Royal Victoria Park, Bath

Infobox park
park=Royal Victoria Park

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image size=
caption=The park overlooked by the Royal Crescent
type=
location=Bath England
coordinates=coord|51.3858|-2.3704|display=inline,title
size=57 acres (231,000 m²)
opened=1830
operator=Bath and North East Somerset
annual visitors=
status=open all year

Royal Victoria Park is situated in Bath (BA1), England. It was opened in 1830, by the then 11 year old Princess Victoria, [cite web|url=http://www.parksandgardens.ac.uk/component/option,com_parksandgardens/task,site/id,2871/tab,history/Itemid,292/|title=Royal Victoria Park, Bath, Bath, England|work=Parks & Gardens UK|publisher=Parks and Gardens Data Services Limited (PGDS)|accessdate=2008-09-17] it was the first park to carry her name, and includes an obelisk dedicated to her. It was privately run as part of the Victorian public park movement until 1921 when it was taken over by the Bath Corporation.

The park is overlooked by the Royal Crescent and consists of 57 acres (231,000 m²) with variety of attractions. These include a skateboard ramp, tennis, bowling a putting green and 12 & 18 hole golf course, a boating pond, open air concerts, a popular children's play area and a 9 acre (36,000 m²) botanical garden.

It has received a "Green Flag award", the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales and is registered by English Heritage on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. [cite web |url=http://www.greenflagaward.org.uk/winners/winners_detail.asp?sectionId=22&parentId=23&pageId=23&awardId=GF&gsId=GF00247 |title=Royal Victoria Park |accessdate=2007-11-10 |format= |work=Green Flag award ]

The Botanical Gardens

The gardens were formed in 1887 and contain one of the finest collections of plants on limestone in the West country. The replica of a Roman Temple was used at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley in 1924. [cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/articles/2007/06/27/royal_victoria_park_feature.shtml |title=Playing in the park |accessdate=2007-11-10 |format= |work=BBC Bristol ] In 1987 the gardens were extended to include the Great Dell, a disused quarry that was formally part of the park, which contains a large collection of conifers.

2007 restoration

In 2007 a programme of reconstruction and restoration, was undertaken by Bath and North East Somerset Council and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. This included the renovation of two lion statues on plinths each side of the Queen’s Gate entrance to the park, replacing the original iron supports inside the limbs, returning them to their bronze colour, and giving each a gilt ball under its front paw. Further work will add two convert|8|ft|m|1 cast iron replicas of the original lanterns and the replacement of the decorative iron gates to the three main entrances to the park. The original gates were removed, along with all the railings around the park, as part of a Second World War national scrap metal campaign. [cite web |url=http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/BathNES/media/news/2007/November/Parkslionsroarbackincolour.Inform85 |title=Park’s lions roar back in colour |accessdate=2007-11-10 |format= |work=Bath & North East Somerset Council ]

Gallery

References

External links

* [http://www.ukattraction.com/west-country/the-royal-victoria-park.htm Royal Victoria Park, UKAttraction.com]
* [http://www.carfaxhotel.co.uk/bath/vicpark.htm Victoria Park, Carfax Hotel Site]