Published: Friday, 22nd February 2019

Royal Leamington Spa is set to celebrate the long awaited return of one of its most important landmarks, the Victorian Walter McFarlane and Co. bandstand.

The iconic bandstand, one of the few surviving structures of its type in the country had held pride of place in the town’s historic Pump Room Gardens since 1889, but over the years was showing the signs of age and neglect. 

In 2018, thanks to a restoration project funded by Warwick District Council, the Friends of the Pump Room Gardens and the National Lottery Heritage Fund the bandstand was carefully dismantled and taken to a specialist workshop in Wigan to be restored to its former glory.

To officially celebrate its return a special event is being organised on Friday 15 March from 1pm to 2.30pm at the Royal Pump Rooms and Gardens. This will feature a talk from Lost Art, the company responsible for the bandstand’s rejuvenation, the showing of a short film made by local marketing company ‘MadeBySonder’ and the official reopening of the bandstand which will be accompanied by a first performance by Royal Spa Brass on the new stage.

Warwick District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services Councillor Moira-Ann Grainger commented;

“The return and unveiling of such an important part of the history of Royal Leamington Spa has been eagerly anticipated by everyone involved in this project. I very much hope that our community will take the opportunity to come along and celebrate the amazing work that has gone into the restoration of the bandstand and the Pump Room Gardens, which can now be enjoyed by local people and visitors to our town for many years to come.”

Archie Pitts, Chairman of the Friends of the Pump Room Gardens, said;

“It is wonderful to see our bandstand coming back as good as new, if not even better, 130 years after it was first installed.  The Friends are hugely grateful to all who very generously enabled us to raise over £100,000 towards the restoration of the bandstand and the gardens.  Thank you to Lost Art for such fabulous workmanship.”

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