Romsey's Public Walk
and Pleasure Ground

1

Introduction

This is the story of Romsey's Public Walk and Pleasure Ground which was founded by Lord Palmerston in 1826 for the benefit of the inhabitants of Romsey in Hampshire. The land was the subject of frequent legal disputes throughout its history. These were given fresh impetus in 2001 when the Charity Commission instructed the Borough Council to register the land as a Charitable Trust. This small but important piece of Romsey may one day be restored to provide a suitable setting for the magnificent west end of the Abbey Church.

Geoffrey Morris

 

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to the Hampshire Record Office, the Romsey local history society (the LTVAS Group) and the Special Collections Department of the Hartley library in Southampton University for providing most of the information which enabled the story of Romsey's Public Walk and Pleasure Ground to be pieced together. The Record Office and the Hampshire Field Club kindly gave permission to reproduce the engraving on the front cover (above) and another of the Abbey Church on page 23. The LTVAS Group gave permission to reproduce the remaining pictures from their archives.

Friends and local historians kindly read through the draft and Frank Green, Heritage Officer of Test Valley Borough Council, made additional helpful comments and corrections. Errors or omissions remaining in the book are the responsibility of the author.

© Copyright - Published by G Morris, 32 Church Street, Romsey, Hampshire. August 2007

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