A Day At Alton Towers
- The Gardens
w/e 21 September
2003
I suppose most visitors to
the theme park at Alton Towers are attracted by the white knuckle
rides such as Oblivion, Black Hole, Nemesis, Runaway Train and
Corkscrew and also the gentler - and wetter - White Water Rapids.
Whilst we viewed all of these and many more during our visit,
we particularly enjoyed a part of Alton Towers that does not
normally attract the same number of people as the areas containing
the rides. In fact many visitors only pass through this area
and use it as a short cut between one set of amusements and another.
That area
is the gardens where it is possible to find a place of peace
and quiet away from the screams, shouts, music and hubbub in
the rest of the park. At the side of this lake, we stood and
watched fish swimming in the shallow waters around the edge.
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The gardens
were begun in 1814 by the Earl of Shrewsbury who engaged celebrated
architects to design the layout. He often modified the designs
but for the most part they remain almost unaltered from the original
concept today. A path leads through topiary arches .....
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..... to a
conservatory and gives many different views to statues and monuments
along the way. The gardens are well known for the amount of buildings
and statues they contain.
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The two ends of the conservatory
are separated by a veranda adorned with hanging baskets.
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Immaculately mowed lawns
between the shrubbery and strategically placed garden seats are
a temptation too great to resist and offer a place to view the
monument in the form of a Grecian Temple to the memory of the
Earl . The monument bears the inscription "He Made The Desert
Smile Again".
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At this time of year the hues
of the leaves on the trees are only too apparent and at other
times the flowers of the rhododendrons that abound must make
a beautiful splash of colour. The design of the gardens is so
good that even the wall seems to blend effortlessly into the
surroundings.
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The gardens are situated in
the valley of the River Churnet and numerous paths crisscross
along each side. Although not in operation on the day we visited,
a more memorable view of the gardens would surely be achieved
from the chair lift that crosses the valley.
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The path we followed led to
these stepping stones where evidence of the fine summer could
be seen in the green algae in the water.
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Ornamental steps and a small
bridge add a focal point to this view but wherever you are in
the extensive gardens there is always something of interest to
catch the eye.
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As we climbed back up out of
the valley, more formal flower beds put in an appearance. These
pink flowers in particular were covered with butterflies. If
you are ever tempted to visit Alton Towers, take a tip from me
and make sure you have a good look around the gardens - you won't
be disappointed.
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