Penrith Coronation Garden
More history info at the Coronation Garden
- Proceed up Portland Place and turn right into the Coronation Garden. Please note that dogs are not allowed inside the garden. The Garden once formed part of the garden and tennis courts of the houses that eventually became the Town Hall. In 1938, the land was converted into a community garden to commemorate the coronation of King George VI. In 2012 -13, the Rotary Club of Penrith regenerated the garden as a sensory garden, with information to help people understand the rich history of Penrith. The story of Penrith is told through sculptures, banners and information boards as you go through time on the Timeline Path.
- Follow the Timeline path to your right: fourteen plaques set in a circular path form a time-line of Penrith’s history from 3000BC to the present day. The four internal paths represent the cross of St Andrew to illustrate Penrith’s long historical links with Scotland.
- Within each segment of the Timeline an information board displays information relevant to that period.
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There are 4 sculptures designed by local schools depicting aspects of Penrith’s history.
This sculpture is a new ‘tree’ for the Coronation Garden, celebrating aspects of Penrith’s history on its ‘leaves’ (representing Romans, Penred Regis, Penrith Castle and Richard III, the Beacon, Musgrave Monument and today’s young people), and bears a replica of the town seal at a lower level.
The tree sculpture was designed by St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School, working in conjunction with artist Karen MacDougall.
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Continue round the Timeline to the Penrith Castle sculpture.
This sculpture is based on Penrith Castle, incorporating a gateway and the Red Tower, a crown symbolic of Richard III, and a hidden elephant motif. The sculpture is encircled by a blue moat with a representation of an elephant’s tooth that was dug out of the moat in 1921, possibly from a Victorian circus elephant. The tooth is now in Penrith and Eden Museum.
The castle sculpture was designed by North Lakes School working with artist Karen MacDougall.
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The Beacon sculpture is next along the Timeline.
The sculpture depicts metal flames in a circular pattern evocative of a Beacon fire. The poem refers to the troublesome Border Reiver times and includes some known dates when the Beacon was lit as a warning.
The castle sculpture was designed by Beaconside C. of E. Primary School working with artist Karen MacDougall.
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Last is the heritage market town sculpture.
The sculpture makes reference to Penrith’s status as a market town. It is a deconstructed market stall and includes motifs based on the ‘ten trees of Inglewood Forest’, whereby newcomers to the town were allowed to fell ten oak trees to build shops and stalls. Symbols represent the six markets mentioned on James Clarke’s map of 1787. The sculpture also includes a reference to the Musgrave Monument in the heart of the town.
The castle sculpture was designed by Hunter Hall School working with artist Karen MacDougall.
- The garden is intended to be a sensory experience offering interactive stimulation to the senses of sight, hearing, touch and smell. The plants and shrubs have been specially selected for their appearance, texture and smell to enrich the experience.
The Coronation Garden Commemorative stone was gifted by Alderman J. Simpson Yeates who was chair of the then Penrith Urban Council at the time of the Coronation of King George VI. The stone is a slab of rough-cut Borrowdale stone. The inscription commemorates the opening of the garden on 20th April 1938 to celebrate the Coronation.
Please visit the Coronation Garden pages for much more history about Penrith and the surrounding area.
Explore the garden before continuing on our tour by turning right through the exit to the top of Portland Place.
Note that dogs are not allowed in Christ Church grounds. If you have a dog retrace your steps to the Tourist Information Centre, cross the road and pick up the tour at 21.