Hampshire Heritage

Once upon a time it was quite literally an island of peace, tranquility and the sweet smell of roses, surrounded on all sides by the roar of Southampton's traffic.

The city's Rose Garden and fountain stood between the old Hants and Dorset bus station and the Civic Centre in a spot known as Southampton's Picadilly Circus. By the late 1980s the pressure of traffic was so great that it was swept away in a new road scheme.

In 1976 the Rose Garden suffered its worst damage when thousands of people spilled out on to the streets on the day the Saints rode in triumph on a double decker bus after their memorable victory the previous day in the FA Cup Final at Wembley.

The Rose Garden was flattened by the excited crowds and so the city's Parks Department began a search for new roses and appropriately came up with a species called Wembley Stadium. In January, 1977 the then Saints' manager, Lawrie Mcmenemy and players from the FA Cup winning squad attended the replanting ceremony.

Back in the 1930s when the local council was laying out the area in and around the Civic Centre it was initially suggested that the Rose Garden should also feature bandstand but this idea was rejected in favour of a fountain. In those far off days the borough council found itself with a surplus of cash which was earmarked for the development of the Rose Garden and tenders were invited from local companies.

The lowest of these was from AE Jukes and Son, which estimated that the construction and lay-out of the garden could be completed for £3,930 while WH Rogers and Son undertook the horticultural work for £173.

The work was quickly completed and was ready for the opening ceremony which took place on JUne 22, 1934 by the mayoress, Mrs WD Buck.

Southampton's new Rose Garden consisted of 22 beds of roses adding up to 1,700 plants, and 16 specially selected specimen standard trees of various species. The fountain basin held 3,300 gallons of water which was recycled by an electric pump while the floodlighting continually changed colour.

The Daily Echo reported: "The Fountain Gardens were quite a magnet with hundreds of shoppers going out of their way to stroll around it. Opinions varied but most thought it a lovely spot."

During the Second World War the fountain was put out of operation and when peace returned there was a delay of at least two years due to austerity measures which meant, although it was in perfect working order, there were cut backs in the use of electricity.

It was in 1987 that the Rose Garden disappeared although the fountain was carefully taken apart and then repositioned outside the city's art gallery.