Sawmill House
and others
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Sawmill
House is just one of the many other temples and follies built around
the grounds of the stately home. Originally the sawmill was built
as a practical yet aesthetically pleasing building. It would have
provided much of the timber from the estate to High Wycombe and
would have provided not only timber for many of the buildings in
the town but also for Wycombe's furniture industry.
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Sawmill
House is now off limits to the public as it is the private residence
of the Dowager Lady Dashwood (The late Sir Francis' wife). Sir Francis
gave up the mansion to his son Sir Edward in 1998 so that his children
would have the opportunity of growing up there just as he did not
so long ago.
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The
estate sawmill was just many of the buildings which served a purpose
on the estate yet was built with foreign influences in mind, for
example the estate kennels were constructed to look like a chapel
(hence the road they are sited on is known as Chapel Lane). You'll
have to visit West Wycombe Park to spot this and the many other
follies dotted around the grounds.
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The Church of St. Lawrence is the only 'real' temple on the estate. However it is now owned and kept by the National Trust, it's design is in keeping with the themes presented throughout the flamboyant West Wycombe Park. The most recognisable feature is it's golden ball, which was copied from the customs house in Venice (which to this date has a similar globe atop it's roof), it was built to accommodate between 6 and 8 people (seated) and was the site of one of the first ever long distance communications (with sunlight and mirrors) to be performed in the UK. It is said that from the golden ball you can see Windsor Castle and 15 miles in each direction. |
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Pop princess - Tori Amos was one of the more famous people to be (recently) wed in the Church of St Lawrence, perhaps you might like to consider following in her footsteps! You can now hire West Wycombe House for civil wedding ceremonies. To find out more, click here... |
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