Savernake Forest Hotel - Burbage, UK
N 51° 22.039 W 001° 39.803
30U E 593045 N 5691521
This fine Victorian structure was purpose built by the Marquis of Ailesbury in about 1864 to serve the newly built Savernake station on the Berks & Hants Extension Railway.
Waymark Code: WMA9N1
Location: Southern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 12/09/2010
Views: 7
Probably because it was operated by the GWR from its opening, the line was no more than a secondary route and saw little of the potential traffic (the GWR ensured as much traffic as possible used its own metals via Swindon and Chippenham). This changed in 1906 by which time the line had become owned by the GWR and new "avoiding lines" to Westbury then Castle Cary were opened creating a new, shorter "main line" from Paddington to Weymouth and the West Country. From then onwards crack expresses passed through (and sometimes served) Savernake station.
Why the marquis built such a large hotel in such a lonely spot is unclear. As a backer of the railway he must have been aware of the limited passing passenger trade. As a "local" and owner of most of the land within 8 miles of the hotel, he would have been aware of the limited opportunities from the local population. Without the rail connection, the hotel was difficult to reach as the road to the north lay across his parkland and to the south the only approach was via Stibb Green. As trains of the Marlborough Railway connected at Savernake to take travellers on to that town, very little business would come from that source. To improve matters, in about 1868, the marquis allowed the creation of the public road from the Ram Alley cross-roads to the hotel thus allowing quicker access to customers from the north by avoiding the need to climb to, then descend from, Stibb Green.
It is probable that the aim of the hotel was to serve visitors to the marquis's mansion, Tottenham House, and an essay I possess shows that nobility did stay at the hotel. Indeed during the bleak years of the 4th Marquis when Tottenham House shut up, he usually stayed at the hotel during his rare visits to his Wiltshire estates. Other records show that the hotel was often the venue for estate events such as tenant farmer "harvest homes" - but it is unlikely that many could afford to stay at the hotel after the revelries.
More at the website below.
Public/Private: Private
Tours Available?: Don't know
Year Built: 1864
Web Address: [Web Link]
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