Outline of the history of the lands now Imperial College Field Station
From Tudor times, and probably from much earlier, there has been a wood on the site of the present Nash's copse and adjacent areas; this was known as "Selwood", and the adjacent "moor" or open grassland as "Selmore". The latter gave its name to "Selmore Farm", the home of the Farrant family. The derivation of these names certainly comes from either the Old English "sahl" or "sele" or the Old Norman "selia", all of which mean sallow (Salix capraea agg.) i.e. "Sallow Wood'. These trees still grow in small numbers along the stream and the derivation of the name suggests woodland of great antiquity.
The name first appears to have been corrupted to "Silwood" in connection with the house known as Silwood Lodge that was owned by the Grenvilles in the mid eighteenth century. (By this time the woodland itself was often referred to as "Sellmore coppice"). When Sir James Sibbald built the first mansion on the present site in 1788 he called it "Silwood Park", and the name has remained although occasionally subsequent documents spell it "Siliwood" or "Selwood".
Silwood Park Estate
1362: The Manor Sunninghill, a 'parcel' of the royal manor of Cookham, was settled on John de Sunninghill for rent of ?20 (there was probably no Manor House at this time; the "Manor" being an administrative unit).
1438: Thomas Haseley passed the Manor to his trustees.
1449: Trustees of Haseley granted Manor to John Norrys (or Norris) of Yattendon and from him, it passed to Henry, Lord Norris.
1499: Prince Arthur, son of Henry VII (and elder brother of Henry VIII), wrote a letter from the "Manor of Sunninghill" to All Souls College, Oxford. He was presumably staying in the Tudor mansion, later known as "Eastmore".
1567: Henry Lane of Cowarth bought the Manor.
1583: Lane sold the Manor, then estimated at 80 acres, to William Daye (or Day) of Eton for ?210.
1613: House "Eastmore" specially noted in Survey; in possession of Matthew Day.
1654: Matthew Day raised mortgage of ?500 on estate that consisted of 2l8 acres and 9 houses.
1668: Philip Farrant of the Yeoman family who had for generations occupied Selmore Farm and had recently built a new house (probably the present "Silwood Farm") sold it to a Mr Rawlins.
1671: Selmore Farm is incorporated into Manor estate of Day family.
1673: John Aldridge I, described as "Farmer", purchased estate for ?552. 10. 0. and lived in manor house "Eastmore". His family had been on the Parliamentary side in the Civil War; they had subsequently been allowed to fell and sell the oaks from Windsor Great Park and had become large timber merchants and tanners.
1737: John Aldridge II died; his eldest son John Aldridge III inherited the Manor and chief mansion Eastmore (believed to have been sited on the area subsequently known as "Pound Hill"; the two ancient yew trees are all that now remain of the garden of this house). The second son, Henry, inherited Selmore Farm, stables, orchards, coppice and Tan Yard.
1764: John Pitt bought the Manor and many of the lands from Henry Aldridge's widow and his son John IV for ?2,137.
1767: John Pitt purchased further lands from John Aidridge IV and the sister of Henry Aldridge's widow (Miss Jane Shipton) for ?1,697. The lands sold are described as "Sellmore coppice", "coppice fie id" and part of Wapshott's land. Sellmore coppice is now known as Nash's copse and Wapshott's land probably corresponds to portions of Nash's field and Gunness Hill.
1781: John Pitt purchased last remaining piece of land from Aldridge family, a wood belonging to George Aldridge who was presumed to have died in India.
1782: Hon. Henry Grenville leased Silwood Lodge (nr. site of present greenhouses) to Mr Joseph Turner, Yeoman.
1787: James Hartley purchased estate from William Morton Pitt (son of John Pitt).
1788: James Sibbald, a Banker, purchased estate from James Hartley. The main house, Eastmore, was abandoned and a Georgian mansion built on the other side of the estate, on part of the site of the present house, and called 'Silwood Park'.
1792: Silwood Lodge described as a "pretty rustic house" offered for sale.
1807: Sibbald, now a Baronet, arranged to "enclose" into estate part of Beggar's Bush (also known as "Bugbush"); this is the part of the present estate that lies between the house and the Cannon public house. This enclosure involved diverting the main road from Windsor which had passed along the back of the house; permission of the "vestry" (Parish Council) was obtained and they were paid ?100.
1811: George Simpson purchased the estate from Sir James Sibbald Bart., and whilst in his possession a picture of the southern aspect of it and a brief description was published in what is believed to be Jones' 'Views of Stately Homes'.
1825: M Forbes, a local man, purchased the estate from George Simpson who had become financially ruined in the bank crash of 1825.
1839: Estate unsuccessfiilly offered for sale.
1854: John Hargreaves, Jnr. purchased at least part of the estate from Mrs Forbes (widow of M Forbes) for ?30,000 and at some time afterwards added Silwood Lodge.
1875: Charles Patrick Stewart bought the "Silwood Park Estate", which then included besides the main house, Silwood Lodge, the Oakleigh, Fairfield and a large stretch of ground behind the latter. He paid ?80,000.
1876: Silwood Park - built by Sibbald - and Silwood Lodge were demolished and the present house commenced.
1878: Mortgages raised by Stewart: ?37,000 on Silwood estate, ?6,000 on kitchen garden area (now Silwood Park Nursery), ?5,000 on Fairfield and ?2,000 on Oakleigh. According to the date on the clock tower the present house was completed.
1882: Mr Stewart died.
1888: Mr Thomas Cordes (a steel master of Newport, Mon. of Huguenot extraction) purchased the estate.
1925: Sir George Dolby purchased the estate from Thomas Cordes's widow. Sir George had considerable financial interests in tea plantations in Assam and also in America.
1940: Philip Hill, the merchant banker, purchased the estate from the Dolbys. During the Second World War the house was occupied by the Army and used as a rehabilitation centre.
1944: On the death of Philip Hill, who had never occupied the house, the estate was put on the market. It included all the Silwood Park estate and farms, together with various houses and plots in Cheapside and Fairfield and others across the London Road.
1947: Imperial College purchased the main house and some 80 acres for ?24,000 from the widow of Philip Hill.
1953: Imperial College purchased Silwood Park Farm and adjoining acres from Major Bagshaw for ?13,600; the land had previously been in the possession of a Mr Perryman who had purchased it from the Hill Executors. During his ownership most of the major trees in Nash's and Mann's copses and on Hell Hill - that had been woodlands for hundreds of years - were felled and dragged out for timber. No replanting was attempted.
1961: Some acres along Cheapside Road were purchased from Major Bagshaw's estate completing the College's holding.
Ashurst Lodge Estate
1613: The Crown granted 3 acres of waste, known as "Stony Lands" to the Vicar of Sunninghill.
1672: Sir Thomas Draper built the house known as "Brick House". On the death of Lady Draper this passed to her son-in-law, Sir Henry Ashurst Bt.
1740: Left by Lady Ashurst to Mr T Hatch; sold to Captain Farrell.
1766: William Farrell (son of Captain Farrell) rated for "Stony Lands, late Ashurst's". Sold to Thomas Birch. Sold to Hon. John Yorke.
1806: Advertised for sale as "many years the residence ofMr Spencer Schutz", who was probably a descendant of Baron Schutz, envoy at the court of Queen Anne and a friend of George I. It was described as having "24 acres of land and many fishponds". However, it remained in the Schutz family and passed to Mr Augustus Schutz.
1826: Sir William Norris purchased the estate and lived in the house for two years (his son, a novelist, wrote a book entitled "My friend Jim" that contained characters named after the district - Lord Sunning, Lord Bracknell etc.)
1838: Recorded as being in possession of a W Ashurst. Many flirther owners.
1874: Purchased by Col. Hollingshead Blundell, MP.
1900: Purchased by another and more famous Member of Parliament - Sir Martin Archer-Shee, after the death of Col. Hollingshead Blundell. The exact date of the purchase is not known, but we do know from newspaper cuttings that Sir Martin was living at Ashurst in 1922.
The sad story of their younger son formed the basis of Terence Rattigan's play, "The Winslow Boy". The second Lady Archer-Shee was an American and returned to the USA during the War.
1948: Imperial College purchased the house and grounds from Lady Archer-Shee; the elder son, who was somewhat eccentric, had withdrawn from the main house and was living in the small upstairs room in the Stable Block, that was later used as a CT room.
Englefield Green