Southport Botanic Gardens
Encyclopedia
Southport Botanic Gardens is a botanical garden
situated in the suburban village of Churchtown, Southport
, in Merseyside
, England
. It is often called "The Jewel in the Crown" as it is nationally known for its floral displays, which have been featured in the BBC TV program Gardener's World.
) to establish the gardens. The company raised £18,000 to build the museum, a conservatory and tea rooms and to landscape the gardens.
The botanic gardens' lake was formed from part of a stream (known as Otter Pool) that flowed from Blowick
through Meols Hall
out to the Ribble Estuary. It is said that monks who lived nearby fished for eels in the stream.
The gardens were officially opened in 1875 by Rev. Charles Hesketh, from whom the land occupied by the gardens has been acquired. The ceremony included the laying of a foundation stone for the museum, which eventually opened in 1876.
The gardens closed in 1932, as plans had been drawn up for a housing development, but were saved from being sold by the Southport Corporation. They reopened on 28 August 1937 as "The Botanic Gardens and King George Playing Fields". Today, the park's name has been reverted back to Botanic Gardens.
with a fernery
, which proved very popular with visitors, as it featured many tropical plants from around the world. Although the magnificent conservatory was eventually demolished, the fernery still remains. The site of the conservatory can still be seen in front of the fernery today, as the outline of the remains are laid out as a floral garden.
The famous showman Phineas T. Barnum was an advisor in the construction of the museum, and his top hat was on display in the museum.
The running of the museum was funded by donations from the public and Sefton Council. It was the only local-history museum in Sefton.
The museum contained a number of fine collections—many of which have been donated by local residents—and its exhibits dealing with natural and local history include the Cecily Bate Collection of Dolls, a Victorian room and many local artifacts relating to Southport's heritage.
One special item, and probably the oldest item in the museum, is the ancient canoe which was found in Martin Mere
.
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
situated in the suburban village of Churchtown, Southport
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
, in Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is often called "The Jewel in the Crown" as it is nationally known for its floral displays, which have been featured in the BBC TV program Gardener's World.
History
The gardens were founded by a local group of working men, known as the Southport and Churchtown Botanic Gardens Company. The company acquired land from the Hesketh Estate (which belonged to Meols HallMeols Hall
Meols Hall is a historical manor house in Churchtown, Merseyside, dating from the 12th century but largely rebuilt in by Roger Fleetwood-Hesketh in the 1960s.- History :...
) to establish the gardens. The company raised £18,000 to build the museum, a conservatory and tea rooms and to landscape the gardens.
The botanic gardens' lake was formed from part of a stream (known as Otter Pool) that flowed from Blowick
Blowick
-History and etymology:Blowick is part of the ancient parish of North Meols and was formerly a detached settlement, on the northern fringe of what is now Southport....
through Meols Hall
Meols Hall
Meols Hall is a historical manor house in Churchtown, Merseyside, dating from the 12th century but largely rebuilt in by Roger Fleetwood-Hesketh in the 1960s.- History :...
out to the Ribble Estuary. It is said that monks who lived nearby fished for eels in the stream.
The gardens were officially opened in 1875 by Rev. Charles Hesketh, from whom the land occupied by the gardens has been acquired. The ceremony included the laying of a foundation stone for the museum, which eventually opened in 1876.
The gardens closed in 1932, as plans had been drawn up for a housing development, but were saved from being sold by the Southport Corporation. They reopened on 28 August 1937 as "The Botanic Gardens and King George Playing Fields". Today, the park's name has been reverted back to Botanic Gardens.
Conservatory
The gardens boasted a large glass conservatoryConservatory (greenhouse)
A conservatory is a room having glass roof and walls, typically attached to a house on only one side, used as a greenhouse or a sunroom...
with a fernery
Fernery
A fernery is a specialized garden for the cultivation and display of ferns.In many countries, ferneries are indoors or at least sheltered or kept in a shadehouse to provide a moist environment, filtered light and protection from frost and other extremes, some ferns native to arid regions require...
, which proved very popular with visitors, as it featured many tropical plants from around the world. Although the magnificent conservatory was eventually demolished, the fernery still remains. The site of the conservatory can still be seen in front of the fernery today, as the outline of the remains are laid out as a floral garden.
Botanic Gardens Museum
The Botanic Gardens Museum was opened in 1876. It was designed by the local architects Mellor & Sutton of London Street and built by George Duxfield of Duxfield Brothers, Southport.The famous showman Phineas T. Barnum was an advisor in the construction of the museum, and his top hat was on display in the museum.
The running of the museum was funded by donations from the public and Sefton Council. It was the only local-history museum in Sefton.
New collection
When the gardens closed in 1932, all the collections were sold off. The museum was later reopened by John Scoles, who started from scratch a new collection.The museum contained a number of fine collections—many of which have been donated by local residents—and its exhibits dealing with natural and local history include the Cecily Bate Collection of Dolls, a Victorian room and many local artifacts relating to Southport's heritage.
One special item, and probably the oldest item in the museum, is the ancient canoe which was found in Martin Mere
Martin Mere
Martin Mere is a mere near Burscough, Lancashire, England on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain. The mere is a vast marsh, around that, until it was drained, was the largest body of fresh water in England.-History:...
.
Friends of the Botanic Gardens Museum
During the 1980s the Friends of the Botanic Gardens Museum organization was formed. They stopped the proposed closure of the museum at the time. The Friends had their own shop within the museum building.Closure
The Botanic Gardens Museum was closed as part of a cost-cutting exercise by Sefton Council on 24 April 2011. At present there are no plans to reopen it. At the same time, horticultural activities at the gardens were significantly reduced.External links
- Botanic Gardens Southport - Sefton Council
- Botanic Gardens Museum - official site
- Friends of the Botanic Gardens Museum