▁part ▁of ▁the ▁estate ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁stat ely ▁home ▁W anst ead ▁House , ▁built ▁by ▁Richard ▁Child , ▁ 1 st ▁Earl ▁T yl ney , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁fin est ▁P all ad ian ▁m ans ions ▁in ▁Britain ▁and ▁the ▁architect ural ▁insp iration ▁for ▁M ansion ▁House , ▁London . ▁It ▁was ▁subsequently ▁demol ished ▁to ▁pay ▁the ▁g amb ling ▁deb ts ▁of ▁a ▁relation ▁of ▁the ▁Duke ▁of ▁Well ington . ▁ ▁Name ▁The ▁place ▁name ▁is ▁probably ▁of ▁Sax on ▁origin ▁and ▁is ▁first ▁recorded ▁in ▁a ▁char ter ▁of ▁ 1 0 6 5 ▁as ▁W enst ede . ▁The ▁first ▁element ▁appears ▁to ▁mean ▁" w ain " ▁or ▁" w agon ", ▁but ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁the ▁full ▁comp ound ▁is ▁not ▁clear . ▁An ▁alternative ▁explanation ▁by ▁the ▁English ▁Place - Names ▁Society ▁is ▁that ▁it ▁der ives ▁from ▁the ▁Ang lo - S ax on ▁words ▁W en , ▁sign ifying ▁a ▁hill ▁or ▁m ound , ▁and ▁Ste ad , ▁a ▁place ▁or ▁settlement . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Astronom y ▁In ▁ 1 7 0 7 ▁the ▁astronom er ▁James ▁P ound ▁became ▁re ctor ▁of ▁W anst ead . ▁In ▁ 1 7 1 7 ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society ▁l ent ▁P ound ▁Hu yg ens ' s ▁ 1 2 3 - foot ▁foc al ▁length ▁object - glass , ▁which ▁he ▁set ▁up ▁in ▁W anst ead ▁Park . ▁P ound ' s ▁observations ▁with ▁it ▁of