Visitors flock to Bushey Rose Garden

More than 1,000 visitors came to Bushey Rose Garden on Saturday to enjoy the free entertainment and splendour of the garden once again - five years after it was closed to the public.

Hertsmere’s Mayor, Cllr Linda Silver, officially opened the gates to the public just before noon and the garden saw a steady stream of visitors throughout the day.

She said: "I was very fortunate to open the gates at both ends of the garden and people were queuing to get in at both ends.

“There were people with chairs and picnics, old and young, dogs and babies - and so they came, all day long and you could not see a blade of grass it was so crowded!
 
“There was music, entertainment, face painting and exhibition stands from the museum. It was indeed one of the most amazing days of my life."

A £1.5 million restoration has seen the Grade II garden restored to its former glory, with its features - including a summer house, pergola, water fountain and cloisters - back to how they were at the beginning of the 20th century.
The restoration was possible thanks to a grant of nearly £1m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and money from Hertsmere Borough Council, the garden having been closed previously because of vandalism. 

Located in a Conservation Area off Bushey High Street, the Rose Garden plays an important role in Bushey’s heritage; the garden was created in 1913 by the famous landscape designer, Thomas Mawson, who later went on to become the first president of the Landscape Institute and has left a legacy of parks and gardens in the UK and abroad.  Mawson was commissioned by the eminent Victorian artist, Sir Hubert von Herkomer, who owned the site and ran an art school on it from 1883 to 1904. 

The Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, the Countess of Verulam, officially opened the garden on Friday, 23 July, in front of around 150 VIPs and guests, including relatives of Thomas Mawson.

One of his grandsons, David Mawson, said: "The Rose Garden has been beautifully restored due to the very hard work of you and your colleagues. A number of people asked me what I thought about the garden and I had no hesitation in saying that I thought it was lovely and would certainly have the approval of Thomas Mawson without any doubt."
 
The garden is free to enter and open daily - 7am to 7pm May to September and 7am to 4pm October to April. The nearest public parking is in Kemp Place.

Pictures of the opening events will be available shortly. For more information about the garden and the restoration project, as well as programme of events, visit our Bushey Rose Garden page.