‘Tommy Sandbank’and the Royal Grottoes of Virginia Water (followed by AGM)

Dr. Sarah Rutherford will look at the two enigmatic Georgian grottoes at royal Virginia Water, Surrey. Come along and find out what misfortune led renowned C18 artist and architect Thomas Sandby to be nicknamed ‘Tommy Sandbank’ in his efforts to enlarge the royal lake at Virginia Water. This was by the 1790s the largest man-made lake in Britain, with a spectacular cascade and grotto. Illustrating the colourful grotto design drawings by Thomas Sandby scattered in the Bodleian Library, Royal Collection and V&A Sarah will tell the story of these regal grottoes and reveal an exciting new attribution for a nearby Grade I grotto, based on an obscure drawing by Sandby.

Sarah is a Kew-trained gardener who has spent her career with historic parks and gardens. She was formerly Head of the Parks and Gardens Register for English Heritage, since when for over twenty years she has run her own conservation consultancy and written books on garden history. She last spoke to SGT in 2016 at Ashburnham Place about the world of Capability Brown as part of his tercentenary celebrations. Her book on Georgian Grottoes is due for publication in 2027.

This will be followed by our AGM.