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Green Flag Award for Jephson Gardens and Mill Gardens
The Civic Trust has announced that Jephson Gardens and Mill Gardens, owned and managed by Warwick District Council, have been awarded a Green Flag, the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales. The award demonstrates the Council's commitment to making all of its public green spaces clean, green, safe and welcoming for everybody.
Furthermore, the Gardens have been awarded Green Heritage Site status, which is judged on the treatment of a site’s historic features and the standard of conservation. Warwick District Council is the first and only Council in the West Midlands in receiving Green Heritage Site accreditation.
The award scheme began in 1996 as a means of recognising and rewarding the best green spaces in the country, and was also seen as a way of encouraging others to achieve the same high environmental standards, creating a benchmark of excellence in recreational green spaces. For more information on Green Flag visit the Green Flag website
These prestigious awards can be added to the Gardens recent triumph in winning the Best Park in Britain, awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society.
First laid out in 1831 as informal riverside walks, the original Newbold Gardens were developed as more formal pleasure grounds after 1846 in honour of Dr Henry Jephson, who had promoted the town as a spa. The Jephson Gardens gained renown for their entertainments, military bands, promenading, croquet and tennis, fountains, illuminations, trees and flowers. They are listed as Grade II on the English Heritage register of historic parks and gardens.
Improvements to the river through the Victorian era culminated in the construction of Mill Bridge, Mill Gardens and boathouse, 1901-03, creating one riverside landscape. Like many parks they fell into slow decline after World War II but since 1999 have been restored and renewed by Warwick District Council thanks to a grant of over £3 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This delightful Victorian oasis is now complemented by a stunning sub-tropical glasshouse, restaurant and teaching studio – the jewel in the crown of Leamington’s wealth of parks and gardens.
Map showing location of Jephson Gardens.
Things to enjoy
- Flowers! Colourful floral displays from spring to autumn
- More flowers! Varied beds and mixed borders for year-round pleasure
- Lawns for informal relaxation. Spacious upper lawn. Quiet area by the river
- Wheelchairs and pushchairs – all areas accessible
- Trees – fine collection of beautiful and unusual specimens. David Howells has produced an informative booklet about the gardens' trees.
- Sensory garden – plants to touch and smell
- Glasshouse – exotic plants from around the world
- The Aviary Café – lovingly-restored Victorian tea pavilion
- The Restaurant in the Park – lunches, dinners and functions. Bookings – 01926 311178
- Memorials to notable past citizens of Leamington
- Fountains – crowns, a parachute, and a geology lesson!
- Feed the ducks and swans on the lake and by the river.
- Boating on the river or the boating pond – from Leam Boat Centre, Mill Gardens.
- Planned for summer 2005 – exhibitions about plants and the history of the Gardens.
- Open every day, 8am – dusk. Ranger service. Toilets, disabled toilets and baby change.
- Wot, no play area? Cross the suspension bridge to Mill Gardens. Ship theme. Sand play. Field for ball games
Sorry, but…
- Dogs welcome but must be kept on a lead. Dog waste bins provided
- No cycling in the Gardens
Events
How to get there
- Town centre – walk or cycle
- Bus – most services stop at the Lower Parade or the Parish Church. More on buses to parks
- Rail – 10-minutes from Leamington Spa station via Pump Room Gardens.
- Car and motorcycle – parking and disabled parking in Newbold Terrace. On-street parking in Dormer Place. Nearest pay-and-display is St Peter’s multi-storey car park.
Nearby
- Royal Pump Rooms – award-winning art gallery and museum, tourist information, café, public library, events and functions. Open daily.
- Mill Gardens across the suspension bridge – play area, boating link, riverside stroll.
- Churches – All Saints and St Peter’s, two magnificent Victorian interiors.
- Regency town centre – shopping, pubs, restaurants.
- Old Town trail, self-guided walk from the Royal Pump Rooms.
- Guided walks by the knowledgeable Leamington Guild of Guides.
- Riverside Walk, upstream to Newbold Comyn Park, downstream to Victoria Park and Warwick.
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