Lord Desborough was a great benefactor of Maidenhead

Described by his friends as a man who gets things done, William Henry Grenfell (1855-1945) who became Lord Desborough, was certainly a great man of his time.

He was Mayor of Maidenhead in 1896 and then again a year later, and High Steward for 60 years. 

In 1889 his lasting gift to the town was the lease of an area of land which we now know as Grenfell Park.  In return, the Council was required to maintain it and keep it secure.  It was fenced, grassed and landscaped, and planted with seeds collected by Grenfell on his travels around the world.  It became an oasis of green in a densely built-up area of town.

He also leased land for an open-air rifle range at the Gullet, and for the golf club at Shoppenhangers.  He donated money for the building of the cottage hospital, he started the process for the provision of electric light in the town, and he stirred the locals into subscribing for a town clock, which can still be seen standing proudly by the station today.

As well as these good deeds for Maidenhead, he managed to squeeze in a few other things:

• In 1908 he headed the committee that organised the Olympic Games;
• With two others, he rowed from London to Oxford, non-stop in 22 hours;
• He swam across Niagara Falls twice, allegedly the second time in a snowstorm; and
• He climbed the Matterhorn on three occasions, taking a different route each time.

Along with many other great sporting achievements, today he would probably be described as an absolute legend.

During the war he opened his home, Taplow Court, as a rest centre for nurses.  He saw active service too, as a special correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, at one time outrunning an advancing horde with nothing more than an umbrella to defend himself.

He also had much sadness in his life.  His eldest son was killed in the first world war in 1915, second son too, just a few months later.  And his third son died as the result of a car accident in 1926.

We have a lot to thank him for

Whilst on our quest to find the ‘lost covenant’ protecting the golf course land from development, we have discovered just what a remarkable man he was.  Known for his quick wit, he signed his letters ‘Willy G’ and was a man who excelled at everything he did.  He was a great benefactor of Maidenhead, constantly writing cheques for local clubs and good causes, but when the money ran out and it came to paying his death duties, he had no choice but to sell off his land.  We found heart-breaking letters from him wanting to settle his affairs before he departed.  He was reluctant to sell for development, fearing the area would be turned into a ‘smoke filled city’, but he trusted the council to look after his land. 

It’s time to turn the land at Maidenhead Golf Course into Maidenhead Great Park!

He will certainly be turning in his grave knowing that our council is planning to concrete over this beautiful parkland in the centre of our town. It’s time to turn the land at Maidenhead Golf Course into Maidenhead Great Park, which is what we believe he would have wanted, with a memorial that befits this amazing man.

Ways to support our campaign

• Contribute towards our campaign here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/maidenhead-great-park
• Write to our MP Theresa May to say you oppose the development of the golf course (sharkeyj@parliament.uk)
• Write to your local councillors.  You’ll find contact emails for your councillors here: https://maidenheadgreatpark.co.uk/ask-your-councillors-to-reject-the-blp