| Date | 28 November 2014 |
|---|---|
| Source | Slough Observer |
| Reference | VP-0095 |
| Volume | Views of the Past |
| Collection | Views of the Past |
Transcript
Artist put life into park
ONE of my favourite artists is Thomas Sandby (1721–1798) who painted a large number of watercolours of Windsor Castle and the surrounding parkland.
Sandby’s connection with Windsor was through his employer, The Duke of Cumberland, who engaged him as his private secretary and draughtsman in 1743.
The Duke was appointed ranger of Windsor Great Park in 1746 and selected Sandby to be his deputy ranger, a position he held to his death in 1798. Sandby excelled not only in his painting but also as an architect.
The Great Lodge (later known as Cumberland Lodge) was remodelled by Sandby as a residence for the Duke in the fashionable ‘Gothic’ style.
During his appointment as deputy ranger he lived in Deputy Ranger’s Lodge (now Royal Lodge) – his time was taken up with alterations to the Great Park including the creation of Virginia Water which he worked on together with his brother Paul.
The work at Virginia Water included a dam built in 1748 which was used to form a large artificial lake, cascade and grotto.
In 1752, a fifty-ton ship’s hull was raised from the Thames and fitted up on the artificial lake as a ‘Mandarin Yacht’ or Chinese Junk.
A triangular Gothic belvedere was erected on Shrubs Hill to the south, and a large wooden footbridge was constructed over the water.
Sandby was also responsible for a carved altar screen at St George’s Chapel which has now been replaced by a reredos.
He also built a stone bridge over the River Thames at Staines in 1794 – unfortunately, the bridge had to be dismantled after five years of use because it was deemed unsafe.
He was also responsible for several houses around the vicinity of Windsor; this included St Leonards Hill, Clewer for the Duchess of Gloucester, Holly Grove (now Forest Lodge) in the Great Park for Colonel Deacon and Ascot Place for Andrew Lindegren, a Swedish iron ore merchant.
There are other works by Thomas Sandby which are as yet to be identified.
In 1777, he was appointed, jointly with James Adam, Architect of his Majesty’s Works and in 1780 Master Carpenter of the King’s Works.
Thomas Sandby died on June 25, 1798, and was buried in Old Windsor Churchyard.
BEAUTIFUL CREATION: Thomas Sandby and his brother Paul were responsible for Virginia Water.
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