Norwich Parks and Gardens

Castle Gardens and Green:

Parks and gardens 00 [ Castle Gardens (around the Castle mound - opened 1889) ]

Parks and gardens 01 [ Castle Green above Castle Mall (constructed 1992-93): Children’ play area, Cascade ]

Chapel Field Gardens:

Parks and gardens 02 [ Chapel Field (an archery ground in mediaeval times - was laid out as a formal garden in 1879): Pagoda, Tea pavilion ]

Originally costing £2,000, the handsome cast and wrought iron Pagoda or pavilion was purchased in 1880 from Barnard, Bishop and Barnard by public subscription for £500. It was constructed in 1876 from plans by Thomas Jeckyll for exhibiting by the above firm at the Paris and Philadelphia Exhibitions among other places. The photographer’s great uncle (Aquilla Eke) is said to have executed much of the bas-relief work, which was hand-forged.

The thatched Tea Pavilion dates from about the time of the Ashanti Campaign of 1895 and thus became known as King Prempeh’s Bungalow.

Parks and gardens 03 [ Chapel Field: Tea pavilion (which replaced the thatched structure in 1938), Band stand, Gurney clock (presented to the City by Barclay’s Bank - formerly Gurney’s Bank - to mark 200 years of trading in Norwich - commissioned 1975 - unveiled 1987 - later moved to Castle Mall) ]

Chapel Field

Earlham Park:

Parks and gardens 04 [ Earlham Park (purchased by Norwich Corporation for civic purposes in 1925 these were the old-world gardens of the Country House estate long associated with the Gurneys): Herbaceous border, Kitchen garden, Dutch Rose garden ]

Eaton Park:

Parks and gardens 05 [ Eaton Park (formally opened by H.R.H.Edward Prince of Wales 30th May 1928): Entrance gates South Park Avenue, Ornamental fountain, Rose gardens ]

Parks and gardens 06 [ Eaton Park: Yacht pond, Band stand, Military band concert (Whitsun 1932), Lily pond ]

Friends of Eaton Park

Garden of Remembrance Market Place:

Parks and gardens 07 [ Garden of Remembrance Market Place, Heigham Park gates (to tennis courts - formerly a portion of the railing surrounding the Pagoda which stood in Chapel Field Gardens) ]

Heigham Park:

Parks and gardens 08 [ Heigham Park (laid out as formal gardens with tennis courts bowling green and children’s playground in 1921 - including rock garden and herbaceous borders) ]

Mousehold Heath:

The wild atmosphere of this most valuable open space, full of historic memories, has been carefully preserved. Conveyed by the Dean and Chapter of Norwich to Norwich Corporation in 1880 it was dedicated to the free use of the people by the Mayor John Gurney in 1886.

Parks and gardens 09 [ Mousehold Heath ]

Parks and gardens 10 [ Mousehold heath: Tea Pavilion, Band stand ]

Erected in Victorian times, it was decided in 1961 that the band stand would have to be demolished as Chapel Field Gardens was then said to be the only place in the city where people would attend to listen to a band. Rebuilt in 1992 from subscriptions raised by the Mousehold Heath Defenders.

Plantation Garden:

Parks and gardens 11 [ Plantation Garden: 4 Earlham Road (built 1856), Gothic fountain, Terraces ]

Henry Trevor, Victorian Baptist and Cabinet maker, took over the lease of 4 Earlham Road and built the house in 1856, and between that date and 1891-92 created the Plantation Garden round it. The site was originally a chalk quarry.

Jenny Lind Playground Union Street:

Transferred in 1972 from its original site in Pottergate which had been purchased and given to the City in January 1900 by James Jeremia Colman in memory of his son Alan who had died the previous year. The ornate gateway was built ready for the official opening on 5th June 1902. By 1970 however the district had become depopulated and it was decided to give the Pottergate site over to new housing and form a new playground off Union Street near the Maternity Block of the Norfolk and Norwich hospital.

Parks and gardens 12 [ Jenny Lind Children’s playground Union Street, James Stuart Garden St Faith’s Lane: Gateway, View towards Stuart Court Recorder Road, Horse Fair Green (site of Mediaeval fair where horses were sold) ]

James Stuart Garden St Faith’s Lane:

Opened in July 1922 the gateway to the garden bears an inscription that it was provided through a legacy from Laura Elizabeth Stuart (nee Colman) the city’s first woman J.P. It also records that its construction had been delayed “due to the War”. Boardman & Son were the architects.

Waterloo Park:

Parks and gardens 13 [ Waterloo Park (formally opened 29th April 1933): Band stand, Pavilion, Paddling pool ]

Wensum Park, and Woodrow Pilling Park:

Parks and gardens 14 [ Wensum Park (originally a refuse tip - then laid out with formal gardens and opened 9th September 1925): Terrace, Fountain, Lily pond, Woodrow-Pilling Park Harvey Lane (presented by Mrs Pilling in memory of her father Jeremiah Woodrow a freeman of the City - opened by H.R.H.Princess Mary 29th June 1929) ]

Earlham House, and Elm Hill:

Parks and gardens 15 [ Earlham House grounds Earlham Road (1960 after the house had been demolished and before the erection of a shopping complex), Elm Hill tree (traditionally regarded as marking the centre of the City - July 1978 - six months before being felled due to Dutch Elm disease) ]

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