Overview

An Absolutely outstanding six star visit to a luxurious mansion on the Ascot estate. COWORTH PARK was bought by the Dorchester Collection, open by the Brunei Investment Agency in 2001, which then closed in 2008 for many years so that a vast investment programme allowed them to refurbish the house and surrounding buildings to create a stunning Five star resort that we see today. COWORTH PARK reopened on 25th September 2010, attended at a ceremony for its official launch in April 2011 attended by Prince Azimuth of Brunei. We are now proud to offer you our review of COWORTH PARK , followed by two other reviews so as to help you enjoy this fantastic hotel to the full. Sadly, photos and reviews do not always show the best although we try for you, but we would like to offer you our history of COWORTH PARK . HISTORY King Edward the confessor, the last Saxon king of England, famous over the battle of Hastings in 1066, had given the land that lay in the parish and manor of Old Windsor, to the Abbott of Westminster Abbey, before he died in 1066, then William the conquerer took possession of the land and manor, which at that time period was regarded as holding 20 hides of land, 10 of those hides being held by various tenants. A hide was a piece of land just large enough to support a household, and perhaps in some areas this may have been about 120 acres. The idea then being that Tax could be calculated on how much a tenant or owner would pay to the Crown. By the time of the doomsday book of 1086, a hide was more commonly known as land that could produce £1 of income each year, so size varied area by area. The Norman kings used this unit of land until the end of the 12th century, then it became known as Yardland, and used mainly to assess tax to be paid, and then to do this, a measuring stick was used, which later became known as an acre of land, and that decided on how much land that one man behind one oxen could plough in one day without taking a rest. Traditionally the land was a long strip that an oxen to work along. The only acres I would have had were two bad knees and a very aching back. The Manor was now truly in the hands of the monarch from that time on, but in the fourteen hundreds, the manor was in the hands of King Edward 4th, but on his death and shortly afterwards, his daughters Catherine of Devon, who lived 14th August 1479 until 15th November 1517, and her sister Anne of York, 2nd November 1475 until 23rd November 1511, quitclaimed the manor to king Henry 8th in 1511, (this meant a formal relinquishing of a claim) and Old Windsor became the property of the crown through Henry 8th. In 1606 it was leased by the crown to Richard Powney, born about 1580, and stayed in the family line up to the birth of his grandson, Penyston Porlock Powney who then became the crown lessee, and it seems that in 1770 his agents or a sub-tenant William Hatch conveyed the land to a William Shepheard, who would later construct the house we see today, then known as COWORTH HOUSE, which took its name from the hamlet of COWORTH. He was a wealthy East India merchant, with his office in London, and when he died about 1810, COWORTH HOUSE was passed on to his son, a William Shepheard, but his executors sold the house before 1836 to a Scottish colonel, a George Arbuthnot, who had been born on December 4th 1772 at Edinburgh, his father being Robert Kieth Arbuthnot, and mother Mary Urquhart. He married Eliza (Elizabeth) Fraser on 26th April 1810 at St Mary’s church, Fort St George, Madras, India, and they had 13 children. Sadly Mary died 9 years before her husband George, in 1834, and George died 3rd November 1843 when he was 70 years old. He is buried at St Margaret churchyard, Oakley, Surrey. The house then passed on to his nephew and son in law, John Alves Arbuthnot, who has been born 3rd October 1802 at Edinburgh, and he had married his cousin Mary Arbuthnot who gave him 11 children. It was during this time the house became known as COWORTH PARK. He became a director of the London Assurance company, and was a justice of the peace before his death in August 1875 at their home in Old Windsor, Berkshire. His oldest son William Arbuthnot was christened 3rd June 1833 at Trinity, Marylebone, Middlesex. William had married Adolphine Lecot on 5th January 1858, her father being Edward Lecot, the French consul at Madras, but sadly she died within a year of their marriage. He then married Margaret Rosa Maclean on July 12th 1865, and they had three daughters, but no son. At the time of his fathers death, William was living on the estate in Park Lodge. Having inherited the house, during 1883, William Arbuthnot sold COWORTH PARK to William Farmer. William Arbuthnot passed away on 9th February 1896 when 62 years of age. ==================================================================== We are going to take a break now from our history lesson, and will continue on with the history in our PART TWO REVIEW ==================================================================== For now, we would like to take you to COWORTH PARK using our photographs to try and relate our fantastic visit, and hope we can help you see what a wonderful visit you will have if you ever have the opportunity of visiting. Having arrived along the main A30 then A329, the main sign for COWORTH PARK was a welcomed sign that we were about to see an outstanding estate (photo 1) and we passed through the metal gates (photo 2) and were directed to follow the signs to the left for the Mansion House (photo 3) seen in the Distance. You drive along well maintained meadows (photo 4) now filled with early March golden daffodils and drove to pass the main house on our right, which looked so promising, until a few feet later we turned left into the Mansion car park area (photo 5) a large enough car park, and found a bay close to the main path which will lead towards the house (photo 6) It is a bit of a ride, although a pleasant enough ride, but is exposed, so not to pleasant if raining, so we suggest your driver drops you off outside the main entrance for the mansion, where a very friendly valet parking attendant will greet you, and arrange for a buggy to follow your driver to the car park, and bring them back to the house from there, an ideal arrangement. We were surprised to see that the mansion was a very pleasant but smallish house (photo 7) but well maintained and inviting, so pushed the wheelchair along the path to reach the main forecourt (photo 8) where a very pleasant and friendly valet parking attendant greeted us and invited us to step into the mansion.The entrance is on the level with wide opening doors (photo 9) and already a feeling of contentment enveloped us, and this was greatly added to as we arrived at the reception desk (photo 10) and were so warmly welcomed by attentive staff members. The reception desks were more than tidy, and looked as a busy desk should look like, clear of unnecessary paper work and ready to greet guests (photo 11) Ahead a large open lounge area awaited us (photo 12) which seemed so inviting for tired excited visitors, beautifully decorated in muted colours and comfortable seating (photo 13) with a choice of seating areas, with freshly picked winter plants and spring flowers on display wherever you glanced (photo 14) and we loved the ornamental desk topped lights that highlighted the glass chandelier suspended from the ceiling above them. (photo 15) However, enthralled though we were, it was the promise of a coffee and tea break that beckoned us ahead towards the large glass panelled windows overlooking the gardens that caught our attention and the comfortable leather chairs that promised luxury beyond the normal (photo 16) and a very pleasant waiter took our drinks order, before returning with solid ornamental silver ware from which a most delightful pot of tea was poured (photo 17) while Veronica enjoyed a hot and a very nice handmade hot chocolate with crispy fresh homemade biscuits that delighted us both, so it’s no wonder we both look contented and happy enough with our introduction to COWORTH PARK (photo 18) OUR FINAL THOUGHTS ON PART ONE We thought it to be a warm and welcoming comfortable elegant house, where you can imagine Royalty being entertained. No matter what status in life you will be made welcomed here, so we strongly recommend COWORTH PARK to you, and when in London, do try to visit.

Transport & Parking

It is a lovely drive to reach COWORTH PARK along a main but quiet attractive main road, and you enter the estate through metal gates, turning left to follow sign for mansion, then driving through the scenic meadows and woodland views as you head towards the mansion. The car park is just past the main house, over to the left, large enough to take many cars, but there is quite a walk from here to reach the house, so we suggest your companion drops you off outside the main entrance, where you will be greeted by a friendly valet parking attendant who will escort you into the mansion, while your driver goes and parks the car. If the weather is not to good, then a buggy will follow driver and bring them back to the house.

Access

Inside the mansion, as it’s named, you will find everywhere is on the level, we did not see a step anywhere for you to worry about, and there are large wide places for you to sit and relax. Even outside as you tour the grounds, it is reasonable flat enough to see most places, but it is a huge estate. If you are staying here, there is a lift available, but if just visiting, there are plenty of seating areas.

Toilets

A short ride away from reception you will find a staircase and a passage behind this will lead to an accessible toilet, easy to find, very clean and tidy, roomy enough for even large chairs in which to spin around, pull cord and grab rails, beautiful polished tiled walls and floor, with soft white hand towels.

Staff

Outstanding. All are very friendly, polite, and more than willing to support, no matter what your background, you will be made to feel more than welcomed.

Photos