This is the second cache in a short series that marks a circular walk from Littleworth Common to Burnham Beeches and back. Note that although this cache is stroller friendly there are a couple of stiles on the series that may make life a little tricky with wheeled microcachers. (No problem for dogs as there are suitable places for them to get past).
After enjoying many caches hidden by others, I thought it was about time I put out a few of my own; this is the second cache in my planned circular walk. I was drawn to caching as a way to find enjoyable walks in places I might otherwise not have visited, hence this series of caches following the approximate route of one of my dog's favourite morning walks. Other caches will follow. The cache is a small clip top box, just off a footpath I use to link Littleworth Common to Burnham Beeches. I have placed this cache here to encourage cachers to walk from Littleworth Common down to Burnham Beeches.
This spot gives an excellent view of Dropmore House, which was built in the 1790s for Lord Grenville, who later, as Prime Minister, pushed through the law abolishing the slave trade. The house was designed by Samuel Wyatt. In the 19th century Charles Tatham was architect who oversaw changes to the house.
Grenville knew the spot from rambles during his time at Eton College, and prized the distant views of his old school and of Windsor Castle. On his first day in occupation, he planted two cedar trees. At least another 2,500 trees were planted during his time living at Dropmore and by the time he died in 1834, his pinetum contained the biggest collection of conifer species in Britain. One objective of the recent restoration work is to use what survives as the basis for a collection of some 200 species.
In 1945, after wartime use during which it was harshly treated, the house was restored by Viscount Kemsley, the proprietor of The Sunday Times. After his death in 1968 it was sold to United States International University and then to the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, Muhammed Mahdi al-Tajir. An indoor pool was added, but the house was rarely used. In 1990 it was badly damaged by a fire that took four days to put out. Another in 1997 left the house uninhabitable.
Dropmore was restored by Corporate Estates Ltd into a number of private luxury dwellings between 2006 and 2008. The restoration included the house, Edwardian stables and a number of garden buildings including a Chinese tea house and aviary. Further plans over a 15-year period included restoration of the formal flower beds, Italian garden, woodlands, lawns, vistas, roads, bridges and gates. The developer went into liquidation before the redevelopment was completed and in 2012 Dropmore was purchased by the current owners, Richard and Ian Livingstone.
If you are of a certain age and think the house looks familiar it could be because the exterior and the grounds were used extensively for the location filming of the Doctor Who serial “Day of the Daleks”, which was first broadcast in January 1972.