How Kew became one
Continuing our A-Z series in which Geoff Wright takes a look at the history of Southport and nearby areas
KEW Gardens has long since disappeared but in its heyday it was a major tourist attraction, hailed as ‘one of the most interesting pleasure resorts in the United Kingdom’ and ‘ an oasis of peace in a busy world’.
To sum up, the original structure, Alexandra Hotel (now the Richmond Hotel) was built in the 1860s fronting the 12-acre site, which was most popular from about 1884 when horsetrams took visitors to the renamed ‘Kew Gardens’, an ornamental private venture.
Within a triangular parcel of land, its features ranged from illuminated fetes and carnivals on its scenic lake, dancing and variety theatre, to a zoo (or menagerie) added in the 1870s. It was a hive of activity!
In their heyday the impressive gardens boasted a full array of attractions - including picnic parties for up to 1,000 people, palm house, hothouses, shrubberies, aviary, lawn tennis, bowling green, deer park, reptile house, pheasant walk, and many others.
Echoing the sentiments of the various glowing reports of these once lovely gardens, was an early ‘Stephenson’s Guide to Southport’.
‘A fine floral display is to be witnessed at all seasons of the year, and the conservatories and hothouses are richly stocked with rare and costly plants. A prominent attraction is afforded by the lake, which is largely used for boating ... there is a spacious lawn tennis ground, which is open to visitors, an excellent bowling green, a skittle alley, swings, a camera obscura, and other means of amusement and recreation..
‘There is also a large lawn behind the bowling green, which is used for open air sports and sometimes for dancing. Attached to the hotel is a commodious and extensive dancing hall, which is prettily decorated and adjoining it is a tasteful little theatre, in which drawingroom and other entertainments are given from time to time.
‘There is an elegant aviary in which is kept a collection of canaries and pigeons, with many other curious birds and animals. Beside this is a finely stocked conservatory always in most lovely bloom and beyond it a series of hothouses and forcing gardens for bedding-out plants and flowers.
‘Here are annually grown extensive crops of cucumbers and tomatoes, which are sold to the public at reasonable prices. There are refreshment rooms in different parts of the grounds, and there are entrances to the hotel inside the turnstiles.
‘At intervals during the season fetes are given and sports held, and there are also frequent swimming contests in the lake. On holiday occasions special features are provided, such for instance as the steam rocking hobby horses, which were recently performing on the lawn.
‘Kew Gardens are largely used for picnic parties from Liverpool, Manchester, Bolton, and other industrial centres. Some of the walks at Kew are excessively charming, and the grottoes and rockeries placed at intervals amongst the trees, shrubs and flowers are pleasing to the eye.
‘It may be added that at night, when the weather is fine, the grounds are occasionally illuminated with thousands of coloured lamps and Chinese lanterns. A new station, called ‘Kew’, on the Junction Railway, has now been opened within two minutes’ walk of the gardens’.
Tragedy struck the zoo in October 1908, when a fire broke out and totally destroyed a wooden structure in which a number of animals were kept. This unfortunately resulted in the death of about 30 animals, all burnt to death, including two elephants, a rhino, zebra and two camels (one a dromedary).
This was during Mr Cross’s ownership. The total damage was estimated at £2,500, with the animals valued at £1,200. A crane and two eagles were the only creatures that escaped.
It was the zoo that inspired the local nickname ‘The Monkey House’ for the hotel, due to the zoo’s monkey collection. As well as this ‘Monkey House’ there was a zoo and elephant house, a lion house, a reptile