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First dammed and flooded in 1753, Virginia Water was, until the creation of the great reservoirs, the largest man-made body of water in the British Isles. The woodlands surrounding the lake have been continuously planted since the middle of the eighteenth century, and The Frost Farm Plantation, at the south-western end of the lake, is a designated SSI (Site of Special Interest) thanks to its maturity and biodiversity. There are still many vestiges of the past, as the lake was once a place of pageantry and spectacle. There are historical references to a Chinese junk floating on the lake, with follies and fishing temples built on the shore. Visitors can still admire, on the south bank, the ornamental cascade from the 18th century and a ‘Roman temple’ built from columns and lintels brought from the ancient city of Leptis Magna in the early 19th century. One of the area's more recent additions is a towering 100-foot high Totem Pole, a gift from the government of British Columbia. |
