Leamington Pump Rooms: Garden refurbishment begins

Refurbishment work on the Grade II listed gardens of the Royal Pump Rooms in Leamington started this week.

The work will cost £1.2 million, and has been mainly financed by a £1 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

In addition to this, Warwick District Council and ‘Friends of the Pump Room Gardens’ will also each make a contribution of £100,000 towards the project.

The Pump Rooms building was itself refurbished in the 1990s. It is now the location of Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum, Library, and a café; having originally contained spa baths.

The renovations are set to to open up visitors’ views of the River Leam and Adelaide Bridge with the pruning and preservation of existing trees.
A longer-term project will also see 25 new trees planted in the gardens, and incorporate a sensory garden area.

The Chairman of ‘Friends of the Pump Room Gardens’, Archie Pitts, told the Leamington Observer: “After the tree works, the riverbank will be replanted with low growing native species. This will create a wildlife corridor through the centre of town.”

One particularly exciting addition to the gardens will be a Wi-Fi hotspot, which will enable members of the public to easily access internet whilst visiting the site.

Other improvements to the landmark site will include renovation of the bandstand, rebuilding of the wall near the Parade, and replacement of all the paths in the grounds. The paths will be resurfaced with a material more in keeping with the historic significance of the site.

This is not the first time the Pump Rooms’ gardens have seen restorations. Its 19th century Lindon arches were restored in 2012, made possible by a £110,000 investment project.

Natalie Atkinson, first-year Psychology student, commented: “I think it’s great that this work is being done. The planting of more trees will benefit the environment, and hopefully the project as a whole will encourage more visitors to Leamington.”