Belle Vue Park
Encyclopedia
Belle Vue Park is a large Victorian
public park in the west side of the city of Newport
in South Wales
. It was awarded a prestigious Green Flag Award
on July 17, 2008
in 1891 to provide a public park for its citizens.
An open competition to design and construct the park was won by Thomas Mawson. Mawson's winning design was, in fact, designed for the neighbouring field, the site of the then Newport and Monmouthshire Hospital, after Mawson misunderstood directions on his first visit to Newport. The mistake wasn't realised until the first site visit, after the contract had been awarded; Mawson had to quickly re-think some of his plans!
Belle Vue Park was Thomas Mawson's first win in an open competition. He went on to become one of the foremost landscape architects of his time, responsible for the design of many gardens in his adopted Lake District
, including Holker Hall
and Rydal Hall
as well as Dyffryn Gardens
near Cardiff
.
In November 1892 Lord Tredegar performed the ceremony of cutting the first sod; construction began and the park opened on 8 September 1894. The final cost of the park is recorded as £19,500.
Belle Vue Park has many features typical of a Victorian
public park, including the conservatories and pavilion, bandstand and rockeries.
Additional features were added to the park throughout the years. The Gorsedd
Stone Circle was erected in 1896, for the National Eisteddfod, held in Belle Vue Park in 1897. The bowling greens were opened in 1904 and a Tea House added in 1910.
The bandstand and original series of cascades were restored in 2006.
Belle Vue Tearooms is run by a Cardiff Charity called Vision 21 Cyfle Cymru who are in partnership with Newport City Council. Vision 21 (Cyfle Cymru) offers people with a disability the opportunity to undertake vocational training with a view to employment. The students of Vision 21 receive catering training in the Tea Rooms which includes food preparation, serving the public, till training, social interaction and a chance to gain OCN qualifications. The Belle Vue Park Pavilion in which the Tea Rooms is situated is available for hire by the public at an hourly rate and catering services are also available from Vision 21.
In early Spring the Himalayan Magnolias produce huge goblet-shaped pink flowers and the branches of the Judas Trees
can be seen covered with clusters of rose-lilac flowers in May. In June and July the Tulip Tree produces its distinctive orange tulip-shaped flowers.
Autumn brings glorious leaf colour to many of the trees and shrubs. Of particular note are the clear yellow leaves of Ginkgo biloba, one of only four deciduous conifers that can be seen growing in the British Isles today, and the glorious crimson leaves of the Liquidambar, a native of the eastern United States.
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
public park in the west side of the city of Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. It was awarded a prestigious Green Flag Award
Green Flag Award
The Green Flag Award is the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the United Kingdom. The scheme was set up in 1996 to recognise and reward green spaces in England and Wales that met the laid down high standards...
on July 17, 2008
Features
The land on which the park stands was a gift to Newport from Godfrey Morgan, 1st Viscount TredegarGodfrey Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar
Godfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar was a British Army officer and British politician.Tredegar was born on 28 April 1831 in Ruperra Castle, Glamorganshire...
in 1891 to provide a public park for its citizens.
An open competition to design and construct the park was won by Thomas Mawson. Mawson's winning design was, in fact, designed for the neighbouring field, the site of the then Newport and Monmouthshire Hospital, after Mawson misunderstood directions on his first visit to Newport. The mistake wasn't realised until the first site visit, after the contract had been awarded; Mawson had to quickly re-think some of his plans!
Belle Vue Park was Thomas Mawson's first win in an open competition. He went on to become one of the foremost landscape architects of his time, responsible for the design of many gardens in his adopted Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
, including Holker Hall
Holker Hall
Holker Hall is a country house with a celebrated garden situated on the Cartmel Peninsula, which was historically part of the county of Lancashire, but is now part of the county of Cumbria....
and Rydal Hall
Rydal Hall
Rydal Hall is an early 19th century Grade II listed historic house on the outskirts of the village of Rydal, Cumbria in the Lake District, England. The house is opposite Rydal Mount, home of the poet William Wordsworth...
as well as Dyffryn Gardens
Dyffryn Gardens
Dyffryn Gardens is a collection of botanical gardens located near the village of St. Nicholas in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The gardens were selected by the British Tourist Authority as one of the Top 100 gardens in the UK.-History of The Dyffryn Estate:...
near Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
.
In November 1892 Lord Tredegar performed the ceremony of cutting the first sod; construction began and the park opened on 8 September 1894. The final cost of the park is recorded as £19,500.
Belle Vue Park has many features typical of a Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
public park, including the conservatories and pavilion, bandstand and rockeries.
Additional features were added to the park throughout the years. The Gorsedd
Gorsedd
A gorsedd plural gorseddau, is a community or coming together of modern-day bards. The word is of Welsh origin, meaning "throne". It is occasionally spelled gorsedh , or goursez in Brittany....
Stone Circle was erected in 1896, for the National Eisteddfod, held in Belle Vue Park in 1897. The bowling greens were opened in 1904 and a Tea House added in 1910.
The bandstand and original series of cascades were restored in 2006.
Belle Vue Tearooms is run by a Cardiff Charity called Vision 21 Cyfle Cymru who are in partnership with Newport City Council. Vision 21 (Cyfle Cymru) offers people with a disability the opportunity to undertake vocational training with a view to employment. The students of Vision 21 receive catering training in the Tea Rooms which includes food preparation, serving the public, till training, social interaction and a chance to gain OCN qualifications. The Belle Vue Park Pavilion in which the Tea Rooms is situated is available for hire by the public at an hourly rate and catering services are also available from Vision 21.
Flora
Belle Vue Park contains a number of rare specimens.In early Spring the Himalayan Magnolias produce huge goblet-shaped pink flowers and the branches of the Judas Trees
Cercis
Cercis , is a genus of about 10 species in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to warm-temperate regions. It contains small deciduous trees or large shrubs commonly known as Redbuds...
can be seen covered with clusters of rose-lilac flowers in May. In June and July the Tulip Tree produces its distinctive orange tulip-shaped flowers.
Autumn brings glorious leaf colour to many of the trees and shrubs. Of particular note are the clear yellow leaves of Ginkgo biloba, one of only four deciduous conifers that can be seen growing in the British Isles today, and the glorious crimson leaves of the Liquidambar, a native of the eastern United States.