / 51.339°N 0.426°W Burwood Park is a historic private estate located in
Acquired by Henry Askew in 1877, the first new houses in Burwood Park were constructed in the 1920s, with major new developments arriving in the following decade. It soon became a popular destination for the British elite, owing to its semi-rural feel and commutable distance to London.
Comprising 384 properties by 2021, Burwood Park is of a geometric design within an approximate semicircle and many of its roads have entrances with automatic bollards or security buildings.[1]
History
King
Following the death of Henry VIII in 1547 the estate passed into private hands. In 1739 the first of the
In 1877 Henry Askew purchased the estate at auction. Two of his daughters arranged for a black painted corrugated iron fence to be erected all around the Park and, according to local residents, lived in the mansion as virtual recluses.[1] The estate "deteriorated rapidly" under the indifferent ownership of the Askew family and soon became overgrown.[4] The last Askew sister died in 1927 and Burwood Park was purchased by the Burhill Estates Company of Edward Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh. His son Rupert, the 2nd Earl, took responsibility for the development of the estate and began selling private plots.[4][a]
Private plots could be purchased for £450 in 1927, with the cost rising to £550 by 1930.[4] The first houses on the park were developed in the 1930s on Eriswell Road, Onslow Road, Cranley Road, Broadwater Road and Chargate Close.[1] The rest of the park at this time was open woodland.[4]
Plots continued to be sold post-war, with some of the original houses also changing hands.
Burwood Park School
In 1955 the Guinness family allowed a property on the estate to be converted into a school for deaf boys, christened Burwood Park School. Despite going coeducational, the school was forced to shut in 1996 due to declining numbers, with the remaining pupils transferring to Ovingdean Hall School near Brighton.[5][b]
Profile
Burwood Park is one of a number of private gated estates in Surrey, among them the
In 2013, two streets on the estate, Broadwater Close and Chargate Close, were revealed to be among the most expensive places in the country to buy property.[8]
Security
Burwood Park has four entrances: a main entrance and three which are restricted to residents only. The main entrance has automatic number-plate recognition. In 2020, a park warden was appointed to patrol the estate and a security hut was also installed at the main entrance.[9]
Having a property "double-gated" — which refers to the practice of installing a separate gate and security system on an individual home, in addition to the security of the wider estate — is against the covenants.[10] Nevertheless, many residents own properties with their own gates, achieved through bypassing the residents association and appealing directly to the local council.[10] This behaviour has proved divisive within the community.[10]
Location and transport
Burwood Park is in the borough of Elmbridge, Surrey, and is bordered by a public road to its west, with Hersham to the immediate east, and by Burhill Golf Course to the south. The Ashley Park estate lies to the north of Burwood Park.
Within ⅓ miles (500 metres) is
Plant and animal species
Over 150 species of birds and animals have been spotted within the boundaries of the estate, which also contains one of England's oldest
A wildlife coordinator, a role taken up by an estate resident, is charged with the welfare of animals, both wild and domestic.[11]
Notes
- ^ The development of Burwood Park as a residential estate by Lord Iveagh coincided with similar estate development at St George's Hill and Ashley Park, although under different ownership to Burwood Park[4]
- ^ The Burwood Park Foundation, a charity supporting deaf children, was formed with residual funds from the sale of the school buildings.[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Pengelly, Emma (6 February 2021). "The gated Surrey estate once used as a hunting ground by Henry VIII". SurreyLive. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
- ^ Parishes: Walton on Thames, in A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3 ed. H E Malden, London, 1911, pp. 467-475 Available online at British History (University of Portsmouth and others) Retrieved 13 March 2015
- ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1377468)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g "History". Burwood Park Residents Ltd. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Burwood Park Foundation". Ewing Foundation. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ^ Lebentz, Mandy (21 August 2015). "Rich homeowners desert London for prestigious Surrey estates". SurreyLive. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
- ^ a b Dean, Andrea (16 November 2021). "Where to buy in Walton-on-Thames — one of the best places to bring up a family". Metro. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
- ^ French, Claire (8 January 2013). "Elmbridge streets rank among most expensive". SurreyLive. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
- ^ "Overview". Burwood Park Residents Ltd. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ^ ISBN 9780141033914.
- ^ a b c Ward, Emma (14 November 2011). "Elmbridge's gated estates - St George's Hill, Burwood Park and Whittets Ait Island". Great British Life. Retrieved 22 November 2022.