THE ROYAL AVENUE GARDENS

The Royal Avenue Gardens, Parks and Pleasure Grounds in and around Dartmouth in the early days.

By Jackie Wallace, grandaughter of Mr. F. Johns, First Borough Gardener, and daughter of Mr. W. Johns the Second Borough Gardener.

The Royal Avenue Gardens were first opened in honour of Queen Victoria’a Golden Jubilee. A plan was drawn up by Sir Thomas Freake’s gardener for two avenues of trees and some rockeries, while a raised bandstand and a drinking fountain were donated by Sir Henry Seale. The foundation stone of the fountain was laid on 21st June 1887. The local Council had opposed its creation, and tried to limit any expenditure on it. (Photo 1)

It was in 1904 that my grandfather came to Dartmouth from South Zeal, on the edge of Dartmoor, to apply for the post of Borough Gardener, in order to lay out the Royal Avenue Gardens. It was towards the end of that year that his eldest son, my father, came to work in the gardens as under gardener, the beginning of 49 years employment, 22 as Borough Gardener.

In the early days, the townspeople of Dartmouth were very opposed to money being spent on the laying out of the gardens. But an alderman of the Council called Pinhey was very keen, fought hard for this project and won. For a long time afterwards the Gardens were nicknamed “Pinhey’s Paradise.”

1905 saw the erection of the Greenhouse on the North Embankment. The centre position was used as a conservatory for exotic plants. This was opened daily to the public. On the site was also a Potting Shed and Tool House, and a small office. The Greenhouse

was heated by a coke boiler. 1907 saw the planting of three rose beds which were installed at the main entrance, and named the Rose Garden.

The arches at the entrance to the Gardens from the Quay were erected in conjunction with the Council and the Gas Co. Creepers were trained to climb over them, and they were an important feature of the Regatta, with hundreds of fairy lights and Chinese lanterns decorating the flower beds of the gardens. (Photo 2) The cost in 1909 for lanterns and candles was £5. 7. 6d. This consisted of 12 new lanterns at one shilling, 24 at 4 pence, 48 at 2 pence, and these were got from Mr. Roberts. Fifteen hundred candles at £1. 2. 6d per 500 were bought from three ironmongers in the town, namely Mr. Easton, Mr. Tolman and Mr. Bates. For the centenary Regatta it was reported in the Chronicle of Aug. 25th 1939 that approximately 700 candle fairy lights and lanterns were used for decorative purposes.

The Bandstand was erected in 1911 by a Scottish firm, and replaced the wooden structure that was placed nearer the gardens than the new one. It also had railings around, and a rockery of plants. The Fountain when first erected was in the form of a drinking fountain, and positioned near the Rockery just opposite the corner of the Boatfloat. Because it was abused it was moved to its present position and made into an ornamental fountain. The little elephant heads attached to the fountain were made by a Mr. Wallis, the father of W.J.W. who wrote a weekly article in the Western Guardian under the heading W.J.W.’s Diary.

The little shelter in the Gardens was given by a man called Cousins. At one time it was kept locked at night. Inside was a table and seats, a fireplace, and newspapers were provided for the users of the shelter. This was for the benefit of the local coal lumpers, who often had to wait in all weathers for work on ships coming into Dartmouth which was in those days was a thriving coal port. Sadly this was vandalised and it was converted into an ordinary shelter.

All the flowers and plants for the flower beds were raised from seed or by cuttings: no plants bought. The Autumn bulb list for 1909 cost £4. 3. 9d. This was for approximately 2,750 bulbs - hyacinths, tulips, narcissi, anemones, crocus, iris, ranunculus, penstemone hybrida and cyclamen. The seed order for 1915 was 14 shillings, the most expensive being the pansy collection at 2/6d , and half an ounce of wallflower, blood red, was 1/6d. Besides the Royal Avenue Gardens the Borough of Dartmouth had other interests, which the gardening staff had to undertake. In 1904 the Castle estate was taken over. The making of the higher road was in progress when grandfather and Dad came to Dartmouth. Two of the men working on the road were Wood and Roberts. Also 1904 saw Sugary Cove gardens laid out, with paths trees and shrubs and a lawn at the bottom.

1904 was an extremely busy year for the gardening staff, as it was then that Ford Gardens were taken over, or as to known to locals Jackmans Gardens. Three greenhouses were erected, and part of these gardens were open to the public 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. in summer and 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. in winter. Later these gardens were turned into a children’s playground and bowling green.

The first turf for the bowling green was cut in 1905 and laid by my grandfather. The green was opened for the first time in May 1906, the ceremony being performed by the then Mayor, Alderman W. G. Ellis. The green had three rinks and a grass bank around with steps leading down to it. The Pavilion was open to the public, the bowlers having use of a narrow place at the back. The entrance to the Ladies’ conveniences was where the bowlers made their tea during matches. (No environmental health officials in those days!) The turf for the green was got from a field at Jawbones. In 1909 the Green was extended to four rinks, also lengthened using turf already there and again getting extra from Jawbones and Will Hitts field at Townstal (where Beechfield Terrace is unless I am corrected.)

The Gardens always supplied the Mayor’s Parlour with plants and fresh flowers and decorated the Dance Hall and entrance with plants and flowers for important functions. One such was in 1911, on the handing over of the Silver Oar to Dartmouth by the then Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII, who was accompanied by his brother, later George VI.

In 1922 it was decided a tennis court was needed for the town. This was built on land known as “Prices Lawn,” named after a Mr. Price who had a school in Roseville Street. There were two full size courts and one small one.

In 1924 Stumpy Cove at the Castle was improved, with seats, small lawns and a landing stage. This work was part of an unemployment scheme for men out of work. (Ph. 3)

After the North Embankment was extended to the Higher Ferry, enclosing Coombe Mud, the gardeners from 1932 had the job of planting out the present Coronation Park. Most of the soil came from Yorke Road. An 18-hole miniature Golf Course was laid out along the Coombe Road side which took three quarters of an hour to get around with a mashie and putter. The job of turfing the rest of the area was started in 1936 and took three winters to complete. It was named Coronation Park in 1937 in honour of the coronation of George VI. The park was surrounded by a border of trees and shrubs, about 700 being planted many by local people. (Photo 4)

1935 saw the Silver Jubilee of King George V, and the special feature in flowers done by my father were the words “G. & M Silver Jubilee 1910 - 1935.” This was done with irisine and a ground work of mesembryanthemum cardifolium variagatum. For the Coronation year 1937 Dad did the most impressive piece of work of his lifetime, the Union Jack in flowers. The drawing up of the plans was painstaking as it was all done to scale. The total amount of plants used were 1,177, all grown from seed, comprising for the flag 285 white lobelia, 184 blue lobelia and 267 begonia “sea fire.” The lettering under the Union Jack said “Honour the King” and this was done in 171 echovaria and 270 mesembryanthemum.

Sadly, war came: in 1943 Coronation Park was taken over by American forces preparing for D-Day and the ground was ruined, to my father’s great grief. The greenhouses were used during the war to grow food, such as tomatoes and sweetcorn. The Gardens were not damaged, and though the Americans built a reinforced road for tanks from the Quay to the Embankment they did not destroy the bandstand. After the war Coronation Park was restored with a fine 18-hole putting green, four tar macadam tennis courts and the rest grassed for football and general recreation.

Over the years the gardens were continually subject to vandalism, showing that youngsters were the same then as now, except that I have been told that many a youngster and adult would be on their best behaviour if Grandfather or Dad was around.

(1539 words)

CAPTIONS FOR PHOTOS:

1. The Royal Avenue Gardens before 1911, showing the fountain and the first bandstand.

2. These gas-lit illuminations at the entrance to the Gardens celebrated a Regatta in the time of Edward VII, (1901-1910).

3. Workmen building the steps and gardens at Stumpy Cove, by the Castle, as part of an unemployment relief scheme in 1924.

4. Horse and plough preparing the ground for turfing Coronation Park in the 1930’s, after the building of the North Embankment.