The Victoria Column and history of Royal Victoria Park

Nestled within the heart of Bath, England, Royal Victoria Park was opened in 1830 by the 11-year-old Princess Victoria, seven years before her ascension to the throne. It was the first park to carry her name. Despite being privately run as part of the Victorian public park movement until 1921, when it was taken over by the Bath Corporation, the park remains a significant landmark, sprawling over 57 acres. Visitors can find attractions such as a skateboard ramp, tennis, bowling and putting greens, a 12 and 18 hole golf course, a large children's play area, and a botanical garden covering 9 acres.

Along with seasonal events like carnival fairs, open-air concerts, and hosted events, the park holds the Green Flag award and is Grade I registered by Historic England on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. Taking center stage is the Victoria Column, a tapering triangular stone obelisk about 33 feet tall, designed by the Bath city architect G. P. Manners. Erected in 1837 to mark the coming-of-age of Princess Victoria at age 18, the column features a low-profile relief of the Princess and inscriptions on its faces, with three plinths bearing lions couchant radiating from it. The whole is surrounded by a low balustraded wall.

A notable piece of history near the monument is that guns captured in the Crimean War were at one time placed nearby but were later removed. The obelisk is approached from Royal Avenue and Marlborough Lane through a former carriage gateway constructed in 1830. Originally called Spry's Gate, it became Victoria Gate on the raising of the obelisk. While the original cast iron gates were removed in World War II, gates with gilded decoration have since been reinstated.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons