Alpine Garden [s] 

                    This is a short blog giving some information about the Alpine Garden[s] of Chesterfield.

                         The Garden was built at the end of Burlington Street, and into the churchyard of   
                                                          St. Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield.
                                     This coloured postcard is dated 1914; I have no date for the black & white one.
It was opened to the public on Wednesday 12th May 1909; and only lasted a few years before it was diminished, to make way for a new road from Burlington Street to Church Lane, and then lead to St. Mary's Gate: The new street, [Church Way], was to give better access to shops and businesses of the town, and to property owned by the Corporation.            The 1918 Map on the Left and 1962-64 Map on the Right show the changes.
              The main instigator for the Garden was Thomas Philpot Wood, an avid gardener, who donated 
              £500 of his own money towards the garden. The plan wasn't universally popular though.

 



It also meant the clearing of land at the end of Burlington Street; including the house of Dr. Green (opposite).
During council meetings it was decided that the garden was put under the care of the Parks Committee.



Uses for other parts of land hadn't been decided.

It would later be used for 'Church Way'.
By 1912 the Garden was in a sorry state; and money spent to bring it back to being a beauty spot was contested: Alderman Spooner in particular was outspoken about the costing.

The cost of the up-keep of the Alpine Garden was discussed at a council meeting. Alderman Spooner rashly said he'd undertake the work for nothing - a statement that came back to bite him !
Derbyshire Courier, Tuesday 16th July 1912   
Chesterfield's Dog Walk.
Councillor's Criticism of Alpine Garden.
“A DISMAL FAILURE.”
“At the meeting of the Parks Committee a plan of proposed alterations to the Alpine Garden was produced and approved, and the park-keeper was instructed to obtain tenders for carrying out the work.”
Councillor Lack moved that it be referred back to the Parks Committee. Alderman Spooner asked what the alterations were & the estimated cost, which the Deputy Mayor answered £30.
Councillor Lancaster said he hoped the matter would not be disposed of altogether by sending back the minute to the committee, because it was generally admitted that the Alpine Garden, in its present state, was a dismal failure. He continued to say the committee, & the general public, would like to see the Garden put in something like a presentable state – instead of which there was a few pieces of stone & some turves, & it was nothing more than a dog walk. He was in favour of moving the stones & making a nice flower bed, & if that could be done at a small cost it would be approved of by rate-payers; & would be carrying out, “the original idea of making a beauty spot, instead of which it was the most ugly spot in Chesterfield.”

Councillor Hodkin said that to have an open space given to the town, to spend from £300 to £400 upon it, then begrudge a further £25 to £30, was a disgrace. This met with approval.
Alderman Spooner disagreed as he thought a fabulous amount had already been spent on it – “considering what was done” - & it would be a disgrace to spend any more money on it. He then said, “You ask me to do it for nothing and I'll do it” which brought about approval.
Councillor Woodhead observed that the estimates allowed nothing for the work to be done & the rates were very high at present.
The minute was referred back.
Calling Alderman Spooner's bluff perhaps ?

Derbyshire Courier, Tuesday 20th August 1912 
“The Parks Committee have asked Alderman Spooner to intimate the character and extent of the work which, at the last Council meeting, he kindly offered to carry out, in connection with the proposed alteration and improvement of the Alpine Garden in Burlington Street.” 
Derbyshire Courier, Saturday 18th January 1913
                                                   “Alderman Spooner and the Alpine Garden.
The Parks Committee had authorised the park keeper to expend £5 in seeds for the Queen's Park and the Alpine Garden, and ALD. SPOONER wanted to know why the Committee had authorised the spending of the extra money.
COUN. RANDALL, (Chairman of the Committee): Because he required it.
COUN. DRONFIELD: It is for the Alpine Garden.
ALD. SPOONER contended that the Committee had always allowed the park-keeper an ample amount of money, and if he bought the choiciest seeds he would not want £5.
COUN. EDMUNDS said that with regard to the increase of £1, that the money was for the Alpine Garden. He believed that Ald. Spooner offered to put the Alpine Garden in order, and a minute was passed thanking him for his kind offer, and asking him when he would kindly submit his scheme. The Committee had waited three or four months and they thought it was time they got the seeds.
“If he will carry out his offer, no doubt we shall save that £1,” added COUN. EDMUNDS, amid laughter.
ALD. SPOONER made some remark, which was inaudible.” I wonder what that might've been ?



Observations made as to the future of the Alpine Gardens; and what would be the best for the Corporation and businesses.
               The following article is longer than I'd like, but it gives a lot of information on what was being                                      considered and why.
               It also shows that there was a discrepancy about how much the Alpine Garden actually cost, 
                    and who paid towards it. 
 The following are 2 letters written under the previous article in the paper....



Moving of the Alpine Garden completed.
                                                           Uses found for the 'Alpine Square'.
The 'Alpine Gardens' was used as a meeting place for people and for various organisations - whether there was a church service accompanying it or not: These included Girl Guides, Cycling and Rambling Organisations, Armistice Day celebrations and Communist meetings etc etc Marches and processions would include it in the route too.  
One man went too far though, in not only appropriating it to establish a stand there for his bus excursion business, but also putting a board up advertising trips.

Derbyshire Courier, Saturday 22nd October 1921
“FIRST MOTOR STATION.
BARLOW MAN'S “COOL” VENTURE AT CHESTERFIELD. 
A number of persons were summoned at Chesterfield on Monday for plying for hire in the borough without having obtained licences from the Watch Committee.”

People could only pick up passengers, in the borough, on a 'stand' licensed by the Watch committee.
The people who were summoned for plying for hire & similar offences were: Mary Elizabeth Hoult & William B. Rooth of North Wingfield, Albert Rolland, Florence Lowe & William Henson of Clay Cross & Edwin Melville Machin of Barlow.
Pc Dennis testified to seeing the defendants drop of & pick up customers in the yards of public houses.
Mr. Mather, defending, said the defendants thought they could ply for hire in the borough provided they dis-charged their passengers on to private property.
Chief Constable Kilpatrick disagreed & said they were just trying to evade the by-laws.
All except Edwin Melville Machin were fined 10s.

In the case of Mr Machin, of Barlow, the Chief Constable said that the defendant wasn't satisfied with establishing a stand in the Alpine Gardens but had put up a board advertising a trip.
The Mayor said it was a bit cool of the defendant to take over the Alpine Gardens and establish a stand there. The defendant had written, in a letter, that he was only waiting for the Watch Committee to establish the first motor station in England there.
Mr. Machin said it would be another feather in Chesterfield's cap; and that he had no doubt that the Watch Committee would license the Alpine Gardens.
The Bench didn't agree & Mr. Machin was fined £1.
                                         Changes to the Alpine Garden and St. Mary's graveyard.
                 I've included this next excerpt of an obituary about the chap who carried out the alterations 
                 to the Alpine Garden and other parts of Chesterfield.
                              These photos taken from above are c/o http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk







An article in a newspaper dated 1930, stated that there was no sufficient parking places in the town, so people had to use the Market Square when it wasn't in use, and the Alpine Gardens [square].


A later article dated 1937 asked why the taxis - that were moved from Stephenson's Place to Knifesmithgate - couldn't use the Alpine Gardens [square] instead.


It made me wonder if the pictures I've seen of cars parked near the Church belong to people going to church? or shopping?


You parked there at your own peril though as  vehicle theft occured at that time too.
Leasing or selling land near what was left  of  the  Alpine  Gardens  was  still under consideration in 1944.
The area has since changed to a pedestrian zone today; with a 'new' Tourist Information Center being built.
                                            Below are photos from c1910 and 2016
End
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