Description of the attraction
Northernhey Gardens are located in Exeter, Devon, UK. They are located on the north side of Rougemont Castle. It is the oldest public park in England and was opened in 1612 as a walking area for the people of Exeter.
Initially, there were quarries on this site, where the Romans mined stone for the city walls. In the park, you can still see the remains of Roman fortifications and the only surviving section of the city wall in England, built under the Saxons.
The park was seriously damaged during the Civil War in 1642, when a large moat was dug there to protect the city. Soon after the Restoration, in 1664, the city is restoring the park, planting hundreds of elms and laying gravel paths.
In 1860, the park underwent significant redevelopment and reconstruction. Monuments and statues have appeared, including the famous "Deer Hunter" by Stephens. Since then, the park has maintained a Victorian landscape style with beautiful trees, shrubs and amazing flower beds.
In the mid-1900s, the ancient elms unfortunately fell ill with Dutch Elm Disease (a fungal disease) and had to be cut down.
