#Throwbackthursday - 1985 - Great Fosters Hotel
Great Fosters is a Tudor estate steeped in royal history and located just outside Windsor in the heart of Surrey. The Grade I Listed Building is set in 50 acres of Grade II listed stunning gardens and grounds.
In 1985 working on behalf of Great Foster Hotel and in collaboration with late architect John Cresswell-Turner, MCS was appointed to construct attractive staff accommodation within the historic parks and gardens. The new flats were oaked framed with lead lightwork and featured ash internal joinery.
Great Fosters was the London seat of Sir John Dodderidge (1555–1628), a judge of the King's Bench and formerly Solicitor General to King James I. Sir Robert Foster owned the house in 1639. When he died in 1663 he left the house to his son, Sir Thomas Foster. Great Fosters remained in the family following his death in 1685 when it passed to his daughters. In 1715, Sir Charles Orbey resided here, and it was not until 1787 that one of Sir Thomas’ great grandsons sold the property to a Mr Wyatt for £700.
In 1818 Great Fosters was sold to Dr George Frederick Furnivall, Sir John Chapman and another partner, who operated it as a lunatic asylum. Chapman was one of the "modern thinkers" who believed mental illness was not solely related to physical illness, and Furnivall was described in local documentation as "Doctor to the Poor.
Early in the 20th century, Great Fosters was owned by Baroness Halkett, Queen Alexandra's lady in waiting. Later it passed to the Earl of Dudley and then to the Hon. Gerald Montague. The estate was purchased by Harold Sutcliffe in 1931 who converted the home into a hotel and operated the hotel for many years until late 2018 when it was purchased by the current owners, Alexander Hotels.
Visit Great Fosters Hotel: https://www.alexanderhotels.co.uk/great-fosters
