Jephson Gardens

Last updated

Jephson Gardens
Jephson Gardens (2) 6.23.jpg
Looking towards the Jephson Memorial
Jephson Gardens
TypePublic park
Location Leamington, Warwickshire, England.
Coordinates 52°17′16″N1°31′55″W / 52.287816°N 1.531953°W / 52.287816; -1.531953
Area14.6 acres (59,000 m2)
Operated byWarwick District Council
StatusOpen all year

The Jephson Gardens are formal gardens, together with a grassed park, in the town of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. The gardens, once a place for the wealthy to 'take the air' and 'be seen', are found in the centre of the town on the Parade, with the River Leam flowing to the south of them. One of the town's most popular tourist attractions, they have facilities such as cafes and floral displays. The gardens are often marketed in tandem with the nearby all-grassed Mill Gardens on the south side of the river. The gardens have a total area of 14.6 acres (59,000 m2) with Mill Gardens and its boating lake, both on the opposite side of the river, providing an extra 3.9 acres (16,000 m2).

Contents

History

The gardens began as farmland which belonged to Edward Willes, a member of the Willes family who played an important part in the shaping of early Leamington. The original gardens, covering just under 10.5 acres (42,000 m2), were laid out in 1834 at the request of the landowner with free entry to anyone between 7 am and 10 am. For the remainder of the day the gardens were open only to paying customers and patrons of a nearby spa bath house. The gardens were soon expanded to their current size and a right of way passing through them was sunk down so it could be used without walking through the gardens. In 1836, two years after starting the project, Willes leased the land to a local consortium for £30 a year. [1]

In 1843, the gardens were improved, the ground being levelled and an ornamental lake being excavated. In 1846 a local committee meeting declared that the gardens be renamed The Jephson Gardens in honour of Dr Henry Jephson who had helped to promote the healing properties of the town's spa waters and built houses for the town's poor residents. A Corinthian-style temple was added to the gardens in 1849 and inside it a large marble statue of the doctor by the Birmingham sculptor Peter Hollins. [2] Most of this early work was undertaken by poor labourers, given employment by another of the town's early philanthropists, Dr John Hitchman. In 1869, Hitchman received recognition of his efforts when a fountain bearing his name was erected in the gardens, near the boundary with the town's main street. This was followed in 1875 by a grey granite obelisk memorial to Edward Willes [3] and in 1925 by a clock tower dedicated to Alderman William Davis, who was mayor of the town three times. All four memorials still stand today.[ citation needed ]

The twentieth century saw yet more development in the park. Tea rooms were opened in the centre of the gardens in 1899 and were later used as an aviary. From 1901 to 1903, Mill Gardens, Mill Bridge and the boathouse were developed. A 1909 a replacement bandstand was built as the current one was used so often it was a noise nuisance to neighbours. [4] The year 1926 saw two further additions to the gardens. The first was a clock tower in the eastern half of the gardens and the second was a fountain for the lake. A second fountain was added in 1927. The two fountains were based on the fountains at Hampton Court. [4]

Czech Memorial Fountain Parachute Fountain.jpg
Czech Memorial Fountain

In those early years, the attractions of the park were just as strong as today, perhaps more so. There were flower shows which drew entrants from all over England, firework and fairy light displays, balloon ascents and band concerts. Archery and croquet, as well as boating, were two sports allowed in the gardens. There were also tennis courts in the park from 1878 to 1942, when the courts were removed during the Dig for Victory campaign of the Second World War. A lasting connection that the gardens have to the war is the Czech Memorial Fountain, unveiled in 1968. Its purpose is to honour those who served in the Czech Free Army, which was based in the town, especially seven men who were parachuted into Czechoslovakia for the assassination (Operation Anthropoid) of Nazi general Reinhard Heydrich. [5] The fountain was restored in 2018 and given Grade II listed status in July 2018. [6] [7]

Funding and redevelopment

Since the end of the Second World War, investment in the gardens had fallen and the task of running them had passed to the Warwick District Council rather than private individuals. In the 1990s, many people felt that the gardens had lost their shine. For this reason the council began major work on the gardens in 1999 and eventually won a £3 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. One of the first jobs to be completed was the removal of a children's play area by the river which was looking outdated. It was replaced by a new one in Mill Gardens near the boathouse. The aviary, which had long been disused, was turned into a cafe, and the Czech War and Jephson memorials were given a well-needed clean. The flagship development however was a sub-tropical glasshouse which contains exotic plant life, The Restaurant In The Park (which replaced an old restaurant by the old children's play area) and a teaching studio used by Warwickshire College students. In addition to these the public toilets were upgraded, the paths were resurfaced and a sensory garden was created.

In 2010, the Grade II listed building, East Lodge, [8] at the Willes Road entrance to the park, originally built in 1846/7, was redeveloped into a sustainability visitor centre. [9]

Recognition

The investment in the gardens has proved to be worthwhile as they were voted, along with Mill Gardens, "Best Park in Britain 2004" by the Royal Horticultural Society. [10] In 2006, the gardens won its first Green Flag award. [11] It has won again every year until present, 2018, making 12 consecutive years. It has been voted a Green Heritage Site by English Heritage. There are also a number of Grade II listed buildings in the gardens. Most recently, the gardens have received the AS Nagra award for “Leamington Spa’s Most Outstanding Area”.

The 1970 "Black Sabbath" world tour in support of the Black Sabbath album included a date at the Jephson Gardens pavilion on 17 May 1970. The Jephson Memorial was featured on the cover of the Ocean Colour Scene album Moseley Shoals , [12] and the park's underpass was found on The Shapes, Songs For Sensible People. In September 2010 scenes for a BBC re-make of the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs were shot in the park.[ citation needed ]. In May 2016 the park was used as the location for the Great Day in Leamington Spa photograph featuring 92 local musicians. A year later the film You, Me and Him starring David Tennant and Lucy Punch was filmed in the park.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leamington Spa</span> Spa town in Warwickshire, England

Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or simply Leamington, is a spa town and civil parish in Warwickshire, England. Originally a small village called Leamington Priors, it grew into a spa town in the 18th century following the popularisation of its water which was reputed to have medicinal qualities. In the 19th century, the town experienced one of the most rapid expansions in England. It is named after the River Leam, which flows through the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warwick</span> Town and the county town of Warwickshire, England

Warwick is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is 9 miles (14 km) south of Coventry, and 19 miles (31 km) south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whitnash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warwickshire</span> County of England

Warwickshire is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire to the south, and Worcestershire and the West Midlands county to the west. The largest settlement is Nuneaton and the county town is Warwick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warwick District</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

Warwick is a local government district of central Warwickshire in England. It borders the Borough of Rugby and Stratford-on-Avon District in Warwickshire as well as the West Midlands County. The City of Coventry is to the north and northeast, the Stratford-on-Avon District to the southwest and south, the Borough of Rugby to the east, and the Borough of Solihull to the west and northwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leek Wootton</span> Human settlement in England

Leek Wootton is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Leek Wootton and Guy's Cliffe, in the Warwick district, in the county of Warwickshire, England, approximately 2 miles south of Kenilworth and 2.5 miles north of Warwick. It lies in the triangle created by Kenilworth, Warwick and Leamington Spa. In 1961 the parish had a population of 671.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leamington Spa railway station</span> Railway station in Warwickshire, England

Leamington Spa railway station serves the town of Leamington Spa, in Warwickshire, England. It is situated on Old Warwick Road towards the southern edge of the town centre. It is a major stop on the Chiltern Main Line between London and Birmingham, and is the southern terminus of a branch line to Coventry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Milverton</span>

Old Milverton is a hamlet east of Warwick and north west of Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, England, and situated in a bend of the River Avon. The population as taken at the 2011 census was 319.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haseley</span> Human settlement in England

Haseley is a small village and former civil parish in Warwickshire, England. It is four miles north-west of the county town of Warwick and nine miles (14.5 km) south-east of Solihull, now in the parish of Beausale, Haseley, Honiley and Wroxall, created on 1 April 2007. The village is on the A4177 and, as it is only five miles (8 km) from the M40 motorway, is easily accessible. Haseley proper, along with Haseley Knob, Haseley Green and Waste Green, consists mainly of detached houses spread over a large area, giving the parish a very low housing density. The 2001 census recorded 207 residents living in 92 dwellings. It is an affluent area, with an average house price of around £277,000. Due to this and its proximity to the tourist towns of Warwick and Stratford upon Avon, several large and highly rated hotels are around the village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Pump Rooms</span> Historic site in The Parade, Leamington Spa

The Royal Pump Rooms is a cultural centre on the Parade in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. It was the most famous of several spa baths opened in Leamington between the late-18th and mid-19th centuries. People would travel from throughout the country, and indeed Europe, to benefit from treatments using the town's healing waters. When 'taking the waters' became less fashionable after the mid-19th century the Pump Rooms became Leamington's only surviving spa facility, later also being extended to include the town's public swimming pool. After a major redevelopment in 1997-99 the building now houses Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum, a public library, a Tourist Information Centre, cafe and assembly rooms. It is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newbold Comyn</span>

Newbold Comyn is a park on the Eastern edge of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dell, Leamington Spa</span>

The Dell is a small park in the Milverton area of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. Although it is not well known nationally or regionally, it is a well used and popular park amongst Leamingtonians themselves. The park takes its name from the fact that it is situated in a small sunken hollow, or dell.

Victoria Park is a public park in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. It is situated about half a mile west of the town centre and is on the south bank of the River Leam. The total area of the park as it stands today is 18.5 acres (7.5 ha).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Pump Room Gardens</span> Open space in centre of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England

The Royal Pump Room Gardens is a popular open space found in the centre of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, next to the Royal Pump Rooms and just north of the River Leam. Despite being named "gardens" there is only one 5.4-acre (22,000 m2) area divided by footpaths with an ironwork bandstand in the centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batsford Arboretum</span> Garden near Batsford in Gloucestershire, England

Batsford Arboretum is a 55-acre (220,000 m2) arboretum and botanical garden near Batsford in Gloucestershire, England, about 1½ miles north-west of Moreton-in-Marsh. It is owned and run by the Batsford Foundation, a registered charity, and is open to the public daily throughout most of the year.

The Parade is a 0.51 mile long street in the town of Royal Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, England. Running in a north-south direction, it forms part of the longer B4087 which runs from the A445 in Leamington to the B4086 in Wellesbourne. The road is the central shopping hub of the town, and contains many high street stores, as well as some of the best examples of Regency architecture for which the town is known. It is commonly called "the Parade", and spoken of as such, but all maps and resources such as the Royal Mail's postcode database simply have "Parade".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leamington Spa Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England

Leamington Spa Town Hall is a Grade II listed municipal building located in the town of Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, England. It is the meeting place of Royal Leamington Spa Town Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Umberslade Obelisk</span> Obelisk in Warwickshire, England

The Umberslade Obelisk is a Grade II listed monument in Warwickshire, England constructed by order of Thomas Archer, 1st Baron Archer, on his estate of Umberslade Hall in 1749. The obelisk is constructed from grey limestone and stands 70 ft (21 m) tall. The reason for its construction is unknown, but it may have simply been to enhance the view from the hall windows. The obelisk lies near the M40 motorway.

The Leamington Open Tournament, also known as the Leamington Lawn Tennis Club Tournament, was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament held at Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England from 1882 to 1931 as part of the pre-open era tennis tour. It was founded on 1 August 1882 as the Royal Leamington Lawn Tennis Tournament.

John Hitchman was a British medical doctor and philanthropist associated with the town of Royal Leamington Spa. Born in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, Hitchman moved to Royal Leamington Spa by 1828 to work as a surgeon. From 1832 he was on the staff of the Warwickshire County Hospital, later renamed the Warneford Hospital and Bathing Institution. Hitchman donated funds to many charitable funds for the poor. In 1851 he purchased land to establish The Arboretum, a planted space for the free use of the public. This grew into a 40 acres (16 ha) site containing 500,000 shrubs and trees.

References

  1. Bird, Vivian: Warwickshire, page 109. Batsford, 1973
  2. Bird, Vivian: Warwickshire, page 110. Batsford, 1973
  3. Nicholson, Jean et al: The Obelisks of Warwickshire, page 38. Brewin Books, 2013
  4. 1 2 Watkin, Jeff: The Benevolent Despot, page 27, Warwick District Council, 2018
  5. Griffin, Alan (2013). "The Free Czechoslovak Army". The Leamington History Group. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  6. Historic England. "Free Czechoslovak Army Memorial Fountain (1458016)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  7. Smith, Kirstie (2 August 2018). "Czech memorial fountain in Leamington gets listed status". The Leamington Spa Courier. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  8. Historic England. "East Lodge (1381321)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  9. "Sustainability Centre". Action 21. 10 January 2011. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  10. Falk, Steven (2001). "The Trees of Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull". Part 5 - Tree collections and other important tree locations in Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull. Warwickshire County Council. p. 90. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  11. "Parks awarded Green Flag status". BBC News. BBC. 23 July 2006. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  12. Purplerevolver.com's review of the album's re-issue