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Botanical Gardens


RichardB

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Possibly covered elsewhere but ...

In 1833 the Sheffield Botanical and Horticultural Society was formed to promote both healthy recreation and self-education, through the development of a botanical garden. A period of fundraising followed and the land was purchased. In 1834, the Society appointed Robert Marnock, gardener of Bretton Hall, Wakefield (now the Yorkshire Sculpture Park), to design the Gardens and act as their first Curator. He laid out the Gardens in the then highly fashionable Gardenesque style, where each plant was displayed to perfection in scattered plantings. The Gardens were finally opened on the 29th and 30th June, and 4th and 5th July, 1836, when more than 12,000 people visited. The Gardens were only open to the general public on four Gala days per year; otherwise admission was limited to shareholders and annual subscribers.

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I'm not from Sheffield, are the gardens still open? If so, to the public?

Hi JSP,

yes the Botanical Gardens are open to the public all year round, free of charge.

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Hi JSP,

yes the Botanical Gardens are open to the public all year round, free of charge.

Thanks, if I ever get chance I'll try and pay a visit. A familly member left all his estate to the botanical gardens in 1925 (Harry Fisher).

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Guest plain talker

The beautiful glasshouses in the Botanical Gardens were designed by Paxton, who also designed the glasshouses at Chatsworth House, and the Crystal Palace in London.

I seem to remember hearing that he designed the glasshouses at Kew and the very similar one at Sefton park in Liverpool (amongst many municipal commissions)

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The gardens and glasshouses were restored quite recently back to their original glory, and are well worth a visit at any time of year.

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The gardens and glasshouses were restored quite recently back to their original glory, and are well worth a visit at any time of year.

So it should look something like this now :)

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It's here JSP about 2 miles South Westish.

Thank-you! I might pay a visit. There's an orienteering event in eccelsall on Saturday. Might see if I can do both! Everyone is so helpful on Sheffield History. Thanks!

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That looks like a fantastic restoration - there's more of it now than there was in the postcard image I posted. I shall be making a visit at the earliest opportunity.

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That looks like a fantastic restoration - there's more of it now than there was in the postcard image I posted. I shall be making a visit at the earliest opportunity.

And it's got a cafe as well.

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That looks like a fantastic restoration - there's more of it now than there was in the postcard image I posted. I shall be making a visit at the earliest opportunity.

It's now licensed for weddings,and so many people married elsewhere go there to take their wedding photos there's now a sign to say if you want to do that you have to make an appointment, and people turning up without prior notice may be turned away.

The pool last June

Taken last week

Same day

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It's now licensed for weddings,and so many people married elsewhere go there to take their wedding photos there's now a sign to say if you want to do that you have to make an appointment, and people turning up without prior notice may be turned away.

The pool last June

Taken last week

Same day

I am so pleased to see that the Botanical Gardens are being kept up. I have many happy memories of spending time there when we lived on Westbourne Road. I am curious as to what is kept in the glasshouses now. When I was a lass it was fish tanks in one and birds in another. There were two parrots who spent their days outside on perches in the summer, Jack and Polly, as I recall. Jack would hold a spoon in his claw and feed/drink from it. I think there was a picuture of him in the Star entitled "Jack takes his medicine" or some such. I was lucky enough to make friends with one of the keepers (Ted) who let me help him feed, clean out, look after the creatures (he wasn´t daft but hey ho, I loved every minute and felt very honoured). I think I have a picture somewhere of the parrot and me, so will look it out, even though I was wearing an embarrassing fur hat at the time. :o

Ted also taught me how to hold pigeons and calm them.

It would be lovely to hear from his relatives/children if he had any. I seem to remember there was also a statue down one of the paths, which reminded me of Peter Pan, maybe of a little boy, is that still there. I´d love to see some up to day pictures of the Botanical Gardens.

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I am so pleased to see that the Botanical Gardens are being kept up. I have many happy memories of spending time there when we lived on Westbourne Road. I am curious as to what is kept in the glasshouses now. When I was a lass it was fish tanks in one and birds in another. There were two parrots who spent their days outside on perches in the summer, Jack and Polly, as I recall. Jack would hold a spoon in his claw and feed/drink from it. I think there was a picuture of him in the Star entitled "Jack takes his medicine" or some such. I was lucky enough to make friends with one of the keepers (Ted) who let me help him feed, clean out, look after the creatures (he wasn´t daft but hey ho, I loved every minute and felt very honoured). I think I have a picture somewhere of the parrot and me, so will look it out, even though I was wearing an embarrassing fur hat at the time. :o

Ted also taught me how to hold pigeons and calm them.

It would be lovely to hear from his relatives/children if he had any. I seem to remember there was also a statue down one of the paths, which reminded me of Peter Pan, maybe of a little boy, is that still there. I´d love to see some up to day pictures of the Botanical Gardens.

Yes Pan is still there.

link to Pan, Spirit of the Woods

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In July, 1843.

5,700 squares of

glass were broken at the Botanical Gardens, by a storm of hail.

On March the 27th, 1844.

The Botanical Gardens were offered for sale by auction; highest bid, £7,000,

reserve bid £11,000.

Total cost of gardens was near £20,000,

in May of that year the gardens were bought by a new company for £9,000.

Wonder when the Bandstand was removed?

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Treat to The Men of The Fourth (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards at Sheffield.

The Dragoons, to the number of 245, and 20 discharged soldiers from the Crimea, were feasted at the Botanical· Gardens, Sheffield,

on Thursday, July 31st. 1856.

It is estimated that about 25,000 people were present, to witness the festival and to do honour to the brave.

There was a general half-holiday in that town. More than a hundred flags were displayed

and great enthusiasm prevailed.

The soldiers were addressed by the Mayor of Sheffield,

the Rev. the Vicar, Mr. Ald. Dunn, Mr. Overend, Colonel Hodge,

and Serjeant-Majors Joice and WilIiams acknowledged the treat.

The whole affair went off admirably.

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Yes Pan is still there.

link to Pan, Spirit of the Woods

Thanks for the pictures Steve HB, it looks to have been cleaned up a bit. Also the Bear Pit photos, I only remembered that this morning, although it was a bit damp and dank when I was a kid. Like the bear statue they have put in too.

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It's now licensed for weddings,and so many people married elsewhere go there to take their wedding photos there's now a sign to say if you want to do that you have to make an appointment, and people turning up without prior notice may be turned away.

BEWARE

If you turn up for a visit while a prearranged wedding is taking place you will not get full access to the glasshouses.

They use it for standing in, taking wedding photos and swigging glasses of Champagne.

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Something that I find annoying in the Gardens is that many of the benches have been paid for in memory of members of the public, which is a lovely idea, but people seem to think it carries the right to tie bunches of flowers to the bench, which is supposedly there for the public to sit on. Frequently these are left to rot away rather than removed. It seems perverse to me to donate a bench then decorate it. They're in a Botanical GARDENS for heaven's sake, do they think it improves the place? So there's a beautiful rose garden decorated with bunches of dead flowers. It happens elsewhere in the Gardens as well, and it annoys me intensely.

I'll get me coat....

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