Summary : Public Gardens situated within the interior of the Inner Circle in Regent's Park. In 1824 this area was originally a nursery, Jenkin's Nursery, which had been involved in the planting of the rest of the park. In 1838 it was leased to the Royal Botanic Society and an experimental garden was established which was open to the Society and had restricted opening to the general public. The gardens contained plants which were planted in groups by function and country of origin. The botanical portions of the grounds were arranged by James de Carle Sowerby assisted by Dr. Frederick Farre and the ornamental parts were designed by Robert Marnock. The gardens also contained buildings including a museum, palm houses and a water lily house. A conservatory designed by Marnock and Decimus Burton was built in 1845. The gardens may have included some terracotta garden features manufactured by Pulham and Sons. A catalogue "The Picturesque Ferneries and Rock-Garden Scenery" which was published by James Pulham circa 1877 includes a reference to terracotta work at Botanic Gardens, Regent's Park, London. The work had been carried out by 1877 was by James Pulham II (1820-1898) and possibly James Pulham III (1845-1920) . In 1932 the Royal Botanic Society disbanded. The gardens were altered and the conservatory was demolished. In 1935 the gardens were renamed Queen Mary's Gardens and opened as public gardens. The gardens contain London's largest rose garden planted with examples of all the main rose types. It also holds the national collection of delphiniums and 9000 begonias. The garden was restored during the 1990s by Colvin and Moggridge landscape architects. The gardens were included in the RCHME Regent's Royal Parks Project in 1994. |
More information : Following the abandoment of Nash's original plan for the Great Circus, alternative uses were sought for the completed circular road. York Bridge was built in 1817, neglecting the intended symmetry of Nash's intended approach along Chester Road. In 1824 the land inside the Inner Circle was let to Jenkin's Nursery, which had been involved in the planting of the rest of the park. In 1828, residents successfully opposed a proposal to offer the area to King's College for student accomodation.
In 1838, it was leased to the newly formed Royal Botanic Society. The garden design by Robert Marnock blended the perimeter of the Inner Circle with the rest of the park, and incorporated a small lake and adjacent hillock (TQ 2821 8252) some 5m high, which was subsequently used by the Royal Meteorological Society as a stand for an anemometer and other instruments. There were also a conical reservoir mound (TQ 2823 8263), 3m tall and 50m in diameter, a museum, houses for the Curator and Society Secretary and groupings of plants by function and country of origin. A second conical reservoir of similar dimensions, located just outside the Inner Circle at TQ 2835 8245, also probably supplied the gardens.
In 1845, Marnock co-operated with Decimus Burton in the designing of a large conservatory with an exhibition area at its rear, on the north side of the garden, approached by a straight avenue from York Bridge, which slighted he earlier alignment of Nash's design. The conservatory was demolished in 1932 and its site later incorporated into the design of Queen Mary's Gardens, but the level building platform survives, with a maximum height of 0.4m. The avenue also survives, as do the other earthworks mentioned above, but the museum and Secretary's house, then converted to a tea room, were destroyed during the Seconld World War.
In 1932, the Royal Botanic society disbanded and in 1935, the gardens were renamed the Queen Mary Gardens and were fully opened to the public. By 1938, the character of the gardens had changed slightly by the addition of rose gardens and other minor features; an open air school and theatre were given sites on the northeast and northwest of the gardens respectively. (1)
In 1838 the grounds were leased to the Royal Botanic Society and an experimental garden was established which was open to the Society and had restricted opening to the general public. The gardens contained plants which were planted in groups by function and country of origin. The botanical portions of the grounds were arranged by James de Carle Sowerby assisted by Dr. Frederick Farre. The ornamental parts were planned by Robert Marnock. In 1935 the gardens were renamed and opened to the public. It contains London's largest rose garden planted with collections of all the main rose types and also holds the national collection of delphiniums and 9000 begonias. The garden was restored during the 1990s by Colvin and Moggridge landscape architects.(2-5)
The gardens may have included some terracotta garden features manufactured by Pulham and Sons. A catalogue "The Picturesque Ferneries and Rock-Garden Scenery" which was published by James Pulham circa 1877 includes a reference to terracotta work at Botanic Gardens, Regent's Park, London. The site has been included in the national Pulham database (ID number 184) and subsequently published in the gazetteer. The work had been carried out by 1877 was by James Pulham II (1820-1898) and possibly James Pulham III (1845-1920) . (6)
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