Northernhay Gardens

Northernhay Gardens is a historic public park in the centre of Exeter, Devon, in south-west England. It sits on the northern side of Rougemont Castle and is widely described as the oldest public open space in the country. Entry is free, the gardens are Grade II listed on the national Register of Historic Parks and Gardens, and Exeter City Council looks after them.

How did Northernhay Gardens begin?

The land was once a quarry. Stone for the city walls is said to have been taken from here as far back as Roman times, and the ground later formed part of the castle's Norman defences. In 1612 the city authorities laid it out as a pleasure walk for residents, which is the date usually given for the park's origin. The English Civil War wrecked that first layout, and in 1664 the city restored it with new elms and gravel paths.

The next big change came in 1860, when the gardens were re-landscaped in Victorian style. Between 1860 and 1895 a group of monuments to leading figures of the age was added, and they still define the character of the place.

What is there to see in Northernhay Gardens?

The main draw is the sculpture and memorials along the paths:

• The Deerstalker (1875) by sculptor E. B. Stephens, shown at the Royal Academy in 1876.
• Statues of John Dinham and Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, also by Stephens.
• A statue of Stafford Northcote (1887) by Joseph Boehm.
• The Volunteer Memorial (1895), marking the formation of the 1st Rifle Volunteers in 1852.
• The Exeter War Memorial (1923) for the dead of the First World War: five symbolic bronze figures around a stone pedestal.

There is also a bandstand. A century ago locals crowded in to hear concerts. In 1911 the landscape designer Thomas Mawson proposed a new bandstand and a better arrangement of the statues, but those plans were never carried out.

What trees grow in the gardens?

A stately avenue of elms once lined the central walk. In the mid twentieth century Dutch elm disease killed them and they had to be felled. Late in the century a stretch of the avenue was replanted with liquidambar, whose leaves turn vivid colours in autumn.

Why visit Northernhay Gardens?

It is a pleasant place to pause while exploring Exeter. The park lies right next to Rougemont Castle, so a stroll is easy to combine with seeing the remains of the Norman fortifications. For history lovers it works as an open-air gallery of Victorian sculpture, and for everyone else it is a green retreat in the heart of the city.

Frequently asked questions

Is Northernhay Gardens free to enter? Yes, it is a public park with free access.

Where is it? In central Exeter, on the northern side of Rougemont Castle, in Devon.

Is it really the oldest public park in England? That is the common claim, based on the pleasure walk laid out in 1612. The original layout was damaged in the Civil War and rebuilt in 1664.

What are the highlights? The Victorian monuments, including The Deerstalker, the Stafford Northcote statue and the 1923 war memorial, plus the bandstand.

Who manages the park? Exeter City Council.