AUTUMN AT VIRGINIA WATER IN PHOTOGRAPHS

 

VIRGINIA WATER LAKE is surrounded by beautifully cultivated parkland. It is located about 7 miles south of Slough and about 22 miles southwest of central London. We visited it today, the 16^th of November 2021, to enjoy the many colours of the autumn foliage, and were not disappointed.

 

In 1746, William Duke of Cumberland (1721-1765), who fought in the Battle of Culloden and became the Ranger of Windsor Great Park, developed the marshy waste where today the Virginia Water Lake and its park are located. The painter Paul Sandby (1731-1809) and his older brother Thomas (1721-1798) designed the lake and landscaping around it. They drained the swamp and dammed the lowest end of it as well as diverting local streams to create a lake. The dam collapsed in 1768 and was then rebuilt using stronger materials. At the same time, a waterfall, which we were unable to see on our visit, was created to carry the excess water from the lake. Another feature, which we were only able to see from afar as it was closed for maintenance works, is a set of ruins near the waterfall. These consist of archaeological fragments brought from Greece and North Africa. Prior to being brought to Virginia Water by order of King George IV, they had been stored in the courtyard of the British Museum.

 

While we wandered around the parkland, it occurred to me that when it was laid out back in the 18^th century, its designers would have had to imagine how the park would look when its trees and shrubs eventually matured. They would not have been able to see the magnificent grounds as we see them today but could only dream about what is now a reality, something that they would not have lived long enough to see.

 

After an enjoyable walk with our friends from Richmond, who have introduced us to many places new to us, we ate lunch in the restaurant close to the London Road car park. The quality of the food available there is a cut above what is available in many other parks in and around London.

COAKER KODAI

In July 2013, we visited Kodaikanal's Fairy Falls, illustrated above in a 1909 photograph, but we saw a very different sight:

The Fairy Falls were devoid of water. Despite the luxuriance of the vegetation in Kodaikanal, it is currently suffering from a lack of rainfall .  The Bear Shola Falls, which we reached by a short footpath that was hemmed in by overgrown plants - many with beautiful flowers, was almost dry, but not quite:

The same was the case for Silver Cascades (illustrated in my earlier blog: CLICK HERE ). However from a distance, the artificial lake for which  Kodaikanal is famous looks the same today:

as it did in 1909:

The 8 Km convoluted edge lake is bounded by a roadway.. This pleasant scenic pathway around the lake is lined with villas from different eras; stalls selling a variety of goods to visitors; and boat-houses. One group of stalls sells Tibetan goods:

There are numerous tea-stalls:

The biggest boat-house rents out anything from pedalos :

To fancy looking shikaras:

We hired a boat with an oarsman and spent about 45 minutes being rowed around a part of the lake:

There was a café in what looked like a very old Victorian dwelling:

This was closed as was the ferry station when we passed it:

We strolled around the lake on foot, but many rode on horses accompanied by grooms on bicycles:

There is a variety of trees around the water's edge, all labelled with interesting  information :

At one point along the lake there was a park dedicated to the memory of an Indian patriot:

Maharaja Ripudaman Singh (4 March 1883 – 12 December 1942) was  maharajah of Nabha, a Princely State in the Punjab , until 1923, when the British suspected him of nefarious deeds, and exiled him to Kodaikanal.  Further around the lake, there is a monument to Sir Vere Henry Levinge(1819-1885), who created it:

Its celtic motifs make reference to his Irish origins. His portrait adorns a wall of one of the boathouses: 

Within a few feet of this mnument to a British colonialist there stands a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. The lake is undoubtedly one of Kodaikanal's greatest features. Another one of these is only a few minute's walk awasy from the lake. It is Coaker's Walk, one of whose entrances lies close to the Van Allen Hospital , which was founded by Dr Van Allen in 1915. Coaker's Walk is named after Lieutenant Colonel Coaker who was on duty in Kodaikanal in 1872 when the path that runs around Mount Nebo was constructed in 1872. The views from Coaker's Walk are spectacular:

All along the path, there were stalls  to amuse or distract those who hadd had enough of the  panoramic splendour:

The other end of Coaker's walk is  near the Doordarshan Television Tower, which may be reached after a steep climb up a forested slope. Here it is, partially enveloped by a passing cloud:

So much for outdoor attractions. Just outside the town in Shembaganur, there is a natural history museum that is in itself a museum piece:

It was founded in the 1920s by the Jesuit Philosophical Seminary  of Sacred Heart, which is adjacent to it. The exhibits that have been collected by the students and professors of this institution include some curiosities including  coins from the 'Saarland':

The obligatory animal skulls:

And a python spinal cord:

Even if you are not a nature lover, this antiquated museum is worth a visit. Now, you must be exhausted after all of this sight-seeing. I will reveal more about the attractions of Kodaikanal in another article

FOR SOMETHING

 COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

READ

ADAM YAMEY's LATEST BOOK:

"SCRABBLE WITH SLIVOVITZ"

CLICK H E R E

FOR MORE INFORMATION