Rosherville Gardens - lost pleasure gardens for London day trippers
There seems nothing more lost and melancholy than a lost pleasure garden. Rosherville Gardens in Northfleet, Kent, were once all the rage, but now they are gone and forgotten.
Rosherville Gardens were just outside London in Northfleet, Kent, and became a popular destination for day-trippers from London during the Victorian era.
In echoes of our current fantastic gardens, the Eden Project in Cornwall, Rosherville was laid out in 1837 from a disused chalk pit.
Under the ownership of George Jones, the site transformed into an elaborate pleasure ground featuring a wide array of attractions, including flower gardens, promenades, and a lake for boating. One of its standout features was the Rosherville Gardens Railway, an early example of a miniature railway system, which added to the allure of the attraction.
The gardens reached the peak of their popularity in the late 19th century, drawing crowds with live performances, concerts, and various amusements. The Crystal Palace and Glass Maze, as well as the extensive pleasure grounds, contributed to Rosherville's reputation as a premier destination for recreation.
Many visitors arrived by pleasure steamer along the Thames. One such steamer tragically sank on its return journey in 1878.
However, the gardens faced financial challenges in the early 20th century and eventually succumbed to a decline. One factor was the increasing popularity and extent of the railway system, which allowed holidaymakers to travel further afield to coastal resorts.
The outbreak of World War I further accelerated the demise of the Rosherville Gardens, and by the 1920s, Rosherville Gardens ceased to operate as a pleasure ground. The land was later repurposed for industrial use and now looks quite the opposite of a pleasure garden!
While the physical traces of Rosherville Gardens have largely disappeared, it is mentioned in various books and musicals of the era, including in the very first Jeeves story by P.G. Wodehouse.
Further reading
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