Victoria Gardens Totley

[ayfer]

Hi,

Does anyone know anything about Victoria Gardens at Totley, or know of any photos of Victoria Gardens. There is one photo on the picture Sheffield website, but it doesn't really show much of the gardens themselves. Apparently the gardens were at one time a significant pleasure ground to rival Manchester's Belle Vue. There were 14 acres and included a menagerie, ballroom, boating lake and more.

It takes some believing though, without any photographic evidence.

cheers

Ayfer.

[Guest Gramps]

Hi Ayfer,

All I have is a note that the gardens later became a market garden which was eventually built over by the Laverdene estate.

If you're in Sheffield it would be worth a trip to the Local Studies library, they have many more photos than are available via the web site and they should also have the local papers for 1883 on microfiche. I would think the opening of the gardens will have made it into the local press.

Might also be worth checking Local Studies in Chesterfield–Totley was very much in Derbyshire until 1934–as my mother never tired of telling me ! :rolleyes:

[syrup]

Hi,

Does anyone know anything about Victoria Gardens at Totley, or know of any photos of Victoria Gardens. There is one photo on the picture Sheffield website, but it doesn't really show much of the gardens themselves. Apparently the gardens were at one time a significant pleasure ground to rival Manchester's Belle Vue. There were 14 acres and included a menagerie, ballroom, boating lake and more.

It takes some believing though, without any photographic evidence.

cheers

Ayfer.

Hi ayfer,

It's mentioned lightly on My Sheffield hope this helps.

http://www.sheffieldvillages.co.uk/modules/article/?id=819

[Stuart0742]

Hi Ayfer,

All I have is a note that the gardens later became a market garden which was eventually built over by the Laverdene estate.

If you're in Sheffield it would be worth a trip to the Local Studies library, they have many more photos than are available via the web site and they should also have the local papers for 1883 on microfiche. I would think the opening of the gardens will have made it into the local press.

Might also be worth checking Local Studies in Chesterfield�"Totley was very much in Derbyshire until 1934�"as my mother never tired of telling me !

Victoria Gardens are covered in Brian Edward's 1st book "Drawings of Historic Totley"

I highly recommend Brian Edwards book's if you have an interest in Totley and the surrounding area.

[Stuart0742]

Victoria Gardens are covered in Brian Edward's 1st book "Drawings of Historic Totley"

I highly recommend Brian Edwards book's if you have an interest in Totley and the surrounding area.

A bit of an unusual Then & Now

Then is on PictureSheffield

http://www.picturesheffield.com/jpgh/s13370.jpg

Now taken today

Obviously the PictureSheffield photo was the inspiration for Brian Edwards drawing

[ayfer]

I did some digging at Sheffield Local Studies library. This is the 1893 obituary for Joseph Mountain.

~~~~~~~~

Fate hit Joseph Mountain very hard during a stormy life, which ended in May 1893 at Totley Rise from the third stroke which he had had within the space of eight days. He was assuredly one of the great pioneers in the development of a greater Sheffield possibly not so much with the end in view so much as for his personal well-being. He was a very great purchaser of land, a very shrewd man, a very extensive builder and wealth beyond the ordinary was with him when like a bolt out of the blue, all was changed. Quite unexpectedly land values fell away very alarmingly in the town itself and also in all surrounding districts so that inevitably the pioneer suffered greatly. He was part owner of the Farnham estates in the Rotherham district but those who were also associated with him had nothing like his vision and, following on purchase of the estate refused to proceed with a desirable development of the property. The result was that when land values dropped greatly and as an inevitable result local trade also fell away the estate was unproductive and a dead weight. So, with an overload of trouble in every direction he was compelled to file his own petition but at the first meeting of his creditors his discharge was granted. The well remembered pleasure gardens, the Victoria Gardens as they were known, were laid out by him and opened at Whitsuntide in 1882 with menageries and wonderful schemes for attracting the Sheffield people but Totley was too far away from the town in those days. The vision was allright but it came thirty years too soon. He was in the council in 1873, Alderman six years later, then defeating W J Clegg by 25 votes to 24, and in 1881 was nominated as Mayor but failed to secure election. He was sixty years old when he died.

~~~~~~~~

There are apparently no maps or other photos of the gardens.

Joseph Mountain and his wife are buried at Dore Church.

regards

Ayfer

[Lyn 1]

Has anyone ever heard of these gardens -

Mr Heastie became manager of the Victoria Gardens at Totley for Alderman Mountains. Sheffield & Rotherham Independent May 08, 1883

Thanks

Lyn

[RichardB]

Has anyone ever heard of these gardens -

Mr Heastie became manager of the Victoria Gardens at Totley for Alderman Mountains. Sheffield & Rotherham Independent May 08, 1883

Thanks

Lyn

Joseph Mountain, Proprietor of Victoria Gardens & Secretary of Queen's Club, Totley Rise (Kelly's 1893)

[RichardB]

Has anyone ever heard of these gardens -

Mr Heastie became manager of the Victoria Gardens at Totley for Alderman Mountains. Sheffield & Rotherham Independent May 08, 1883

Thanks

Lyn

James Gledhill, Fruiterer & market gardener, Castle Folds Market & Victoria Gardens, Totley (Whites 1911)

James Gledhill, Market Gardener, Victoria Gardens, Totley (Whites 1919)

James Gledhill, Wholesale Fruit merchant & market gardens, Castle Folds Market & Victoria Gardens, Glover Road, Totley (Kelly's 1925)

[Lyn 1]

James Gledhill, Fruiterer & market gardener, Castle Folds Market & Victoria Gardens, Totley (Whites 1911)

James Gledhill, Market Gardener, Victoria Gardens, Totley (Whites 1919)

James Gledhill, Wholesale Fruit merchant & market gardens, Castle Folds Market & Victoria Gardens, Glover Road, Totley (Kelly's 1925)

Thanks Richard

Mr Heastie was initially Master of the Fir Vale Workhouse but left under a 'dark cloud' as to his suitability for the post. I was just wondering what sort of gardens they were to take him out of the Poor Law work. I thought they might be pleasure gardens but it sounds more like Market Gardens.

Thanks

Lyn

[RichardB]

Has anyone ever heard of these gardens -

Mr Heastie became manager of the Victoria Gardens at Totley for Alderman Mountains. Sheffield & Rotherham Independent May 08, 1883

Thanks

Lyn

When the Victoria Gardens closed down the area was known as the Monkey Gardens ... used for growing rhubard - apparently.

http://www.silverserviceconsultancy.co.uk/totley_history_group/2005/0507/Full%20Pages/285Page08.pdf

Steve "killed" my other post by cleverly merging the old topic in ...