IN
THE BEGINNING
I am not sure of the year but I think it would be about
1302 that I made my First visit to Dartmouth, being on a day's outing and coming
around from Torquay in the 'Duke' or “Duchess of Devonshire, it was the
Saturday of Dartmouth Regatta. Little did I then think it was the place that I
was going to earn my bread and butter. When we came to Dartmouth in 1904 the
ground that went by the name of the 'Newground' had already been turfed,
including a portion of what is now the car park and some times called the 'dirty
Newground'. The Council fenced this
grassed ground around with wire netting and had sheep put there to graze.
This apparently annoyed a certain section of the townspeople.
At that time Dartmouth was a big coaling port, steamers calling for
bunkers, which meant that a considerable number of men were engaged on this work
and, for the most part of their time, they would be on the water front waiting
for vessels to come in for coal.
Those were the men that seemed to be most annoyed at the
ground being fenced for sheep grazing. I have been given to understand they
broke down this fence end played football on the grass. This was too much for
the Council, so they decided to prosecute the men that had caused the trouble.
The men did not lose any time but got to work to organise a collection
between them selves and engaged what was supposed to be a very clever lawyer in
those days, Percy Pearce of Plymouth, and the Council lost the case. I have
heard that it was something to do with the wording of the Summonses. After this
it was decided to lay out the ground as gardens, and opposition to this was
still existent from the local people. One
of the Aldermen of the Council, called Pinhey, fought very herd for the Gardens,
and won. Some time afterwards it
was nicknamed 'Pinhey's Paradise'. A
certain amount of opposition continued for several years. I remember on one
particular occasion I cautioned a man who was breaking one of the Byelaws and he
told me that if he liked he could get a sledgehammer and knock down the trees by
the Bandstand.
I think, during the early part of the century, the Council
must have been very progressive. When my Father, the late Mr. F. Johns, was
appointed a considerable portion of the ground now used as a Car Park had been
tufted. This was in a very poor condition. Some of the soil was used to start
the hedge and borders of shrubs which divided what has been called the dirty New
ground from the clean New Ground. The ground is very shallow where the beds are
situated, it having been excavated and good soil put in. Just previous to this,
the Castle Estate had been taken over and a great improvement made by cutting
the higher road leading to Sugary Cove and Compass.
I remember there were two men still working on the road after I came to
Dartmouth, one was called Wood and the other Roberts.
About October 1904 what was known as Sugary Cove Gardens was laid out
with paths, shrubs and seats. I think this ground, and the ground below,
belonged to Mr. Pyne, the Father of the Mr.Pyne now in business in Foss Street
as a Florist and besides this there was the lovely walk to Compass Cove. I do
not think it is generally known that there is a plot of ground known as Rock
Park. It is the far side of the Vegetable Garden that used to belong to 'Gunfield'
and later to Mr Pyne. I remember over twenty years ago(1930s) there was some
discussion about making the ground available to the public.
It was towards the end of 1904 that the Council took over
what was known as 'Jackman's' or 'Ford Gardens' and this was when I commenced my
long service with the Council. The portion where most of the Bowling Green is
situated was a lock up Nursery Garden. From where the roller is kept on the
North side of this wall there were three Greenhouses, two spans roofed heated
and one cool house against the dividing wall.
The two hasted houses were heated with a small saddle boiler.
When these houses were taken down the pipes were used in the greenhouse
by the North Embankment gardens. This higher portion of the ground leased to
Mr.Jackman had to be opened to the public from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the summer
months and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the winter months. All the ground on the
Victoria Road side was enclosed with iron railings which were taken down during
the last Year On the wall opposite the entrance to what is now the Children’s
Playground is a climbing rose called 'Glorie De DiJon'
which still
flowers every year and would probably be seventy years old.
When the Council took over this ground it was laid out with flowerbeds
end seats and looked very nice. Some
years ago it was decided to turn this over to the children.
It was really meant for young children. I think this was a great mistake
for it soon became a very untidy corner. For
many years there was a fine Eucalyptus tree in the higher corner. At the back of
the Fishpond in the Royal Avenue Gardens can still be seen three trees that came
from Jackman's Nursery and are three Prunus Pissardi.
The first Bowling Green that was laid out contained only
three rinks and not so long ago was converted to the present green.
There was a grass bank around the sides with steps leading down to the
Green. At the top and bottom of these steps there were concrete vases made by
Mr. Gullett, who had a monumental business a little way up Victoria Road hill.
Some of these vases can still be seen around the War Memorial and others by the
Fishpond in the Royal Avenue gardens, there was a path all around the Bowling
Green, the Pavilion or Shelter was open to the public, the Bowlers having the
use of a very narrow place at the back. The
entrance to the Ladies conveniences was where the Bowlers make their tea during
matches. The turf for the Green was cut from the site of the Slaughter houses at
Jawbones. It was eventually found that the Bowlers could not play regulation
matches owing to the Green being too small so in 1909 the whole ground was
re-laid, adding a fourth Rink and also increasing the length of the Green using
the turf already there and getting the extra turf required from near the
Isolation Hospital at Jawbones, and some from what was known as Will Hitt’s
field at Townstal, on which there has now been built a nice row of houses.
Returning to the Royal Avenue Gardens, in 1905 the
Greenhouse was erected; the ground on which it stands was a portion of what was
known as the Stoneyard, or depot. The
house is 54’ by 12’, the centre portion being extended outward 6'.
I believe it was intended in the first place for the house to be 60'
long, but it was shortened to make up for the extra cost in having fancy glass
in the front etc. I think this was a mistake, because it took valuable space
from the house. The centre portion was used as a conservatory at first, and was
open to the public during certain hours each day, but chiefly owing to the need
for more room, this was altered later, being closed to the public. The partition
parting the South end portion of the house being taken down, and re-erected to
form a kind of porch for decorative plants. This partition has now been removed.
On the North end there is what was erected as a Potting Shed and Tool house,
also housing the stokehole for the Greenhouse boiler. To start with, the Tool house was a section of the old Ladies
conveniences, afterwards being made into a free lavatory.
We had a small portion of Ground for a nursery near the
present Children’s Clinic, which was started by digging down some sweepings,
etc. that were in the corner, and was gradually extended until it reached the
entrance doors in Mayor’s Avenue. In 1931 the Council had an unemployment scheme, raising the
money by public subscription, etc. The old depot was dismantled and most of the
ground used as a Children's Playground, the Nursery getting a strip by the side
of the Greenhouse. There was a
sandpit just over the wall on the Mayors Avenue side and this was
unsatisfactory, being later done away with, the Nursery Garden getting a little
more ground.
Until the Royal Avenue Gardens ware laid out the only laid
out ground was a strip running from the Clinic to the Public Convenience. A
picture of this ground appeared in the Dartmouth Chronicle, dated Friday the 8th
January 1954. There were two
Rockeries, some small Rockeries with seats back and front, one of which can
still be seen near the Newcomen Memorial. The trees by the Bandstand were
surrounded with a ring of stones. I rather fancy I have heard there were prizes
given to children for planting flowering subjects inside these stones. As time
went an there were additions to the ground and I think the portion by the main
entrance containing three Rose beds was laid out in 1907, the Arches being
erected in conjunction with the Council and the Gas Company, so that Creepers
could be grown over them and also used for illuminations during the Regatta.
It was a long time before anything could be got to grow
there satisfactorily until the present climbing plants were planted. Before this
plot was laid out it was bounded from the road from the entrance apposite
Grant's Boot shop to the Boat float with iron posts, some of which can still be
seen by the plot of ground below the Bandstand. This plot was done in the early
days also the border by the Boat float, the former plot was known as the
subtropical plot, running through the hedge of this ground on the embankment
side can still be seen some of the old gas pipes that were used in the early
days of the garden for the Regatta illuminations. The Regatta illuminations used
to be quite a big job in those days for I remember a man called Fred Pound, the
Father of the Mr.Pound who now keeps the ironmonger’s shop in Duke Street,
used to start on the ground opposite the Greenhouse erecting pipes in July, also
on the plot of ground opposite the War Memorial there used to be a Yacht lit
with gas, the pipe that supplied the gas is sill there. The Bandstand was
erected during the year 1911 by a Scotch firm. It replaced the wooden structure
that was situated a little nearer the gardens than the new one. I have heard it
said that it was the best Bandstand this side of Bristol. I think myself that it
is a nice asset to the Gardens, especially when decorated with plants.
I understand
the Fountain near the main entrance when first erected was near the Rockery just
opposite the corner of the Boat Float and was a drinking fountain, but was
abused, when it was decided to move it to its present position and make it into
an ornamental fountain. I think the little elephants heads attached ware made by
the late Mr. Wallis, 'W.J.W's' father who was the Water Inspector. I might
mention here that Mr. Wallis was always ready to co-operate with my father in
anything he could do for the gardens, in fact the watering arrangement, or most
of them that we have today, bath at the Bowling Green and the Royal Avenue
Gardens, were mainly his work, with his assistant the late Mr. A. Tucker.
The name for the gardens 'Royal Avenue' was due to the
late King Edward VI1 passing through there when the foundation stone was laid
for the Royal Naval College in 1902. During the winter of 1917 there was an
awful gale during a Saturday - Sunday night, three or four elm trees being blown
down and others damaged. There was a fine Eucalyptus tree on the edge of the
footpath opposite the George and Dragon Inn; this was also blown down during the
same gale. At the back of the Fishpond there was a fine old elm tree, the only
one, I think, remaining out of seven that used to be there before the Embankment
was built and reclaimed ground was filled in.
This tree was taken down in 1925 owing to its dangerous condition. I think it was the Monday after the Regatta when a large limb
fell dawn without any warning, between some caravans that were still there, but
luckily no damage was done.
The shrub border by Mayor's Avenue was inside at first,
and a stonewall ran along at the back of the trees that are now in the border.
This wall was taken down, some of the stones being used to build the
present dry wall. The large granite
stone about the filling in of the Pool was built in this wall and still stands
on a portion of it. At the East end
of Mayor's Avenue there was a good shelter, which I understand was given by a
man called Cousins, and ran about North to South, but was eventually shifted
facing the East for the benefit of the coal workers, with sliding shutters
fitted with fasteners inside, and the Shelter used to be locked up at night. The
Council put a nice table and seats in the shelter; papers were also given and
besides these facilities there was a fireplace installed to keep the shelter
warm but I am sorry to say the fasteners were broken and the shelter gradually
got broken up and in a filthy condition.
I am not
sure of the year but it was in the early days when the Manor Gardens was
tackled, a shelter, seats and shrubs were placed there but this also was another
place that suffered a lot of damage. In 1924 the Stumpy Cove improvement was
started, being an unemployment scheme, paths were cut and a landing place made
there. My Father was in charge of this work and this was when my Father's health
began to break down for he never seemed to get over it and gradually got worse.
I should
think it would be about 1930 when Avery’s Meadow was laid out with shrubs,
etc. making a great improvement to the entrance to the town, the row of
Cotoneaster Frigidi having been greatly admired, although some of them owing to
complaints have had to be severely pruned. The year 1931 saw the little Nine
Hole Putting Green on the front laid out, the ground then being requisitioned
for War purposes. ‘After the War it was reinstated with fresh turf, flower
beds, shrubs and seats, making a great improvement to this part of the
Embankment.
There has
recently been added a small portion of ground by the new ladies Conveniences,
which I hope the Council will agree to fence properly.
I am interested in this plot because there are two or three interesting
subjects planted there, one is a young tree of the Patula Pine, of which I
understand there is only one good specimen tree in the Country, and that is in
Cornwall. I raised this young tree from seed given me by a friend and it came
from Rhodesia. There is also to be found there a nice plant of the Phanix Palm,
which belongs to the Date family, also there is another shrub, Clerondendron
Fargesi.
Dyers Hill
was purchased in 1936, in which we laid out a nice lawn with seats, fixed new
iron gates for the entrance, which were taken away during the War. A man was taken on to look after the place being engaged on
1st April, 1936, and his engagement was terminated on the 31st March the next
year, the Council allowing a man there one day a week, but eventually this was
stopped and all the good work that had been done there was ruined.
I thought at first that the ground was going to be an asset to the town,
but under present conditions I consider it a liability and if the Council could
get rid of it, the better it would be for the town. There was a shed there which
would do very well for a shelter but this was wilfully destroyed.
The year
1922 saw the laying out of the Tennis Courts on the ground known as Price's
lawn, named after a Mr. Price who kept a School in Roseville Street, opposite
the Lawn. On the Victoria Road side the ground was level with the footpath, with
iron railings for protection. During
the First War this ground was used for allotments, there was a kind of division.
I should say about two thirds up from the Victoria Road side there was a
pink thorn growing also near the corner on the same side there was a beautiful
tree of the Paulownia Imperials, a native of China, first introduced into this
Country in 1840. This had to be taken down to make room for the Tennis Courts.
At one time there was a Skating Rink on the Roseville Street side, it
being built by a local businessman called Will Hitt.
There were two full sized Courts and one small.
The Plane trees on the Victoria Road side were planted because of
complaints that players had difficulty in following the balls because Of the
greyness of the buildings opposite. The
Courts were used eventually to store the material that were cleared from the
blitz and since for the Council Depot.
As far as I
can remember the first lot of soil of any quantity that was brought for the
Coronation Park, came from the town side of the Hedge of the road that was known
as Primrose Lane but now known as Yorke Road. This soil was levelled and in 1932
there was an 18 hole Miniature Golf Course laid out, this was along the Coombe
Road side most of the turf coming from Dartmoor. At that time there was not a
lot of ground filled up to its proper level and was therefore not fit for
turning all over, so this lower ground had just the Green and Tees turfed, it
took about three quarters of an hour to go around the Course, using a mashie and
putter. Some of the ground near the Main entrance to the Royal Naval College was
later turfed, the turf coming from the other side of the Coastguard houses at
Compass. This turf was later used
to turf the lawn at Dyers Hill. I think it was in 1936 when the job of turfing
what subsequently became Coronation Park was commenced taking three winters to
complete. The turf, or most of it,
coming from the Council field at Jawbones, which was no mean task. Most of the ground was surrounded with a border of trees and
shrubs when College Way was made; the surround of shrubs was completed.
I think it is one of the beast collections of shrubs in the County.
The border contained approximately 700 trees and shrubs.
Unfortunately,
just as the ground had been completed with turf the War came and the ground was
ruined, but it has now been reinstated, the shrubs that remained being severely
pruned, and others planted replacing those that had been damaged, etc. There is also a fine 18 hole Putting Green, of which it has
been said is one of the best in the district and also four Tar Macadam Tennis
Courts. The remaining ground has been seeded out and on the whole is in a fairly
good condition. At one time it
seemed it was not going to drain well but this trouble, with attention, is
getting better. I think Coronation Park is a great asset to Dartmouth and a
beautiful setting with the River and the hills opposite.
I have
mentioned the principle places that come within the province of the pleasure
Grounds, but there is St. Saviours burial Ground, which since 1939 has came
under the pleasure grounds department, also the main entrance to Longcross
Cemetery and shrubs at the new burial ground.
The Mayor’s Parlour is also kept supplied with plants and flowers, not
forgetting floral decorations for various functions at the Dance Hall, one of my
most treasured possessions in connection with this is a picture of the then
Prince of Wales and the Duke of York when they were Cadets at the Royal Naval
College presenting the Silver Oar to Dartmouth in 1911. I am not quite sure but
I think this might be the only picture like it.
Chronicle