Victoria Gardens in Tewkesbury were created in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. 125 years later, they continue to be enjoyed by townspeople and visitors alike, and serve the community as a tranquil and relaxing space to sit, relax, walk, meet friends, picnic etc, and

also hosting open air theatre productions in collaboration with The Roses Theatre, www.rosestheatre.org as well as community events such as Picnic in the Park as part of Tewkesbury's Big Weekend, with live music from Tewkesbury Town Band, Tewkesbury Pub Singers and other local groups and artistes
Friends of Victoria Gardens were formed by a group of local people to assist with the clear up operation after the devastating floods of 2007. Since then, we have taken on the maintenance, design, planning and planting of the beds, borders and planters. We are all volunteers who give our time in various ways to keep the gardens looking well maintained and attractive, and actively explore new ideas to make the most of this valued and popular community space
The old adage that many hands make light work is never truer than in a garden, and Friends of Victoria Gardens are always pleased to welcome new volunteers. There are plenty of tasks to share out, so whether you're able to spare an hour in a week, a month, or a year, there will be something you can do to help us make the most of this lovely attraction. Please contact us by any of the methods listed on the last page. Whether you can help by sparing some time, or are able to make a financial contribution, you will be helping to preserve this wonderful space for the town right now, and for future generations to enjoy, as we do

Latest news and photo gallery
We welcome community members to send us, via Facebook or email, their photographs of Victoria Gardens

through the seasons.
We will add a selection, with credit to the photographer, throughout the year
While permission has been granted for use on the website, for any further reproduction of photographs

permission should be sought from the photographer

https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfVictoriaGardensTewkesbury

friendsofvictoriagardenstewks@gmail.com

Victoria Gardens Newsletter

Spring 2024

Well what a wet winter we have had. It has been truly miserable for those of you who have had properties flooded. The trials of gardening are insignificant compared to your losses. However Tewkesbury residents are resilient and if you volunteer in the Gardens, you need to be! The gardens have been flooded repeatedly since October last year, and as I write at the end of March, the water has risen yet again. Such an extended period of wet has certainly taken its toll on some of the plants. We have lost many plants on Robesons Walk, which is disappointing. We were trialling some varieties to see how they would fare, and whilst there are some that are still just holding on, others have given up. We will try new plants this year - more ferns and hostas as these are still growing successfully elsewhere in the gardens.

The planters by the benches need some attention. I think the swans have been poking around! We will lift the plants, refurbish the planters, put new soil in and replant. Amazingly the orange Geums are already back in flower. They have been a great success. We have been very fortunate in receiving a significant donation from The Gordon Gray Trust, which we will use to fund this work. Many thanks to them.

We are in the process of refurbishing the Noticeboards. No major changes, just updating the information and reprinting, as some of the photos are badly faded.

The wildflower area we planted last autumn has had a tough start! We chose plants that were flood resilient and we also kept some plug plants elsewhere so we can pop those in to fill gaps. We shall see what sort of display we get.

For those of you who use Facebook, you may notice more posts from us. We hope to generate more interest in the gardens and consequently find a few more volunteers. Some of our current team have had to ease off due to health concerns. However we do have two Duke of Edinburgh students volunteering this summer. One was with us last year, so we are pleased to welcome her back.

We will be holding the Picnic in the Park on Sunday 19th May. The format will be as before, live music, refreshments etc. We will have a plant stall so if anyone has any plants ( seedlings, cuttings, divisions etc) we would be delighted to receive them.

We have been informed that the medieval wall may be repaired in July this year. If anyone hears more about this work, perhaps you could let us know? We are keen to meet with the contractors before they start, to minimise any damage to the adjacent rose-beds.

Many thanks to all of you who continue to support us. Let’s hope the sun comes out soon and we can all dry out.

Jan Worrad, Chair, Friends of Victoria Gardens

Through the year

The seasons all bring their own beauty to Victoria Gardens, from stark winter outlines to glorious displays of roses, and from the optimism of spring bulbs to autumnal hues as you look across the Rivers Avon and Severn towards the magnificent Malvern Hills.
They are a popular spot for photographers with the changing seasons, colourful flower displays, wonderful riverside setting - and of course, the dramatic images when those rivers are in flood.
The planting is varied, with both formal and informal areas, and the gardens lend themselves to both, with shady walkways and open spaces. Benches and picnic tables are in place for the public to enjoy, with adjoining seasonal display planters.

History

Prior to 1897, the area where Victoria Gardens are sited was little more than the site of a rough track known as Pound Wall Roadway. Used as a road since medieval times, but often muddy and impassable due to the frequency of flooding, it had been replaced as a main thoroughfare by the current route, Gloucester Road.
With Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in mind, early in 1897 a public meeting resolved to transform this neglected piece of ground into a small public pleasure ground as a permanent memorial to commemorate the Jubilee.
In the weeks preceding the day of celebrations, the ground was transformed, as noted in the Tewkesbury Register June 19th 1897:
"We have already (a fortnight since) referred to the admirable way in which Mr Gray (Borough Surveyor) has been drawing order out of chaos at the back of the Bowling Green, and adapting the old Pound Wall slip and roadway to the purposes of a pleasure ground. Great strides towards its completion have been made during the past week - rustic arbours built, rustic palisades and gates erected, lawn flower beds formed, the stone terrace steps perfected and the uppermost square blocks of composite stone by the entrance inscribed with the names of Mr J. B. Lewis and Mr T. W. Moore, the mayors of the year of Her Majesty's accession and the present year - all after the most tasteful and effective style. The beautiful little spot will be opened by the Mayoress (Mrs Moore) soon after noon on Tuesday (June 22nd 1897) and the scene should be one of the happiest of the whole day's doings."

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The gardens soon proved to be a popular attraction, and major celebrations, illuminated with Chinese lanterns and including a torch procession, were again held in the gardens for the coronation of EdwardVII in 1902. A bandstand was installed by Walkers of Tewkesbury in 1905, followed by two cannons, one German, and one Russian. All were eventually destined to be scrapped for the war effort in the 1940's.
The gardens were subject to further alterations and enlargement during the course of the twentieth century, and three decorative iron archways were commissioned from Tewkesbury based artist David Ball to be placed at each of the three entrances to the gardens, in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.

New wildflower area

The volunteers have been working hard to create a new wildflower trial area. The turf has been lifted, and a mix of wildflower plugs, bulbs and seed has been planted.

The mix includes wild narcissi, crocus and fritillaries, Devil's Bit Scabious, Ragged Robin, Meadowsweet, Ox Eye Daisy and Birds Foot Trefoil amongst others.

We're looking forward to seeing the results from spring onwards, and hope that both wildlife and visitors will enjoy this new area.

Photo taken by PH, a Tewkesbury town resident

Floods 2024

Early January, and the winter of 23-24 is already bringing challenges with saturated ground and torrential rain causing multiple flood events in a short space of time.

This has obviously caused much disruption, and unfortunately, residents are left dealing with the aftermath.

In the gardens, while not on the same scale as personal losses, we are preparing for a clean-up operation when the water subsides, and an evaluation of what we have lost. Very few plants can cope with such saturated conditions, sitting for days, sometimes weeks under several feet of water. They are starved of oxygen to the roots, and we are expecting to have lost many plants, both established, and those we planted over the past year.

The clean up will begin with clearing the paths of the mud and debris left behind, before we examine the beds more closely. Work we've carried out over the past year has included a lot of new planting to rejuvenate the borders along Robesons Walk, and our trial wildflower area in the main part of the gardens, as well is improving the planting in the bed adjacent to Gloucester Road car park. Sadly, most of this effort, not to mention the costs involved, will now count for nothing. The gardens can withstand the rigours of most winters with just a few casualties, but the impact this time of deep, long-lasting and repeated flooding will be devastating. However, gardeners are nothing if not optimistic, and we may yet be surprised at what does survive. Only time will tell, but when the water has gone, and the paths are clear, and the first signs of new growth emerge, if you're walking through the gardens and happen to see some of our volunteers hard at work, do stop and say hi - we're a friendly bunch, and appreciate a little encouragement - perhaps now more than ever!

Addendum: Mid-April 2024, and we had been flooded ten times over seven consecutive months in the wettest winter period on record. This has made it a particularly challenging start to the gardening year and we have lost plants, mostly ones planted most recently so less established, but nature is remarkably resilient and many plants hidden under several feet of muddy water for days and weeks at a time are re-emerging to put on a show for yet another year, in spite of everything!

The murky reality - when not enhanced by a beautiful sunset this photo shows how grey and dismal the floods are!

Floods

Tewkesbury has long been associated with seasonal flooding, unsurprisingly as a town at the confluence of two rivers. What can serve as a means of transport, industry and prosperity can also bring devastation, destruction and a threat to life. In 2007, Tewkesbury suffered greatly in the summer flooding, with lives lost, businesses under water, and many residents forced out of their homes for months as homes were dried out and repaired.

It was after the floods of July 2007 that the Friends of Victoria Gardens group was formed to clear up the devastation of a summer garden submerged under several feet of river water. Since then, they have not only repaired and revitalised the gardens, but have taken them forward with new planting schemes and more community use, while maintaining the gardens through flood and drought.

Sited on the banks of Tewkesbury's second river, the Avon, and just across Tewkesbury Ham from the mighty River Severn, it is inevitable that Victoria Gardens are prone to regular and significant floods. This brings challenges that test the dedication of the most willing of volunteers, with regular river mud clean ups before planting and maintenance can even be considered.

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Guest photographs

This brilliant photograph of a tree full of character is just one of a collection of photographs sent in by CCP Photography Group, who recently visited the gardens to add to their portfolio. See more of their pictures below.

Their photographs have managed to capture just a few ways in which people enjoy the gardens. For photographers, there is always an opportunity to get creative with the variety of foliage and flowers to be found around the gardens, the open views across the Severn Ham, the picturesque Abbey Mill and adjoining weir.

Dogs enjoy taking their owners on the scenic route through the gardens, where there are plenty of places to sit and admire the view, and the chances are you'll meet another four-legged friend to pass the time of day with.

The photographers also managed to capture the colourful artwork created by local primary schools and currently adorning the boarding, recently erected as a safety measure while some necessary work is carried out.

CCP photography group meet at various venues in Tewkesbury, monthly on the third Thursday, 10.00am - 12.00pm, and is for all abilities.

Contact James Baker: james.baker@ccp.org.uk

07593 446894