The Underwater Boat House and Spiral Ramp Entrance in Witley Park
The Underwater Boat House and spiral ramp entrance in Witley Park
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1242952
- Date first listed:
- 22-Mar-2011
- List Entry Name:
- The Underwater Boat House and Spiral Ramp Entrance in Witley Park
- Statutory Address:
- The Underwater Boat House and spiral ramp entrance in Witley Park
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1242952
- Date first listed:
- 22-Mar-2011
- List Entry Name:
- The Underwater Boat House and Spiral Ramp Entrance in Witley Park
- Statutory Address 1:
- The Underwater Boat House and spiral ramp entrance in Witley Park
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- The Underwater Boat House and spiral ramp entrance in Witley Park
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Surrey
- District:
- Waverley (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Thursley
- National Grid Reference:
- SU9204939492
Reasons for Designation
Yes, list
Details
1This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 1 September 2025 to amend the language in the description and to reformat the text to current standards
801/0/10053
WITLEY
The Underwater Boat House and spiral ramp entrance in Witley Park
22-MAR-11
GV
II
Boathouse. Circa 1900 built for James Whitaker Wright. Possibly incorporates a pre-existing tunnel.
MATERIALS: Shuttered concrete. Some wood and glass.
PLAN: Circular spiral ramp with stairs at the bottom reaching to a depth of 15m below ground with three chambers including boathouse.
EXTERIOR: Single storey concrete structure above ground with an adjoining circular light well and a projecting round-headed arched entrance with a wooden door.
INTERIOR: The entrance leads to a spiralling ramp which is transformed into stairs for the last quarter of its depth. There is a glass-panelled ceiling lighting the first room, which is 4.5m down, and the spiralling ramp. Below this is a semi-circular room with elliptical-arched alcoves. Adjoining is the main chamber which is rectangular in shape,with three rectangular alcoves and a high vaulted roof. This chamber is lit by a glazed roof cover at the eastern end and there is an air shaft towards the west. At the extreme west is an elliptical-headed entrance leading to a flat-roofed chamber with double wooden gates opening directly onto Thursley Lake.
HISTORY: This is one of a series of estate buildings built for the financier and speculator, James Whitaker Wright (1846-1904) at Lea Park, later renamed Witley Park. The old house was pulled down and a new one built for him circa 1890 by H Paxton Watson in the neo-Tudor style. Many of the estate buildings were also designed by Paxton Watson, although Lutyens built a Bathing Pavilion and Boathouse here in 1897. Wright was a keen amateur landscape gardener and in the course of six or seven years two existing smaller lakes were transformed into three larger artificial lakes. These, a square lake, a bathing lake and the big lake (enlarged before 1916 to create Thursley Lake) with many statues and fountains were constructed here by the efforts of 400 workmen.
The Underwater Boat House housed a boat which Whitaker Wright used for rowing out to the artificial island he had created in the middle of the big lake where there was an underground smoking room and billiard chamber. A tunnel in this position is shown on the 1874 Ordnance Survey map.
Unfortunately in 1900 Wright's company, London and Globe, which promoted the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway, announced its insolvency, ruining many investors. In March 1903 a warrant was issued for Whitaker Wright's arrest and he was pursued to New York where he was arrested. At his trial in 1904 he was found guilty and sentenced to seven years penal servitude but he died by suicide by swallowing a cyanide capsule.
After Whitaker Wright's death the estate was split up into lots and sold off. Some of the land, such as the Devil's Punchbowl and Hindhead Common, now belongs to the National Trust. The main house was gutted in 1952 and has since been demolished and replaced by a 1960-1961 house by Patrick Gwynne, but many remaining buildings on the estate are currently part of a conference centre.
SOURCES
Article in The Royal Magazine (1903).
Jones, B, Follies and Grottoes (1974) 201.
Oxford DNB Article on James Whitaker Wright by Richard Davenport Hines.
Beckett, M, Witley Park. http://lh.matthewbeckett.com/houses/lh-surrey-witleypark.html Accessed 23/02/11
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION
The Underwater Boat House and spiral ramp entrance in Witley Park are designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural quality: spatially impressive interior with ingenious plan.
* Technological interest: unusual use of shuttered concrete to create a 15m deep structure.
* Intactness: little altered.
* Group value: one of a series of contemporary structures in and around the lakes at Witley Park built for James Whitaker Wright.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 507128
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 24-Jun-2026 at 21:46:03.
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