Pleasure Gardens in Bath
Written by Jessica McKenzie
Pleasure Gardens were green spaces, often large and brimming with activities including music, dancing, and walking, which anyone could utilise. Unlike the modern day, however, these Gardens were a private enterprise which led to an admission charge to help with the upkeep. In the eighteenth century the pleasure garden began to thrive following the ‘Glorious Revolution’.
Bath, as a Spa Town, had a number of walks and Gardens dating back to the 1630s due to exercise being prescribed alongside drinking the waters that the city was so famous for.[1] By the end of the eighteenth century, there were a number of Gardens opening to keep up with this fashion trend. Two individual Pleasure Garden projects were announced independently of each other in 1791; Grosvenor Gardens, located at London Road and Sydney Gardens at the end of Great Pulteney Street. Grosvenor Gardens aimed to provide a ‘more rural atmosphere than its rival’ and opened prior to Sydney Gardens with tea parties held in 1792. Sydney Gardens did not open until 1795[2].
From 1795 -1796, Grosvenor Gardens faced financial trouble when bankruptcy hit three of their major investors and drivers behind the ambitious project. Receiving another financial blow in in 1795 with the bankruptcy of William and John Townshend, the two silversmiths being declared. A meeting was held at Argyle Coffee House in Bathwick on the fifteenth of December 1795 to detail how they would pay off over £100 worth of debt they had collected through their various assets. The project had lost two major investors as a large number of their possessions were given to pay off the large debt the two had created.[3] The project struggled on and the building progress slowed, focusing on the development of the hotel, as this was mainly being funded by subscribers, and relying even more so on the shareholders’ trust to keep the development on track.
Sydney Gardens Vauxhall, threatened Grosvenor Gardens opening on the eleventh of May 1795, designed by Thomas Baldwin until the time of his bankruptcy. [4] They announced their original plans at the same time in 1791 but Sydney Gardens were more accessible and over the eighteenth century and became a fashionable resort visited by many, including the author Jane Austen.[5] Baldwin was replaced by Harcourt Charles Masters, a talented surveyor and architect whose work here launched his designing career.[6] The first building works on the perimeter wall commenced in 1792, the first tree planted in 1793 before opening in May 1795. Sydney Gardens grew in popularity over the years and could accommodate up to four thousand people on gala evenings; however, one of the first and main attractions was the public breakfast. [7] Some found this a strange concept, but it allowed many to network over the often-forgotten meal. Jane Austen commented on the hilarity of this outdoor meal, before swallowing her words when she attended one soon after.[8] This stylish and striving endeavour was funded by sales of shares of the project and was built on land leased by the Pulteney family.[9] The solid foundations of the finances did allow for well-constructed and fast building, alongside a beneficial location which all contributed to its success.
In 1799, the Kennet and Avon canal began digging through the Gardens, adding a further element to this already successful complex. The entrance to the Sydney Tavern, which developed into the Sydney Hotel[10], was grand, surrounded by columns, and was an archaeological masterpiece. Music could be heard from the orchestra playing on the balcony above the garden which boasted it could hold a one hundred piece orchestra if it desired.[11] It was a successful, large-scale enterprise spanning over twelve acres, filled with cascades, aviary, cosmorama, grottos, swings, watermill, theatre, alcoves, labyrinth, sham castle, and gravel paths providing plenty for all to do and allowing those with the time to relax and network with all those who could afford the entrance fee, though little survives today. Admission to Sydney Gardens was 6d per person but there were extra costs for tea, use of the bowling green and to read the London newspapers.[12]
They kept developing the site, adding a cascade in 1810 and Aviary in 1824, further additions continued to be added throughout the history of the site. This constant improvement provided opportunities for individuals to keep visiting the site and provided a feast for the senses, as unlike Grosvenor, the original building plans were finished and the Pleasure Gardens were thriving, allowing the addition of new features.
The popularity of Sydney Pleasure Gardens and its constant re-development resulted in the decline of Grosvenor which from the early 1900s due to a decline in both customers and income. The loss of support from the community for Grosvenor before its final closure in 1819 was contributed to by the rise and popularity of Sydney Pleasure Gardens.
Sydney Gardens continues to impress people today and is open to the public for free with beautiful walks and free events throughout the year. The Sydney Hotel was transformed into the Holburne Museum which is open to the public to explore.
[1] Downing, Sarah Jane, The English Pleasure Garden 1660–1860. Oxford: Shire Publications Ltd, 2009. Pp. 43
[2] Bath and North East Somerset Council, World Heritage Site Setting Study Information Paper Appendix 3, 2009. [Online] Available from: https://www.bathworldheritage.org.uk/sites/world_heritage_site/files/heritage/Setting%20Study%20part%204.pdf [Accessed 14/03/2018]
[3] Townshend Bankruptcy Enquiry 15/12/1795, Bath Record Office, 0199/45/2
[4] Boyle, Laura, Sydney Gardens, Bath. 2011. [Online] Available from: https://www.janeausten.co.uk/sydney-gardens-bath/ [Accessed 14/03/2018]
[5] Fawcett, Trevor. Bath Entertain’d: Amusements, Recreations and Gambling at the Eighteenth-Century Spa. Bath: Ruton, 1998. p. 62
[6] Parks and Gardens UK, Charles Harcourt Masters — Summary. 2017. [Online] Available from: http://www.parksandgardens.org/places-and-people/person/891 [Accessed 14/03/2018]
[7] Bath and North East Somerset Council, The Pleasure Gardens in The Past. 2016. [Online] Available from: http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/sport-leisure-and-parks/parks-green-spaces-information/sydney-gardens/pleasure-gardens-past [Accessed 14/03/2018].
[8] Boyle, Laura, Sydney Gardens, Bath. 2011. [Online] Available from: https://www.janeausten.co.uk/sydney-gardens-bath/ [Accessed 14/03/2018]
[9] Historic England, Sydney Gardens. 2004. [Online] Available from: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1001258 [Accessed 14/03/2018]
[10] This building now houses the Holburne Museum and houses the collection of William Holburne
[11] Downing, Sarah Jane, The English Pleasure Garden 1660–1860. Oxford: Shire Publications Ltd, 2009. Pp. 46–47
[12] Bath and North East Somerset Council, The Pleasure Gardens in The Past. 2016. [Online] Available from: http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/sport-leisure-and-parks/parks-green-spaces-information/sydney-gardens/pleasure-gardens-past [Accessed 14/03/2018]
Any views expressed in this article are the views of the author and are not necessarily representative of the Sydney Gardens Project team. Although every effort has been made to ensure that all articles are factually correct at the time of writing, we trust that our authors have thoroughly researched their articles.
