The Dell, Leamington Spa
Encyclopedia
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Although it is not well known nationally (like The Jephson Gardens
The Jephson Gardens
The Jephson Gardens are formal gardens, together with a grassed park, in the town of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. The gardens, once a place for the wealthy to 'take the air' and 'be seen', are found in the centre of the town with the River Leam flowing to the south of them. One of the town's most...
) or regionally (like Newbold Comyn
Newbold Comyn
Newbold Comyn is a park that is found on the eastern edge of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. It is described by some people as a country park in all but name.- History :...
), it is a well used and popular park amongst Leamingtonians themselves. The park takes its name from the fact that it is situated in a small sunken hollow, or dell
Dell (landform)
In physical geography, a dell is a small wooded valley. Like "dale", the word "dell" is derived from the Old English word dæl.-See also:* Cirque* Combe * Coulee* Dells of the Wisconsin River...
.
History
Up until the 1820s the Dell was simply part of the course of a local watercourse, the Bins Brook. As the town grew, however, a new road was needed to connect the town to its neighbour WarwickWarwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
. The brook was culverted and the road built higher up to avoid the often muddy ground. There was once a small summer house made from the stones of a demolished local church in the park, but it has now itself disappeared. Like another Leamington park, Newbold Comyn
Newbold Comyn
Newbold Comyn is a park that is found on the eastern edge of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. It is described by some people as a country park in all but name.- History :...
, the land stayed in private hands until the Leamington Corporation bought it in 1945. Flowerbeds and paths were laid out in a formal style in the early years but eventually they were grassed over for economic reasons. From the 1970s to late 1990s the park became slightly infamous. Gangs of youths would sometimes gather there, as would drug users.
Renaissance
However since the formation in 1997 of Friends of the Dell, and in 2006 the Gardening Around Leamington Spa (GALS) group, who have helped the Warwick District CouncilWarwick (district)
Warwick is a local government district of central Warwickshire in England. The current leader of the district council is Conservative Party member Michael Doody. The council is currently controlled by the Conservative group, who hold 23 of the 46 council seats...
maintain the park, its good name has returned. Friends of the Dell hold regular parties in the park, the most popular being the ones in early summer and Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
. In the early 2000s the somewhat ageing children's play equipment was upgraded thanks to a council grant. In May 2007 GALS received a £500 donation from Barclays to help weed the steep slopes of the park. In late 2007 the east slope of the park was reinforced with rock filled gabions placed at its foot. In March 2011 there was more great news for The Friends of The Dell when they learnt that the nationwide "Big Lottery Fund
Big Lottery Fund
The Big Lottery Fund is a grant-making non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom created by the Government to administer the funding of "good causes" following the creation of the National Lottery. It has an annual expenditure of £630 million...
" had granted them £50,000. Plans to spend the money include a hard path across the park to allow better access for the disabled as well as improved play equipment, new railings
Railings
Railings is an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who is notable for winning the 2005 Caulfield Cup when trained by John Hawkes. Other notable wins include the Metropolitan Handicap and he has been placed in races such as the BMW Classic...
and an information board at the enterance.
There are now, as there have been since the 1940s and before, shops around the Dell named after it such as Dell News (newsagents), Dell Practice (doctor's surgery) and The Dell Guesthouse.