Alton Towers, in Staffordshire, England, served as the seat and summer residence of the Earls of Shrewsbury from the 1100s until 1923.
Charles Talbot, the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury, took a great interest in the house and grounds and in the early 1800s began creating the gorgeous landscape and gardens that remain today. The gardens were designed by Thomas Allason (1790-1842) and Robert Abrahams (1774-1850) and were opened to the public in 1860.
Alton Towers remained in the Talbot family until 1923, when it was sold to a group of local businessmen. During the war, the Towers were requisitioned by the army until 1951. For many years, the gardens and parts of the towers were open for tourism, with a few attractions offered in addition to the gardens and Towers. In 1980, with the construction of the UK's first double corkscrew rollercoaster, Alton Towers began its history as a theme park. It is now a large theme park with 11 themed areas and many rides, including eight roller coasters.
Thankfully, the gardens remain and work is being done to restore the Towers. This was my second visit to Alton Towers and I made sure to save time for the gardens. Unfortunately, one day is not enough for rides and the gardens, particularly when the park closes as early as 6. An ideal visit would devote one and a half days to the park and at least half a day to the gardens and Towers, with an overnight stay at the on-site Alton Towers Hotel.
The gardens are quite elaborate and have many levels and miles of pathways. Some of the elements include: several long nature trails, some of which serve as good shortcuts from one section of the park to another, the Chinese Temple--a landmark near the Forbidden Valley area of the park, the Pagoda Fountain, the Conservatory, the Colonnade and Roman Bath, Stonehenge, the Yew Arches, the Rock Garden, and the Choragic Monument. One could spend hours in the gardens and still not see them all. After several hours in a theme park full of people, machines and noise, the gardens provide peace, beauty and tranquility.
From "Alton Chosen by Flora", by Francis Redfern, Uttoxeter* Historian and Poet, 1851-1895:
"The wildness of the valley fled
The slopes the mind with beauty fed;
Groves sprang enchanting 'mid the scene,
Which left abashed the poet's dream
Of fairy grounds extending where
No mortal footstep claims a share
Sweet fountains rose with rushing spray,
And Naiads graced the scene in play.
Grots, springs and gentle waterfalls,
Smooth yielding sward and floral halls;
Fair wending paths for leisure tread,
All through the odorous regions led;
Exquisite temples deftly planned
And palace famed through all the land;
While on the heights secluding round,
Tall sheletering trees the prospects bound;
And like some Abyssinian vale
The scene bore but the softest gale,
And harpings as in days of old,
Whose numbers mystic feeling told,
Which lingered 'mongst the gentle flowers
Till sleep hushed their last whispering powers
Those grateful features swift displayed
Where Nature's rudeness once dismayed,
When Flora spoke her wishes fair,
And Shrewsbury fixed the plan with care."
Alton Towers from Morris' "Seats Of Noblemen and Gentlemen", 1880 (public domain).
The same view of Alton Towers as it looks today.
Inside the Towers. Most of the interior has long been stripped of its former ornamentation. Restoration of some sections has begun.
The Towers house a ride called "Hex--The Legend of the Towers".
Exterior of the Towers. There are some gardens here as well.
Part of the gardens as seen from the Skyride.
The Pagoda.
The Colonnade.
The Yew Arches.
The Conservatory.
"Stonehenge" can be seen at the top of this photo.
A stump (for Rubicon).
The Rock Garden.
The Choragic Monument (based on the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Athens). The bust of the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury is in the center and it reads "He made the desert smile". Note the shrub "S" in front.
*Uttoxeter is a nearby town; we took the train there from Crewe, where we were staying, and caught a bus to Alton Towers, which is out in the middle of picturesque nowhere.
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Comments: 21
I suspect the setting would make this one of the few theme parks I would gladly visit.
Other great garden amusement parks, in which you could spend as much time (or more) enjoying the gardens as enjoying the rides and other attractions include Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen and Bonfante Gardens in Gilroy, CA.
Bonfante Gardens (which now may be called Gilroy Gardens), is unique in that it was created recently and was designed to be a "horticultural theme park". In addition to being home to what remains of Axel Erlandson's famous "circus trees", it has several excellent gardens, including a greenhouse, that can be toured with a live guide or detailed written garden guides and several Learning Sheds that offer information to families and children about horticulture and other relevant topics.
There's a bit about the circus trees on the park website here: http://www.bonfantegardens.com/circus.html
Thanks for the history. It gave me a real 'feel' for the place. And the pictures are gorgeous. The Yew Arches picture looks like I could just step into it.
Hey, who would've thought I'd have published another article? Not me! (Have thoughts for several others but don't know if I'll ever do it.)
Next time (if there is one) I'll send a mass email.
Ha!
Do you feel stalked?
At Alton Towers, we ate at a place called Rita's Chicken and Ribs. It's a newer place and was not as bad as I expected. I think I got a sampler platter of some sort. Someone wrote of the place on a site elsewhere "I think this is a cracking place to eat".
I did have a few good things to eat on the trip. The cheese was fantastic (cheddar, gloucester, red leicester, etc.). Lots of shortbread. A great lemon tart (or "taaht' as the waiter said). Lots of jacket potatoes. A smashing roast beef and watercress sandwich with horseradish mayo on a baguette at a train station somewhere. A great stilton soup. Sadly, no opportunities for scones and Devonshire (clotted) cream this time. I'll be happy not to see any more chips or peas for a while.
No, I'm flattered!
There were also numerous chances to have things like cockles, whelks, mussels and clams, especially at the seaside locales. I've never had cockles or whelks but love clams and mussels. I'm a bit wary of ordering them while traveling though; I know what a bad clam can do.
I have never, ever, heard anyone rave positively about English cuisine.
I don't usually have a problem with this, athough I do avoid intense spinny rides after eating for a bit. At one park on this trip I saw a girl get off a "spin and puke" ride and throw up immediately. I almost threw up taking a picture of it (don't know why I felt compelled to document it...).
I rode this ride in Vienna immediately after a full meal and a couple of Budvars (for courage!) with no problem. It was not a very intense ride in terms of motion, just a bit frightening at first.
I forgot to mention in the article that the ride in the Towers called "Hex--The Legend of the Towers" is based on the Legend of the Chained Oak. As legend has it, the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury rebuffed a beggar woman on his way home one night. She put a curse on him, saying that member of his family would die for every branch of the old oak tree that fell. That night in a storm, a branch fell, a member of the Earl's family died, and he had all the branches chained up. The tree remains chained to this day.
I haven't been able to figure out the exact location of this tree (it's not on the park grounds). I believe it's near the Chained Oak B&B that we passed on the way to and from the park. Since we were on a bus, I couldn't check it out. It might be interesting to see some day if I have the opportunity.
More on the Chained Oak legend here.
We had delicious lunches in pubs in several towns. Even the simple, classic pub lunch of cheese and pickles with a pint was exquisitely and lovingly prepared. I've always loves Stilton, and making a while lunch of a large piece of it is sheer bliss!