Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens |
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The Parterre in the North Gardens
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| Location | Castle Bromwich, Solihull, England |
| OS grid | SP142898 |
| Area | 10 acres (40,000 m2) |
| Operated by | Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens Trust |
Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens are beautiful historic gardens. They are next to Castle Bromwich Hall, a large old house built in the Jacobean style. You can find them in the village of Castle Bromwich, which is part of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the English West Midlands.
The Gardens' Story
Castle Bromwich Hall was built a long time ago, between 1557 and 1585. It was built by Sir Edward Devereux. He was the first MP for Tamworth.
In 1657, Sir Orlando Bridgeman bought the Hall and its gardens. He bought them for his son, Sir John Bridgeman I. Around the year 1700, Sir John Bridgeman I made many changes to the gardens. His cousin, Captain William Winde, helped him with ideas.
The gardens were designed with many separate areas. Some parts were for show, and others were for growing things. Walls, hedges, or different ground levels separated these areas. When Sir John Bridgeman I passed away in 1710, his son, Sir John Bridgeman II, took over. He made the gardens even bigger, extending them westwards. They grew to their current size of 10 acres (40,000 m2). He also made improvements to the Hall itself.
Other family members, who later became the Earls of Bradford, continued to develop the gardens. Lady Ida Bridgeman was the last family member to live at the Hall. She took great care of the gardens until she died in 1936. After she left, the Hall was rented out, and the gardens started to fall apart.
In 1982, there was a plan to build houses on the garden land. Luckily, experts from the West Midlands County Council saw how important the gardens were. They stopped the building plans. The idea to build houses was refused after an appeal. Everyone agreed that the gardens needed to be fixed up. Work began to clear overgrown plants and repair damage. The Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens Trust was created to restore and look after them. In 1986, the gardens were given a special Grade II* listing. This means they are very important historically.
What You Can See There
These 10 acres (40,000 m2) gardens are surrounded by walls. They are designed in the Baroque style. They are the only example left in England of this type of formal garden design. The gardens are being brought back to how they looked between 1680 and 1740. This was when they were at their very best. Today, you can find over 600 types of plants from that time period.
One cool feature is the Holly Maze. It's a mirror image of the famous maze at Hampton Court Palace. That maze was designed by George London and Henry Wise. There's also a Kitchen and Fruit garden. Its design is based on a plan by Batty Langley from his old book, "New Principles of Gardening."
The Hall and other buildings nearby are owned by private people. Castle Bromwich Hall itself is now a hotel. You can see all these buildings and the gardens closest to the house from the garden paths or from the roads.
