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Orange Grove (also known as Alkmaar Garden)

Introduction

The Orange Grove was a communal garden created in the early-18th century as a social walking area, with linear tree-planting and a gravel surface. The road was first macadamized in 1820 and the trees were removed in 1830. The area is now a floral roundabout.

Orange Grove is now a circular garden area with traffic on all sides, somewhat in the style of a large floral roundabout. Since the archaeological excavations of the 1970s, the site has been planted with a succession of bedding annuals. The site is tidily maintained by Bath City Council.

Visitor Access, Directions & Contacts

Access contact details

The garden is now a roundabout.

Owners

Bath & North East Somerset Council

The Guildhall, High Street, Bath, BA1 5AW
History

18th Century

On the Guidet map (1717), the area immediately south of the Abbey is shown as Gravel Walk. The area to the east of this is marked as Mitre Green. The earliest Bath Assembly Rooms were built in this area in 1708. The Prince of Orange visited Bath in 1734 and an obelisk was erected by Beau Nash. However, an unsigned letter in Bath Reference Library states that it was not Beau Nash but ‘Mr. W. Berlase' (?) to commemorate his ‘recovery'. The inscription is said to have been written by Pope.

A print of 1737 (shown in Images of Bath: see references) shows Orange Grove as a quadrilateral area with young trees planted in lines, in use as a social walking area. The obelisk is surrounded by a little square of wrought iron railings.

19th Century

Views around 1805 and 1830 show its continued use as a fashionable gathering place.

However, the planting is less formal. There are fewer trees, irregularly placed and much larger. The road was macadamized in 1820. Meehan (see references, p. 148) says that ‘about 1830 the trees in the Grove were removed and a roadway made round a circular enclosed plot of ground in the centre'. Further road developments have been undertaken since then.

20th Century

An archaeological excavation in the late-1970s completely removed the surface of the area. It is now called the Alkmaar Garden, and a plaque commemorates ‘the bond of friendship between the two ancient cities'.

Features & Designations

Designations

  • Conservation Area

  • Reference: Bath
  • The National Heritage List for England: Listed Building

  • Reference: obelisk
  • Grade: II

Features

  • Obelisk
  • Description: The obelisk was erected by Beau Nash in 1734.
  • Earliest Date:
  • Latest Date:
Key Information

Type

Designed Urban Space

Purpose

Ornamental

Principal Building

Transport

Survival

Lost

Hectares

0.1

Open to the public

Yes

References

References

Contributors

  • Mary Stacey

  • Avon Gardens Trust