Northernhay Gardens
Encyclopedia
Northernhay Gardens are located in Exeter
, Devon
, England, on the northern side of Rougemont Castle
. They are the oldest public open space in England, being originally laid out in 1612 as a pleasure walk for Exeter residents. Northernhay is an English Heritage Grade II listed open space and is currently maintained by Exeter City Council
.
The gardens form a crescent shape bounded to the north by the West of England Main Line
and Exeter Central railway station
Station and to the south by the castle and Rougemont Gardens
. Their eastern entrance is at the head of Northernhay Place and the gardens open on the west to Northernhay Gate.
The site was originally quarried in Roman times for stone for the city walls. The gardens themselves incorporate a stretch of Roman wall and the only length of Saxon town wall to be seen in England.
The early park was destroyed in the Civil War, in 1642, when large defensive ditches were dug outside the walls for the city's defence. Soon after the Restoration, in 1664, the city set about restoring the park, planting hundreds of young elms and laying out gravel paths. There has been a tradition of maintaining the park as a major city amenity since that time.
The gardens underwent a major re-landscaping in 1860, receiving its important group of monuments to major Victorian figures in the city's history between 1860 and 1895. The Deer Stalker (1875) by E. B. Stephens (1815–1882), is a significant piece of Victorian art, exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1876. Stephens also sculpted the statues of John Dinham, who was a local philanthropist, and Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 10th Baronet, in the gardens.
The statue of the Conservative politician Stafford Northcote
(1887) is by Joseph Boehm
. The Volunteer Memorial (1895), designed by S. K. Greenslade, commemorates the formation of the 1st Rifle Volunteers in 1852, and the War Memorial by local sculptor John Angel was constructed in 1923. The gardens also contain a bandstand.
In the mid 1900s the mature avenue of elms lining the central walk succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease and were felled. Subsequent planting has sought to provide all-year-round colour and interest to visitors and residents alike.
The gardens offer views over large parts of the city and play host to a number of events throughout the year.
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England, on the northern side of Rougemont Castle
Rougemont Castle
Rougemont Castle is the historic castle of Exeter.The castle was first built in 1068 to help William the Conqueror maintain control over the city. It is perched on an ancient volcanic plug, overlaying remains of the Roman city of Isca Dumnoniorum...
. They are the oldest public open space in England, being originally laid out in 1612 as a pleasure walk for Exeter residents. Northernhay is an English Heritage Grade II listed open space and is currently maintained by Exeter City Council
Exeter City Council
Exeter City Council is the council and local government of the city of Exeter, Devon.The City Council provides a range of services within the city including housing, refuse collections and recycling, planning, economic development, tourism, leisure and arts facilities and activities...
.
The gardens form a crescent shape bounded to the north by the West of England Main Line
West of England Main Line
The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter...
and Exeter Central railway station
Exeter Central railway station
Exeter Central railway station is the most centrally located of the railway stations in Exeter, Devon, England. It is smaller than St Davids which is on the west side of the city but it is served by trains on the London Waterloo to Exeter main line, and is also by local services to , and . From...
Station and to the south by the castle and Rougemont Gardens
Rougemont Gardens
The Rougemont Gardens is an ornamental open space adjacent to the Rougemont Castle in Exeter, Devon. The gardens are bounded by Northernhay Gardens and the Exeter City Central Library....
. Their eastern entrance is at the head of Northernhay Place and the gardens open on the west to Northernhay Gate.
The site was originally quarried in Roman times for stone for the city walls. The gardens themselves incorporate a stretch of Roman wall and the only length of Saxon town wall to be seen in England.
The early park was destroyed in the Civil War, in 1642, when large defensive ditches were dug outside the walls for the city's defence. Soon after the Restoration, in 1664, the city set about restoring the park, planting hundreds of young elms and laying out gravel paths. There has been a tradition of maintaining the park as a major city amenity since that time.
The gardens underwent a major re-landscaping in 1860, receiving its important group of monuments to major Victorian figures in the city's history between 1860 and 1895. The Deer Stalker (1875) by E. B. Stephens (1815–1882), is a significant piece of Victorian art, exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1876. Stephens also sculpted the statues of John Dinham, who was a local philanthropist, and Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 10th Baronet, in the gardens.
The statue of the Conservative politician Stafford Northcote
Stafford Northcote, 1st Earl of Iddesleigh
Stafford Henry Northcote, 1st Earl of Iddesleigh GCB, PC , known as Sir Stafford Northcote, Bt, from 1851 to 1885, was a British Conservative politician...
(1887) is by Joseph Boehm
Joseph Boehm
Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, 1st Baronet, RA was a medallist and sculptor, best known for the Jubilee head of Queen Victoria on coinage, and the statue of the Duke of Wellington at Hyde Park Corner.-Biography:...
. The Volunteer Memorial (1895), designed by S. K. Greenslade, commemorates the formation of the 1st Rifle Volunteers in 1852, and the War Memorial by local sculptor John Angel was constructed in 1923. The gardens also contain a bandstand.
In the mid 1900s the mature avenue of elms lining the central walk succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease and were felled. Subsequent planting has sought to provide all-year-round colour and interest to visitors and residents alike.
The gardens offer views over large parts of the city and play host to a number of events throughout the year.