Cheltenham Town Hall
The Town Hall was opened in 1903 by Sir Michael Hicks-Beach MP, a former Chancellor of the Exchequer whose family had long associations with Cheltenham. It replaced the Assembly Rooms as the major venue for the town’s cultural life (Note: the Assembly Rooms were previously located in the High Street on the present site of the Lloyds Bank and were demolished in 1900). The Town Hall was built with freestone on the site of a former bowling green in Imperial Square. It was designed in Edwardian Baroque style by the Gloucester architect Frederick William Waller and constructed by a Cheltenham firm (Messrs Collins and Godfrey) at a cost of £45,000. Its design was not universally admired with one critic of the ornate interior describing the dark red marble columns and gold Corinthian capitals in the main hall as 'corned beef topped with mustard'.The main hall can accommodate up to 1,000 people, twice as many as the old Assembly Rooms. In its early years the building was also used as the site of the Central Spa. This was part of an attempt by the Council to revive the custom of taking the waters. Cheltenham was even promoted as the ‘Carlsbad of England’ in the hope that it could rival some of the great continental spas. Originally it dispensed four different types of water from Pittville and Montpellier.You can still see the octagonal counter with four Doulton ware urns to the left of the entrance hall. Only one of the taps survives and, sadly, this one has even stopped functioning now.
The Quadrangle
The concrete and glass Quadrangle is situated in the northwest corner of Imperial Square. Built as an office block the new national headquarters for Gulf Oil (Great Britain) Limited who moved here from Chiswick in 1973. After 20 years Gulf Oil moved out to premises near the Racecourse and the Quadrangle was divided up for use by a succession of smaller business. It was completely refurbished in 2020/21 and now houses four storeys of open plan workspace with retail and dining spaces on the ground floor plus a roof-top bar.The Quadrangle replaced the exclusive gentlemen’s New Club, which dated from 1874. The club moved to No.2 Montpellier Parade in 1970, taking many of the original furnishings and fittings with them. Fortunately the original decorative cast-iron canopy from the club doorway can still be seen at Belgrave House - now Pizza Express - opposite.At the traffic lights, turn left and head up the Promenade towards the Queens Hotel. Enter Imperial Gardens at the path on the left that takes you to the Holst Statue.
The Gustav Holst Memorial Fountain Statue
The Gustav Holst Memorial Fountain statue was unveiled on 4 April 2008. The statue's sculptor, Anthony Stones, also cast the seven plaques incorporated in the octagonal plinth, which depict the planets after Holst's best-known work.Observant onlookers will notice that the composer is holding his baton in his left hand. He often had to conduct this way as he suffered severe neuritis in his right hand.Gustav Holst was born at 4 Clarence Road, Cheltenham in 1874. Today this is The Holst Victorian House which is open to the public. Visit their website here.Both Gustav and his father Adolph von Holst, gave recitals at the Winter Gardens, previously on this site - see Point of Interest 6. To find out more about the Holst family and their many connections with Cheltenham see the "Holst's Cheltenham" PocketSights walking tour.
Skillicorne Garden
Behind the Town Hall lies the walled Skillicorne Garden containing a bust of Captain Henry Skillicorne by Percy Braisby. Having married the daughter of the original discoverer of the saline well in 1742, Captain Skillicorne developed the spa, deepening the well and erecting the first Pump Room over the mineral spring. (The site is under the Ladies’ College Princess Hall).Skillicorne’s epitaph, one of the longest in the country, details his interesting life and can be seen in Cheltenham Minster. It could have been even longer, as in his will he wanted the memorial to include that he ‘died with the most beautiful set of Teeth, all sound, even and white as Ivory’.The Skillicorne Garden is open to the public and today is used as a seating area for the Imperial Garden Bar.
Imperial Gardens
Originally the Sherborne Walk, the future Promenade, only extended from the High Street as far as the River Chelt. Beyond was a large area of boggy ground, a former brickfield, reached by a wooden plank across the Chelt.In 1817 landscape gardener Richard Ware drained the stagnant marsh and laid gravelled walks, including the raised Broad Walk at the southern end. In the centre of the ground he planted an exotic botanic garden, around which the houses of Imperial Square were built in the 1820s.At the north end of the site Ware set up his residence, Botanic Cottage, nursery, greenhouses and a conservatory. The central area of the park has remained a garden since the days of the Imperial Spa, (site of Queen’s Hotel) when subscribers had the exclusive privilege of walking in the Imperial Nursery Gardens. The nursey buildings and hothouses were on the site of the present Town Hall.Samuel Hodges took over the Imperial Gardens in 1831, managing it for over 40 years. In Autumn 1841 a Photographic Institution opened at Hodge’s Imperial Nursery, making use of the good light provided in one of the glasshouses. This studio was one of the earliest in the country. The Nursery ground itself was ‘liberally thrown open to the public’ and Mr Hodges was noted for his production of the most ‘elegant dahlias’.
Site of the Winter Gardens
In November 1878 the Winter Garden and Skating Rink opened, designed by J. T. Darby – Cheltenham’s own Crystal Palace. Flanked by gardens, tennis courts and a bowling green, the Winter Gardens extended from the back of the present Town Hall almost to the Broad Walk.The immense iron roof, which rose to a height of 100ft, was constructed by the Central Iron Works at Lansdown. The building housed one of the earliest roller-skating rinks in the country, measuring 15,000 sq. ft. Other attractions included recitals, circuses, flower shows, exhibitions and from 1912 the Cinema de Luxe 'the most luxurious picture palace in the west of England'.Nearby residents could often hear concerts as clearly as those who had bought tickets and when it rained, concert goers complained they couldn't hear the music for the noise of rain on the glass roof.Part of the building was used in WWI to construct DH6 and Bristol Fighter aeroplane fuselages.Suffering financial struggles from the outset, and needing constant repair, the building was demolished in the early 1940s.However, the chequered brickwork base of one of the towers can still be seen, beside the Imperial Garden Bar. The site still plays an important part in Cheltenham's entertainment, hosting the town's many festivals throughout the year.Continue southwards to exit the gardens onto The Broadwalk which runs along the top of the square to the left of the Queens Hotel.
The Imperial Fountain
In 1826 a small pavilion was built at the east end of the Broad Walk to house an 18th-century Italian marble fountain, reportedly by sculptor Bruni. It was looted from Genoa by Napoleon’s army in 1800 before being captured while at sea by a Bristol privateer.Originally operated by a steam engine the fountain supposedly sent jets of water 32ft (9.7m) into the air. At some point in its life the sculpture met with an accident and the original beaked head of a swan was substituted for the current beaked head of an eagle we see today.The fountain was re-sited in Montpellier Gardens from 1834-1902, after which it was displayed at various indoor sites around the town including the Town Hall, the Library and the Rotunda.The Napoleon Fountain, as it used to be known, has now been restored to an alcove at the east end of the Walk once again overlooking Imperial Gardens.Facing the fountain now turn to your left and take the few steps onto Trafalgar Street. Turn right and at the top cross over Montpellier Spa Road to enter Montpellier Gardens via the entrance.
The Cheltenham Archers Plaque
The Cheltenham Archers were founded in 1857 by Horace Ford, the father of modern archery.Membership of the Archers included Alice Blanche Legh who was the Champion Archer of Great Britain a record-breaking 23 times from 1899-1922 and Queenie Newell, who won a gold medal at the 1908 London Olympics.Until 1934, the archers stored their target bosses under the bandstand (Point of Interest 12) when they had to move following the opening of Montpellier Gardens to the general public.
Hidden Hinges
About 30 or 40ft to the north of the William IV statue (Sight 11), are a set of four rusted iron hinges in the flower bed. The distance between these front hinges is approximately 7ft 9”; they had clearly been attached to substantial wooden doors at one time. The rear hinges to these doors exist at the back of the flowerbed amongst the leaf litter.Jill Waller of Cheltenham Local History Society investigated further.."The 1855-57 Cheltenham Old Town Survey reveals that there was once a large conservatory in the garden of No.2 Montpellier Parade. The floor plan of this hothouse was almost as big as that of the house itself, and a boiler house is indicated at the west end, beside the location of the hinges. This confirms that the wooden doors were for coal deliveries, needed by a fairly substantial boiler to heat a conservatory of that size."No.2 Montpellier Parade was home to Sir Alexander Ramsay, 3rd baronet, who lived at this address from c.1852 until his death in 1875. Sir Alexander Ramsay was heavily involved the life of the town; as a Conservative he was actively involved in politics, was on the Cheltenham College board of directors, where his sons were educated, took command of the Cheltenham Volunteer Rifles, became a local magistrate and JP, helped establish the Cotswolds Foxhounds, and was one of the founding directors of the Montpellier Gardens Company in 1861. The principal aim of this last scheme was to lay out and maintain the Montpellier Gardens as a place for public amusement and recreation."Sir Alexander Ramsay’s interests in gardening were reflected in his support of the Cheltenham Horticultural Society; he often took the chair at the annual meetings and regularly exhibited at horticultural shows in the district, presenting the produce of his garden and large conservatory."And the man who did all the actual work, including taking the coal deliveries? That was William Coulston, described by the Cheltenham Chronicle as ‘Sir Alexander Ramsay’s excellent gardener’."No.2 Montpellier Parade became the Imperial Nursing Home from 1908 and the hothouse remained in use well into the 20th century, as can be seen in the photograph below; it survived until at least the Second World War."By 1965 only the boiler-house remained in the garden behind the Imperial Nursing Home, the glass having been long since removed from the conservatory. By 2021 the gardens of Nos.1 and 2 Montpellier Parade had been built over as Glensanda Court. Only the hinges of the coal hatch remain in the flowerbed to remind us of the former existence of the hothouse."Jill Waller May 2021
Statue of William IV
On the east side of Montpellier Gardens, at the end of the central walk, is a statue of William IV, one of only three in existence: one statue is in Cheltenham's twin town, Göttingen in Germany, (William IV was also King of Hanover).The statue was erected by Cheltenham solicitor Thomas Henney and originally placed in Imperial Gardens on William’s Coronation Day, 8 September 1831. The 8ft 1in figure was designed and executed by local sculptor William Montague Gardner of the Colonnade at the High Street end of the Promenade. This was his first public work of art. Models of the statue in plaster of Paris, coloured or bronzed and up to 4ft high were available to buy at Gardner’s premises the same month.Originally the statue was painted in bright colours, but modern taste dictates that it remains unpainted now. It was moved to its present site in Montpellier Gardens in May 1920.
The Victorian Bandstand
The Victorian Bandstand was constructed in 1864 to a design by the Coalbrookdale Company, Ironbridge and is believed to be the oldest bandstand in the country still in regular use. The new ‘orchestra’, as bandstands were referred to then, was used for the first time on 7 September 1864 during a horticultural fête held at Montpellier.
Site of the First Parachute Descent
The first successful parachute descent by an Englishman, John Hampton, took place in Montpellier Gardens on 2 October 1838.Cheltenham magistrates would only allow access to the town's gas supply if the balloon was tethered, but Hampton severed the restraining ropes when his balloon reached 300ft.At about 9,000ft he undertook the parachute jump, just escaping with his life as the balloon dramatically exploded. Hampton landed safely at Badgeworth 12 minutes later. A Civic Society green plaque, unveiled on the bandstand in 2008, commemorates his escapade.
The Garden Gallery
The Garden Gallery is housed in a distinctive Elizabethan-style Proscenium.The original Proscenium was constructed in 1900 by a Mr Yeates for £322. The Proscenium, which had dressing rooms in the towers at either side of the stage, provided the backdrop for entertainments such as the summer concerts, which were becoming increasingly popular. An awning once extended from the Proscenium towards the bandstand, providing shelter for an audience facing in either direction. This temporary structure was replaced by a permanent building in about 1911, known as the Montpellier Pavilion and later simply as the Pavilion. The Pavilion was used as a clubhouse for the very successful Cheltenham Table Tennis Club and Cheltenham Gymnastics Club.In the 1970s the Pavilion Club hosted discos and live bands. The Pavilion is thought to have been demolished in the late 1970s and the Proscenium was restored in 2007. It now houses the Garden's Gallery, a community gallery for local artists (entrance is free).
Site of Historic Ice Well
An 1857 map shows that there was once an ice well under a mound where the present toilets are now situated.This would have been a useful facility in which shopkeepers of Montpellier could keep fish, game and dairy produce cool throughout the summer. The ice was collected from local rivers and ponds in winter, including the ponds at the Folly Lane brickworks, and then stored in the ice wells around the town for the year.The architect of early Montpellier and Lansdown, John Buonarotti Papworth, was a strong advocate of icehouses, realising their potential for food storage. He proclaimed that the icehouse forms an excellent larder for the preservation of every kind of food liable to be injured by heat in summer'.Now turn 180 degrees with your back to the Ice Well and you will see Sight 16 - The Jubilee Seat - on the lawn in front of you.
The Jubilee Seat
The Jubilee Seat, located on the west side of the gardens, was commissioned by the Cheltenham Arts Council to commemorate Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee.Costing £12,000, it was designed by the Stroud sculptor David John. The five sides of the seat mark the decades of the Queen's reign and the encircling musical notes represent the first lines of the National Anthem.During the unveiling in May 2003 a flock of 15 racing pigeons was released, an appropriate gesture as the pigeons are credited with drawing attention to the first mineral spring on Bayshill. Cheltenham is also the home to the Royal Pigeon Racing Association headquarters.Now contine northwards to exit Montpellier Gardens at the junction of Montpellier Spa Road and Montpellier Walk. Turn right to head back down towards the Promenade. At the junction with Imperial Square, cross to the Crimean Memorial Plinth.
Crimean Memorial Plinth
A plinth, bearing the names of Crimean War casualties, can be seen outside the Queens Hotel.There were two plinths originally, on which were mounted Russian guns captured at the siege of Sebastopol and presented to the town in 1856 by the then Secretary of State for War, Lord Panmure.The Queens Hotel proprietor, Mr Davis, allowed the guns to be stored in the hotel stables and also defrayed the cost of mounting them on their cast iron plinths. The mounted guns were officially unveiled on 5 July 1858. The cannon were removed during the Second World War scrap metal drive, along with many of the town’s railings, and now only one of the plinths remains.
Queens Hotel
Architects Robert William and Charles Jearrad built the neo-classical Queens Hotel on the site of the Imperial Spa in 1837-8 at a cost of £47,000. It was named in honour of Queen Victoria, whose coronation occurred shortly after the hotel was completed.The first lessee was Richard Liddell, who took on more than 120 bedrooms, 30 sleeping apartments for servants, 25 sitting rooms as well as drawing rooms, a billiard room, a ballroom and a coffee room. It was the largest hotel in the country at the time.The land to the east of the hotel became the stables and yard, which could accommodate 70 horses with their carriages. There was also a smith and a brewery on the site. This area became a commercial garage in 1925. In 1995 the neo-Regency Broad Walk was revived, reflecting the earlier history.You have now reached the end of your walking tour. Stroll back along the Promenade or enjoy a well-earned rest on one of the park benches or at the Imperial Garden Bar. If you have enjoyed this Cheltenham Local History Society walk you can use PocketSights to explore our other historical Cheltenham walks. Or, to find out about becoming a member, click here.
