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Hidden party destination lies beneath estate lake

Morgan Webb,in Godalmingand
Tanya Gupta,South East
Forgotten History of Britain A mist-covered lake at Witley Park is viewed from a stone terrace. At the centre of the water is a platform topped by a statue of Neptune, marking the location of the underwater room hidden beneath the surface.Forgotten History of Britain
The only visible clue to the hidden room is a statue rising from the lake

Hidden beneath a lake in the Surrey countryside is one of the county's most unusual landmarks – an underwater room built to impress wealthy guests.

The structure, known as the Witley Underwater Ballroom, was created as part of Witley Park, near Godalming, around the turn of the 20th Century by financier James Whitaker Wright.

Despite its name, the room was not designed for dancing. Visitors used it as a place to socialise beneath a glass dome under the surface of the lake.

Architectural historian Matthew Beckett said the chamber was created as part of Whitaker Wright's ambition to entertain influential guests and showcase his wealth, reflecting the extravagance of the late Victorian era.

Visitors reached the chamber through a tunnel beneath the lake

Beckett told Secret Surrey the businessman expanded the estate to about 9,000 acres, built additions to the house and employed about 600 workers to reshape the landscape.

Among the changes were three artificial lakes, one of which concealed the underwater room.

The historian said Whitaker Wright's vision was based on "the theme of novelty, ambition, scale, and the ability to entertain".

The Builder's Journal A historic black-and-white photograph showing the underwater room during construction. The glass-domed structure and connecting tunnel are visible before the lake was filled with water. A statue stands on top of the dome and open ground surrounds the site.The Builder's Journal
The underwater room was built before the lake above it was filled

Beckett said the chamber was built before the lake was filled and featured thick glass panes fixed to an iron structure.

He said there were concerns when the lake was first filled, with warnings that if a pane of glass broke, the underwater room and its tunnels could flood within five minutes, but the historian said: "The engineering was sound and it is still in there today."

The Builder's Journal A historic black-and-white photograph showing the underwater room under construction. Scaffolding surrounds the domed structure while the tunnel leading to the room extends across the foreground. Construction work is taking place around the site before the lake was created.The Builder's Journal
Workers built the chamber on the floor of a future artificial lake

Guests entered through a tunnel and emerged in a room beneath the water, where fish could be seen swimming overhead.

Beckett said Whitaker Wright enjoyed showing off his achievement to visitors.

He said one of his lines, after guests had been wined and dined, was: "I bet I can beat you at billiards underwater."

Whitaker Wright then took people down to the lake in what Beckett described as "a magical experience".

The room was topped by a statue of Neptune, which sits above a viewing platform on the surface of the lake. Beckett said it appeared to emit wisps of cigar smoke when guests gathered below.

Surrey Hills Society The interior of the underwater room is shown from below the domed glass ceiling. The circular structure is divided into dozens of panels, with green-tinted water and aquatic growth visible above the glass.Surrey Hills Society
Guests could look up through the dome and watch fish swimming overhead

Whitaker Wright was later convicted of fraud and took his own life after sentencing in 1904. The estate subsequently changed hands and became known as Witley Park.

Although the mansion was later destroyed by fire, the underwater room survived.

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