Royal Victoria Park - Bath, Somerset
Posted by: SMacB
N 51° 23.091 W 002° 22.136
30U E 543913 N 5692812
Information board and map for Royal Victoria Park, Bath. Located near one of the entrances in Charlotte Street Car Park.
Waymark Code: WMWJEE
Location: South West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/11/2017
Views: 1
"Royal Victoria Park was opened in 1830 by Queen Victoria herself, when she was aged 11.
Just a short walk from the city centre, this beautiful 23 hectare/ 57 acre site is a favourite for locals and visitors alike.
It boasts the iconic Royal Crescent as its backdrop, and has plenty of attractions to keep you coming back for more."
SOURCE - (
visit link)
"History -
Royal Victoria Park was laid out in 1829 becoming one of the earliest public parks in the country and possibly the first created through public subscnption. The residents of Bath paid to own the land and therefore protected it from development for evermore. Remarkable records show how the Park has remained relatively unchanged since its creation, making it an important example of the Victorian style. When officially opened by an 11 year old Princess Victoria, she was so impressed she designated it The "Royal" Victoria Park, a unique honour for an urban park and it is now registered by English Heritage as a Park of National Historic Interest. In its first year some 25,000 trees and shrubs were planted, as one of the aims was to create an impressive arboretum. Today the arboretum contains a number of "Champion Trees", the largest of their species growing in the UK, with some of these being "original introductions", the very first plants to be imported.
Historic Restoration -
The Council has been carefully restoring the Park since 1992 and has been successful in securing various external funding towards this. Initially the Countryside Commission supported the the funding of an historicsurvey which developed into a restoration management plan. The plan identified how the Victorian Landscape had been eroded and recorded the loss of many built heritage items such as the railings and gates, removed for the World War II efforts. The Council and Countryside Commission have worked in partnership on landscape improvements such as restoring the Victorian style planting "Laurel Lawns", replenishing the arboritum and rare plant collections, plus the restoration and sealing of Milner's Lake which had leaked for many years. Later, funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund has allowed for further replacement, restoration and improvement of the built heritage including the railings and gates, landscape and educational facilities. B&NES Council restored the bandstand in 2005."
SOURCE - info board