Recreating town's hidden garden

STRATFORD’S been keeping a secret from us for years but a lost piece of the town’s heritage could soon be revealed for all to see.

There was once a splendid garden located between Bridge Street and Sheep Street which was surrounded by residential properties including what is now Boots Chemist which was previously a mansion of note used by the mayor of Stratford-upon-Avon.

Anyone walking down either street today might be totally oblivious to the existence of the hidden garden because it can’t be seen from the road but it was in its heyday a glorious spectacle of trees, plants, shrubbery and water features.

Although there is no apparent date as to when the garden was created or indeed dismantled, it is featured in an 1851 Health Map of Stratford. The 1851 Board of Health map for Stratford showed the Waterside Bridgefoot industrial area of the town.

As the world of business took over both streets, the area of land behind Boots in Bridge Street and what is now The Golden Bee, Wetherspoons in Sheep Street was gradually tarmacked over and is now used as a mobility car park and service area.

But local charity - Escape Arts, situated in The Old Slaughterhouse, on the same site - has plans to revitalise the area and return its historic past to the people of Stratford.

“We hope to drum up support from local businesses to turn part of the area into an innovative arts trail. Obviously there’s no way we can dig-up the whole area and turn it back into a garden but we can add some pleasant landscaping ideas like bushes and flowers to make this forgotten pocket of the town more entertaining,” Karen Williams from Escape Arts said.

Karen says the project will be called The Lost Garden of Avon and will be launched in spring next year.