Elmdon Park - Walled Garden
From Press office on 04 August 2010
The Walled Garden at Elmdon Hall, Solihull, has been added to the Council’s Local List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historical Interest – the local equivalent of the statutory Listed Buildings administered by English Heritage.
The Walled Garden was built after the Elmdon Hall estate (begun in 1725) and is thought to date back to the 18th or early 19th century. It was added to the Local List in recognition of its local historical importance.
The garden walls, of varying thicknesses and height, enclose an area of about 0.9 hectares. According to 1841 records, it is thought to have once contained peach houses, vineries, cucumber and melon pits, a pool, greenhouses, a gardener’s house, boiler house, bothy and heated inner walls at one corner.
Remains of these are evident within the garden, and ongoing care and maintenance of the walls and garden is by volunteer wardens from the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust.
The Elmdon Hall estate was built by Birmingham banker and merchant, Abraham Spooner and the house was completed by his son Isaac following his father’s death. The status of the family is highlighted by Abraham’s marriage to a daughter of the Gough-Calthorpe family, and of his eldest daughter to anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce.
The grounds and the derelict Elmdon Hall were bought by Solihull Council in 1944 to create a recreational facility at Elmdon Park. There is a children’s play area, perimeter walk and a heritage trail which gives details of the remains of the walled garden as well as other interesting facts on St Nicolas' Church, Elmdon Hall and associated buildings.
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Email: juharrison@solihull.gov.uk