The New Murrey and Blue blog

If, like me, you’re puzzled by this unusual, rather stark old building (which doesn’t look real or even English!) then this article explains:

“….Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge is a Grade II* listed building that has been saved as a museum. This old timber-framed and plastered building is a unique example of a Tudor ‘grand stand’. The sport-loving sovereign and associates could climb to the top floor to watch a drive past of the Forest deer….”

(The idiot in me promptly imagined deer casually giving the royal wave as they swooshed past in Rolls Royces….)

The hunting lodge is now linked to the first Queen Elizabeth, but actually started its life in the 12^th century with Henry II. The building that is there now wasn’t Elizabeth’s either, but was commissioned by her father, Henry VIII.

Its unusual design is due to the need for height, so that onlookers could observe everything for quite a distance, and it seems from the article that this example is unique.

It suffered from various restorations over the years, but “in 1993, it was restored to the more authentic Tudor appearance that you see today”. Most of it is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation.

A search for Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge turns up a lot of photographs and articles, so don’t be satisfied with just the one I’ve listed above.