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The Great Standing, Greater London
(Photo credit: https://www.visiteppingforest.org/things-to-do/queen-elizabeths-hunting-lodge-p1763291)
King Henry III: Tudor Hunt Day
(Photo credit: http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/tudors/kings/henry8.htm)
Chingford is best known as the former home of King Henry VIII’s hunting lodge. The building, now known as Great Standing, was completed in 1543 and served as a place for the king to view deer being chased in the nearby forest land of Epping Forest, previously Waltham Forest.
As Queen Elizabeth’s hunting lodge was built during the reign of King Henry VIII, it was designed with the Tudor fashion architecture. It was constructed from large oak trees and the oak timbers can spotted all around the building.
This included a traditional Tudor kitchen that must have served up some of the most exquisite Tudor food, which guests would eat in the dining room. Through the huge windows on the ground floor, they had the most spectacular view of Waltham Forest.
The second floor windows didn’t actually exist as only the windows on the ground floor of the hunting lodge were used to hunt the deer that were rounded up by the hunting party from the medieval hunting forest.
The deer would of then of been prepared and cooked on the ground floor in the timber framed Tudor kitchen, most likely enjoyed by Tudor visitors as they chatted and shared views of the Waltham Forest land.
As Henry VIII would prepare for a traditional Tudor hunt day, he would of worn one of his iconic Tudor outfits, complete with a feather adorned hat.
Epping Forest, also known as the medieval royal hunting forest, would of been rich in Tudor history, much like the hunting lodge. Its remarkable and rare survival shows us a lot about Tudor fashion, Tudor food and Tudor history.
The ground floor of Great Standing has shallow wooden stairs that lead to the upper floors where you can see more of Tudor history intact.
Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge
(Photo credit: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-I)
The Grade II listed building, has three floors where visitors can expect to also see preserved Elizabethan history.
Elizabeth I also used the lodge during her reign and it is more commonly known as the Queen Elizabeth hunting lodge.
It’s not certain whether Queen Elizabeth’s hunting lodge was ever actually visited by her, but it’s rumoured she may of visited when she received news of the Spanish Armada.
Who owns the Hunting Lodge today?