Hidden party destination lies beneath estate 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.

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".

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."

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.

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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