On the edge of Epping Forest, at Chingford, stands an astonishing three-storey timber building: a Tudor hunting lodge, built for Henry VIII and renovated for Elizabeth I. A rare survival of an almost vanished type of building, it offers a concrete look at the hunting pleasures of the Tudor court.
Henry VIII's 'Great Standing'
The lodge was commissioned by Henry VIII in 1542 and completed in 1543, under the name of the 'Great Standing'. It was not a residence, but an observation and shooting platform: a timber structure originally open on its floors, from which the royal guests could follow the deer hunt launched in the forest below, and even shoot from the upper storeys. This kind of 'standing' illustrates the central place of hunting in the aristocratic life of the Renaissance — an art, a spectacle and a royal privilege all at once.
Renovated for the Virgin Queen
In 1589, the lodge was renovated for Elizabeth I — hence the name it bears today. A great lover of hunting like her father, the queen enjoyed these royal forests at the gates of London. From the upper floor, the views over Epping Forest remain close to what the Tudor visitors saw, which makes this place a rare and intact time machine. To see: the three-storey Tudor timber frame, the originally open shooting-platform structure, the views over Epping Forest and the small museum (run by the City of London).
Did you know?
The lodge was made not for sleeping but for shooting: originally open on its floors, the 'Great Standing' let the guests of Henry VIII, then of Elizabeth, bring down deer from the heights, comfortably placed above the pack and the beaters. The Tudor hunt was also a spectacle watched from above.
Notes
Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge lies at 8 Rangers Road, Chingford (Waltham Forest), on the edge of Epping Forest; a small free museum run by the City of London. Hours to check.
Quiz
- Who commissioned the 'Great Standing' in 1542-1543?
- Henry VIII
- Elizabeth I
- James I
- What was this lodge for?
- Observing and shooting deer from the floors
- Housing the royal guard
- Storing grain
- For which queen was it renovated in 1589?
- Elizabeth I
- Mary Stuart
- Catherine Howard