History
Castle Bromwich Hall was built between 1557 and 1585 by Sir Edward Devereux, the first MP for Tamworth. Sir Orlando Bridgeman bought the Hall and Gardens in 1657 for his son, Sir John Bridgeman I. He made changes to both around the year 1700 advised by his cousin, Captain William Winde. The gardens were designed as a formal arrangement of self-contained garden areas. Some of these were ornamental and some working. They were separated by walls, hedges or level-changes at terraces. On the death of Sir John Bridgeman I in 1710 his son, Sir John Bridgeman II, continued to extend the Gardens westwards until they reached their present size of 10 acres (40,000 m2). He also improved the Hall.
The Gardens were developed by further generations of the family, later to become the Earls of Bradford. Lady Ida Bridgeman was the last member of the family to live at the Hall before her death in 1936 and the Gardens were well looked after again under her care. The Hall was then rented out and they fell into decline. A planning application was made in 1983 for the building of housing. Luckily, the planning inspectors employed by West Midlands County Council realized the importance of the Gardens. It was decided that restoration was essential and work started to clear the undergrowth and repair the damage caused by vandals. The Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens Trust was formed to restore and maintain them.
Read more about this topic: Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens
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