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Mystery Garden

Astoness

TRUE BRUMMIE MODERATOR
Staff member
dated 1851 this sound interesting but where exactly was the garden.... the only clue is it mentions the area of new vauxhall

lyn

GARDENS VAUXHALL.jpg
 
Lyn, I should think this was the one in Duddeston. Perhaps the owner called it 'New' because there was already one in London. I seem to remember that our version opened in the 1700's.
 
Sorry, Just read an article Lyn in the Birmingham Post and the one above closed in 1850 so it can't be that one. I'm sure someone will come up with the answer.
 
There's a write up of the history of Birmingham's "Vauxhall Gardens" in the following link, including map references, maps and images.

It does however state that they were closed in 1850 and sold for housing development, which is at odds with the 1851 date you quote in the opening post.



https://billdargue.jimdo.com/placenames-gazetteer-a-to-y/places-v/vauxhall/

i will try and double check the date of the article ..actually i think it came out of a book...someone sent it to me as a point of interest but maybe the date is wrong..will get back asap

lyn
 
Lyn, in London there were the original Vauxhall Gardens followed, I think by the Spring Gardens. I remember trying to find out about the Spring Gardens in Birmingham, they were somewhere around Digbeth, if I remember correctly. Perhaps these were New Vauxhall? I remember seeing a cutting on this forum mentioning them.
 
thanks down memory lane ....looking at the drawing of the gardens from the link on post 5 they looked lovely...wonder if we can find a map showing the exact location...
 
The Tallis map supposedly of 1851 shows the position of /new Vauxhall on the far right. Sorry for not very good definitiontallis map showing New Vauxhall.jpg
 
thanks down memory lane ....looking at the drawing of the gardens from the link on post 5 they looked lovely...wonder if we can find a map showing the exact location...


That link in post 5 is the same as the one I posted in post 4.

The link has a map from 1839 showing the location of the garden, and at the bottom of the link there is a further Google map showing where it would be if it still existed today.

The text in the link states the entrance to the garden would have been very near to Vauxhall House, which used to stand at 205 Vauxhall Road, Birmingham B7 4HR.

I don't think it's the same garden referenced in your opening post as the map is from 1839 and it closed in 1850. The garden kept by Thomas Hale wasn't established until 1844 (by John Bradshaw, the lessee) as mentioned in my post 9 above.
 
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i see what you mean...bit confused now so will do a bit more digging later on as said earlier i was only told the date was 1851 so i will double check

lyn
 
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All the articles in newspapers seem to point to closure in 1850. It is possible that the book was written then, or earlier, but not published until 1851 by which time the gardens had closed.
 
Lyn, the gardens I was thinking of were the Apollo Gardens and they closed before the Vauxahall ones. The other Spring Gardens are in Buxton - getting confused! I think Janice is right and like I said the 'New' is because London had them first.
 

Interesting as the proprietor of the Apollo Gardens in Aston New Town was a Thomas Gee! I have placed the following comment on the comments for the site...

The article describes Holte Bridgman's Apollo Gardens as on the NE corner of the junction of Lichfield Road and Rocky Lane. The date that the gardens opened is not known, but gives a report of May 1748, and suggests that by 1751 Holte had reputedly closed the Gardens, possibly eclipsed by Vauxhall Gardens. The rest of the article concentrates on the other Apollo Gardens at Moseley Street.

There was a question in the Birmingham newspaper of 1873 as to when this Apollo Gardens had actually closed; "A place of amusement, near Aston New Town,” and it may be able to add further information by looking in the Newspaper Archives.

In December 1848 there was an advert to sell Apollo Gardens, Aston New Town. “A much frequented Retail House with pleasure Gardens.” The proprietor was MR T. Gee.

In May 1849 there is a further advert for the sale. Described as Summer Lane situated near the Asylum. “The gardens are in good condition, and are now open for the season.” Prop Thomas Gee.

By March 1854 it is advertised as Sale of Freehold Building land. "Several lots, being the site of the Apollo Gardens...fronting the Asylum road and the road leading therefrom into Walmer Lane, and also the new Thoroughfare leading from the Asylum Road into the new Walsall turnpike Road."
 
Interesting as the proprietor of the Apollo Gardens in Aston New Town was a Thomas Gee! I have placed the following comment on the comments for the site...

The article describes Holte Bridgman's Apollo Gardens as on the NE corner of the junction of Lichfield Road and Rocky Lane. The date that the gardens opened is not known, but gives a report of May 1748, and suggests that by 1751 Holte had reputedly closed the Gardens, possibly eclipsed by Vauxhall Gardens. The rest of the article concentrates on the other Apollo Gardens at Moseley Street.

There was a question in the Birmingham newspaper of 1873 as to when this Apollo Gardens had actually closed; "A place of amusement, near Aston New Town,” and it may be able to add further information by looking in the Newspaper Archives.

In December 1848 there was an advert to sell Apollo Gardens, Aston New Town. “A much frequented Retail House with pleasure Gardens.” The proprietor was MR T. Gee.

In May 1849 there is a further advert for the sale. Described as Summer Lane situated near the Asylum. “The gardens are in good condition, and are now open for the season.” Prop Thomas Gee.

By March 1854 it is advertised as Sale of Freehold Building land. "Several lots, being the site of the Apollo Gardens...fronting the Asylum road and the road leading therefrom into Walmer Lane, and also the new Thoroughfare leading from the Asylum Road into the new Walsall turnpike Road."
Interesting as the proprietor of the Apollo Gardens in Aston New Town was a Thomas Gee! I have placed the following comment on the comments for the site...

The article describes Holte Bridgman's Apollo Gardens as on the NE corner of the junction of Lichfield Road and Rocky Lane. The date that the gardens opened is not known, but gives a report of May 1748, and suggests that by 1751 Holte had reputedly closed the Gardens, possibly eclipsed by Vauxhall Gardens. The rest of the article concentrates on the other Apollo Gardens at Moseley Street.

There was a question in the Birmingham newspaper of 1873 as to when this Apollo Gardens had actually closed; "A place of amusement, near Aston New Town,” and it may be able to add further information by looking in the Newspaper Archives.

In December 1848 there was an advert to sell Apollo Gardens, Aston New Town. “A much frequented Retail House with pleasure Gardens.” The proprietor was MR T. Gee.

In May 1849 there is a further advert for the sale. Described as Summer Lane situated near the Asylum. “The gardens are in good condition, and are now open for the season.” Prop Thomas Gee.

By March 1854 it is advertised as Sale of Freehold Building land. "Several lots, being the site of the Apollo Gardens...fronting the Asylum road and the road leading therefrom into Walmer Lane, and also the new Thoroughfare leading from the Asylum Road into the new Walsall turnpike Road."

Pedrocut Thomas Gee is this the same person as the name of the electroplaters that were in Summer Lane 1970/80s Thos H Gee Ltd
 
My grandfather lived at the At the Apollo Tavern in Charles Henry Street. Not sure if there is any link to the gardens.
 
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