The 45th Weekend - Monday 10.45am Windsor - 7 Mile Circular Walk to Virginia Water

Virginia Water may look timeless, but 300 years ago the landscape looked very different. 

Although a smaller pond did exist, the plan to flood the entire valley didn’t take shape until the 1750s. The nearby hunting grounds had been a Royal favourite since the early 1600s, and William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, the then Park Ranger and son of King George II, saw an opportunity to create something extraordinary.

With the help of architect Henry Flitcroft, he conceived a Royal pleasure ground of beauty, pageantry and spectacle.

Painting of William Augustus Duke of Cumberland. He is shown as a child, dressed in ornate robes of red and white.

Image: William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland – The National Portrait Gallery

The project began in 1752 and took almost 40 years to complete.

Extra lland was purchased. Ramparts were created. Streams were damned. Records reveal that William employed around 500 members of the ‘industrious poor’ to do the work, but it was not enough to complete the project in his lifetime. When he died in 1765, the work continued under his brother, Henry Frederick.

On 1 September 1768, a great storm destroyed the dam and emptied the lake. The resulting flood killed people and livestock in the local area and cost an estimated £9,000 worth of damage. That’s about £1,616,238 today.

Although repairs were considered, the work didn’t start until after King George III and his family returned to Windsor in the 1770s. Under the King’s patronage, more land was purchased and the dam was rebuilt to encompass an even greater area. The lake finally reached its current size in 1790 – complete with fishing temples along the shore and an ornate Chinese junk resting on the water.

In the time before reservoirs, it was the largest man-made lake in England. In fact, it was drained during World War II to avoid it ‘signposting’ Windsor Castle from the air.

Today, Virginia Water is part of our history, ecology and stewardship. Our teams continue tending, restoring and replanting this landscape for the benefit of visitors now and in the future. Please treat the lake and environment with respect as you step into its history.