Virginia Water Lake

Virginia Water Lake lies on the southern edge of Windsor Great Park, in the borough of Runnymede. It is a man-made lake created by damming Virginia Brook in 1753 under Henry Flitcroft’s supervision. The lake takes its name from an earlier natural body of water and is supplied by the River Bourne, which exits at a cascading waterfall on the eastern side. A 4.5-mile circuit runs around the lake, about half of it paved. Nearby Fort Belvedere and the Clockcase, a belvedere dating from the mid-18th century, are Grade I listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. The lake’s origins go back to at least the 17th century, possibly named after Elizabeth I. It was expanded in the 1780s by Thomas Sandby, who built a new dam, a waterfall, Meadow Pond and Obelisk Pond. A five-arch stone bridge replaced an earlier wooden one in 1789, later rebuilt in 1826 by Jeffry Wyatville. During World War II the lake was drained to deny landmarks to enemy aircraft. The lake has also featured in films such as Harry Potter and Angel Has Fallen. Visitors find a broad lakeside path winding past ornamental Roman ruins installed in 1826, a gift from the Pasha of Tripoli. A totem pole stood on the south side until 2024, gifted in 1958 to mark the centenary of British Columbia. Nearby is the site of the old Manor Lodge, once a royal hunting lodge built by Henry III in the 13th century, with surviving moat arms forming part of a scheduled monument. The lake’s surroundings include the Fishing Temple, rebuilt in the 1860s as a Swiss chalet, and Virginia Water Cottage, once home to royal boat keepers and later a grace-and-favour residence.