Gilwell Park

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bust of Robert Baden-Powell , donated by the Mexican Boy Scout Association to Olave Baden-Powell for Gilwell Park in 1968

The Gilwell Park is a resting place for British Scouting and also serves as a training center for scout leaders. The 44  acre site is located in Sewardstonebury , Epping Forest near Chingford , London .

In 1919 the park was donated to the Scout Association by the publisher William De Bois Maclaren in order to have a storage space near London and to be able to offer courses for leaders. Robert Baden-Powell himself emphasized the importance of the site by assuming the title of Baron Baden-Powell of Gilwell when he was raised to the nobility in 1929 .

To this day, the site is one of the most important centers of the scouting movement and many scouts from all over the world have completed their Woodbadge training there. The park offers tent camps of various sizes, ranging from those for small groups to around 1,200 people, accommodation in houses, historic buildings, scout monuments, and a variety of camp-friendly activities. Events with up to 10,000 people can be held. The site can also be rented for non-scouting activities, such as weddings or conferences.

history

Farm in the late Middle Ages

The park's history can be traced back to 1407 when John Crow owned a piece of land called Gyldiefords , which roughly corresponded to what is now Gilwell Park. Between 1407 and 1422 he sold the land to Richard Rolfe, after whom the area was named Gillrolfes . The old English gill corresponds to the modern glen , in German about small valley , -rolfes was appended after the owner. After Rolfe's death in 1422, parts of the area were named Great Gilwell and Little Gilwell ( Well means spring ). Since then, a farm has stood on the site of what is now Gilwell Farm . Around this time, an additional 5.6 hectares of neighboring land were purchased from Richard Osborne. In 1442 he built a larger accommodation, Osborne Hall , which existed for 300 years. According to an unproven legend, at the beginning of the 16th century the area belonged to Henry VIII , who built a hunting lodge for his son Edward VI . Around 1736, the notorious highwayman Dick Turpin used the Gilwell Woods as a hiding place and base for his raids on travelers and transports to and from London.

In 1754 William Skrimshire bought the area. He had Osborne Hall demolished and erected a new building of the same name, now known as the White House . The timber in the White House could be dated to this time, older timbers are not available. Leonhard Tresilian acquired the property in 1771 and expanded both the property and the buildings. His first wife, Margaret Holland, died young after giving birth to three daughters. In the marriage contract with his second wife, Elizabeth Fawson, he agreed that his eldest daughter Margaret should inherit the property. She married William Bassett Chinnery, the brother of the painter George Chinnery , and received Gilwell Park after her father's death in 1792.

Estate in the 18th century

The Cinnerys were rich and influential. William Chinnery's father owned merchant ships and named one of them Gilwell in 1800 . William and Margaret Cinnery initially lived in London, but moved there in 1793 after inheriting the park. The subsequent renaming of Osborne Hall to Gilwell Hall shocked the neighborhood. Over the next 15 years, the family expanded the land holdings significantly and embellished the area with gardens, paths, and statues. Parts of these facilities still exist today.

The Chinnery family was well known and frequented by British nobles in the 1790s and 1800s. Even George III. and the Prince Regent and later George IV visited the property frequently. George III's seventh son, Adolphus Frederick, 1st Duke of Cambridge , became a close family friend and even lived in Gilwell Park for a while. In 1812 William was able to prove the embezzlement of funds from his employer, the British Treasury, which is why he was fired. The property was subsequently lost and was transferred to the British authorities, more precisely to the Exchequer .

In 1815 Gilpin Gorst bought the property in a public auction, and his son sold it to Thomas Usborne in 1824. In 1826, Usborne acquired some balusters from the demolished old London Bridge and placed them behind the White House, around the Buffalo Lawn . The property changed hands several times, but the new owners never maintained the property and so it fell into disrepair until the beginning of the 20th century. The Reverend Cranshaw acquired the property in 1911 and was the last owner before the Boy Scout Association.

Connections to the Boy Scouts

The buildings continued to deteriorate in the 1910s. William F. de Bois Maclaren was a publisher and scout leader from Rosneath , Dunbartonshire , Scotland . During a business trip to London, Maclaren realized that the Boy Scouts in London's East End did not have a satisfactory outdoor area to conduct their activities. He contacted Robert Baden-Powell and pointed this out to him. This brought Maclaren in contact with PB Nevill, who was responsible as a boy scout leader for the East End of London. On November 20, 1918, during a dinner at Roland House , a Boy Scout shelter in Stepney , Maclaren agreed to donate £ 7,000 to purchase adequate Boy Scout shelter. First, as agreed, searches were carried out in the Hainault Forest and Epping Forest , but without success. John Gayfer, a young boy scout leader, then suggested Gilwell Hall , where he had done bird watching. Nevill visited the former property and was impressed, even though the buildings were all in very poor condition. The area was on sale for £ 7,000, the exact amount Maclaren had provided. At that time the area covered an area of ​​21 hectares.

In early 1919, Gilwell Park was acquired by Maclaren for the Boy Scout Association . Nevill and his rovers began repairs on Maundy Thursday , April 17, 1919. Due to the dampness of the soil, they could not pitch tents and therefore slept in the gardener's house. They called this building The Pigsty . As the first scout camp on the site, the building still stands today, even if it is very dilapidated. Maclaren frequently visited the park and helped repair the buildings. He also donated an additional £ 3,000. His original intention was to provide a camp site for the scouts, but Baden-Powell had the vision of a training center for scouts. The opening of the Boy Scout Center was originally planned for June 19, 1919, but was postponed to June 26 to take place at the official Peace Festival that celebrated the end of the First World War. In the 1920s a lot of work was put into renovating and rebuilding buildings. Due to the limited financial resources, there was little expansion during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Baden-Powell never lived in Gilwell Park, but often camped there for courses and seminars, and attended meetings on the premises.

Second World War

The Ideal Scout ( The Perfect Boy Scout ), was the Gilwell Park in 1966 by the Boy Scouts of America donated

From 1940 to 1945 the area was used by the military as a local command, training and storage center. Today only little reminds of that time, except for a bomb crater that was created by an aerial bomb of the Luftwaffe . It was later expanded and is now used for swimming and canoeing. After the war, surrounding areas were bought in order to be able to expand the park. These areas were named The Quick , New Field, and Hilly Field . Another purchase and donation from South Africa in the early 1950s brought Gilwell Park to its present size. This marked the beginning of the expansion of the tent camp sites, which lasted until the 1960s. In the 1970s the buildings and facilities were further expanded. In 1967, The Boy Scout Association was renamed The Scout Association .

Two important and popular buildings were constructed during the 1970s: the Dorothy Hughes Pack Holiday Center for cubs and the Colquhoun International Center as a training center, originally called the International Hall of Friendship . In the 1980s, the White House and other buildings were extensively renovated. Finally, in April 2001, most of the Scout Association's workplaces were moved from London to the park.

Major renovations and expansions are currently underway to celebrate the Scouting's centenary and the associated 21st World Scout Jamboree 2007 in nearby Hylands Park , Chelmsford , Essex . It has been budgeted for £ 20 million, funded by individual donations of up to £ 500,000. Gilwell Park will be involved in the celebrations and will also be used extensively during the large camp.

Gilwell Park now makes over a million pounds a year through income from conferences, housing and the sale of Boy Scout supplies. The park is one of four centers of the British Scout Movement, alongside Baden-Powell House , Downe Scout Activity Center and Youlbury Scout Activity Center .

Personalities

Francis "Skipper" Gidney became the first manager of the course in May 1919 and remained so until 1923. He organized the first Woodbadge training here (September 8-19, 1919) and contributed greatly to the success of the park as a training center for the scouting movement. The Gidney Cabin was built in his honor in 1929 and serves as a training center.

The second head of the course was John Skinner Wilson from 1923 to 1939. He was Colonel in the British Indian Police when he became a Boy Scout Chief in 1917. In 1921 he visited Gilwell Park to train as a scout leader, which later led to his resignation from the Indian Police. In 1922 he became a full-time scout leader. In 1937 he was honored with the Bronze Wolf Award , the only award from the World Organization of the Scout Movement .

RF Thurman was a British Boy Scout leader who was Camp Chief from 1943 to 1969 and who received the Bronze Wolf Award in 1959. He was a great supporter of Boy Scout training and wrote several books on the subject. The Thurman Memorial now stands near The Pigsty . His successor was John Huskin.

Don Potter was a British sculptor and wood carver and was a long-time associate at Gilwell Park. He was a Master Craftsman . He made countless wood carvings for Gilwell Park, such as Jim Green Gate , Gidney Cabin , Leopard Gates and several totems for the 3rd World Scout Jamboree in 1929 .

activities

Camp in Gilwell Park, Summer 2006

Gilwell Park enables both outdoor and indoor activities such as conferences, training courses, scouting activities and special events for both scouts and other organizations. Weddings and funerals are also often held here. Conferences are held in either the White House or the Colquhoun International Center (CIC), both of which are equipped with modern audio-visual presentation systems. The CIC, for example, offers a large hall, five seminar rooms and six smaller training rooms.

Outdoor activities

The Scout Activity Centers offer space for camping, accommodation or for training scouts and scout leaders from all over the world. In addition to campsites, a high ropes course , an archery range, a go-kart track, a shooting range, several climbing walls and a grass sledge run are offered. It is also possible to go canoeing, rafting , horseback riding, orienteering and much more on the premises .

Leadership training

Campfire site in Gilwell Park

Although a variety of courses are offered at Gilwell Park, the Woodbadge course stands out. Francis Gidney, the first course manager, held the first woodbadge course in the park in September 1919. This training has established itself and the park has thus become the center of worldwide scout training. Scout leaders from all over the world come here to receive this training. After completing the course, you automatically become a member of the 1st Gilwell Park Scout Group ( Gilwell Troop 1 ). These scouts can then call themselves Wood Badger or Gilwellians . The location of the Wood Badger meeting is Gilwell Field . They meet there on the first weekend in September for the Gilwell Reunion .

Accommodations

The park offers various types of accommodation for visitors, such as campsites, hostel rooms, cabins and weekend cottages.

Campsites

Camping groups of up to 2,500 people can easily be accommodated in the park. Both small groups and large international events can be accommodated without any problems. The most popular place is Essex Chase due to its proximity to the swimming pool. Woodlands Field is a larger space and can accommodate up to 200 people with plenty of room for activities. The largest campsite is Branchet Field , which can accommodate up to 1,200 people. Mallinson Field is a small, secluded place in the forest. Ferryman Field can accommodate larger groups and is located at the north end of the site.

White House

The White House in Gilwell Park

The White House and its predecessors can look back on 500 years of history. It became the headquarters of the Scout Association on April 27, 2001, although parts of the organization are still housed in Baden-Powell House in London. The White House also serves as a restaurant and as a training and conference center. It has been rebuilt several times over the years, completely renovated and extensively expanded. The main building has no foundation, the chimneys are made of Coade stone (a type of stoneware ). Inside, pictures by Ernest Stafford Carlos are presented. As a conference center, it offers over forty bedrooms.

Dorothy Hughes Pack Holiday Center

The Dorothy Hughes Pack Holiday Center (PHC) was built for children and young people. It can accommodate 40 people and also has a large kitchen. It was named after a Wolflings leader from east London. The building was originally erected in 1970 without nails.

Branchet Lodge and other small accommodations

Branchet Lodge, or simply The Lodge for short , opened at Branchet Field on May 23, 2003 and has replaced older makeshift accommodations. Its name is easy to confuse with The Lodge , which was built near the White House in 1934. Branchet Lodge is a one-story building with central heating that can sleep up to 56 people. It consists of two wings, each with a bathroom as well as a communal kitchen and a dining room or lounge. Four smaller rooms can be used by the ladders, two rooms are handicapped accessible and each accommodate two people, six rooms are designed for eight people each. Value was placed on efficient use of energy and facilities for the disabled. The building was constructed from stone, wood, copper and with a green roof .

Several log cabins on the edge of the woodland fields accommodate eight people each. You can cook in a separate building or over an open fire. The Storm Hut is a large, hall-like building for activities and games. It was transported to the park by truck from Wales .

Employee Accommodation: Gilwellbury and Gilwell Farm

The acquisition of additional land ( Gilwellbury ) in 1945 has proven very beneficial. The original road could be rerouted and so the areas around Branchet Field could only be used properly . Originally, this remote area was used for quieter, secluded activities and conferences. Today the accommodations for employees of the site are housed there. The purchase was co-financed by the UK Ministry of Education.

The farm ( Gilwell Farm ) is the oldest existing building. It is believed to have been built in the early 18th century and consists of two connected buildings. A brick well near the farm is known as the Gil Well .

Attractions

Buffalo statue donated to Gilwell Park by the Boy Scouts of America in 1926

The main attractions on the site are the Gilwell Museum and a souvenir shop, a fully functioning volunteer hospital, several gardens, archways, statues and four houses of prayer: one each for Buddhist , Roman Catholic , Jewish , Islamic and interdenominational prayer houses.

A bronze bust of Baden-Powell was made available by the Mexican Boy Scout Association after the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico. The Lime Walk circles the main area, although today only a few of the limes ( linden trees ) are still standing. The trail was originally laid out by Margaret Chinnery.

The Buffalo Lawn was named after a replica of a Silver Buffalo Award from the Boy Scouts of America that was given to the park in 1926. It is intended to commemorate the unknown boy scout who helped William D. Boyce bring the scouting movement to the United States . The buffalo statue originally stood on a tree stump, today on a brick pedestal. An inscription on it reads:

" To an Unknown Scout Whose Faithfulness in the Performance of the Daily Good Turn Brought the Scout Movement to the United States of America. "

- EE Reynolds: BP: The Story of His Life .

The Buffalo Lawn grounds are right behind the White House. There is also a signpost showing the direction and distance to all jamborees .

The replica of a statue of R. Tait McKenzie , called The Ideal Scout ( The perfect scout ) or The Boy Scout stands next to The Lid . This statue was donated to the Boy Scouts of America in 1966. The original of the statue is in front of the headquarters of the Cradle of Liberty Council in Philadelphia , another replica is in front of the headquarters of the Boy Scouts of America in Irving .

The Lid (German: Lid ) is a building the size of a barn. It cannot be rented and is mainly used for dances, exhibitions and religious activities. It got its name because its predecessor building only had a roof in the same place, but no side walls.

Buddha in the Buddhist sala

A Buddhist sala was donated to the park in 1967 by the Thai scouts. The Buddha inside is a gift from the Thai government and is over 1,000 years old. Thai ambassadors to the United Kingdom often visit this statue and also take care of its preservation. Many other gifts from scout associations from around the world (for example from Chile , Japan , Mexico , and New Zealand ) are also in the park.

swell

  1. ^ A b John Thurman: The Scout's Book of Gilwell . London 1951
  2. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Peter Rogers: Gilwell Park: A Brief History and Guided Tour . London 1998
  3. Gilwell Park Scout Campsite Hike Routes ( Memento of the original from September 28, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 12, 2006 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.scouts.org.uk
  4. 10 Facts About Gilwell Park ( Memento of the original from February 21, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 1, 2006  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / post369.columbus.oh.us
  5. a b c Annual Reports and Accounts 2000-2001 ( Memento of the original from September 21, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 30, 2006  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.scoutbase.org.uk
  6. Annual Reports and Accounts 2001-2002 ( Memento of the original from September 21, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 30, 2006  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.scoutbase.org.uk
  7. Annual Reports and Accounts 2002-2003 ( Memento of the original from September 21, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 30, 2006  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.scoutbase.org.uk
  8. a b Annual Reports and Accounts 2004-2005 ( Memento of the original from September 21, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 30, 2006  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.scoutbase.org.uk
  9. Departures: John S. Wilson ( Memento of the original from September 7, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 30, 2006  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / pinetreeweb.com
  10. Green Bar Bill Hillcourt's Impact on Wood Badge ( Memento of the original from August 22, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 30, 2006  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.woodbadge.org
  11. The Origins of the Wood Badge (PDF; 113 kB), accessed August 30, 2006
  12. De Gilwell au MacLaren ( Memento of the original from October 16, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed September 10, 2006  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.scouts-europe.org
  13. Don Potter's 100th Birthday ( Memento of the original from September 1, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 30, 2006  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bryanston.co.uk
  14. Vivienne Light: Don Potter: an inspiring century . Brook, New Forest, Hampshire 2002. ISBN 0-9541627-1-4
  15. Gilwell Park Conference Center ( Memento of the original from September 28, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 12, 2006 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.scouts.org.uk
  16. a b c Gilwell Park Activities Center ( Memento of the original from August 13, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 1, 2006 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.scouts.org.uk
  17. The Wood Badge Homepage ( Memento of the original from August 3, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 1, 2006  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / pinetreeweb.com
  18. Gilwell Park ( Memento of the original from October 7, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 2, 2006 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / 130.246.192.24
  19. Training at Gilwell Park ( Memento of the original from June 18, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 2, 2006 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.scoutbase.org.uk
  20. Ernest Stafford Carlos (1883-1917) ( Memento of the original from December 5, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 121 kB), accessed 2006 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.scoutbase.org.uk
  21. New Accommodation Lodge at Gilwell Park ( Memento of the original from October 20, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 30, 2006  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.scoutbase.org.uk
  22. Branchet Lodge (floorplan) ( Memento of the original from September 21, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 30, 2006 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.scouts.org.uk
  23. Look At Gilwell ( Memento of the original from April 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 30, 2006 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bessacarr.com

Web links

Commons : Gilwell Park  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 51 ° 38 ′ 56 ″  N , 0 ° 0 ′ 0 ″  E