The western entrance to Belle Vue Park, Newport, South East Wales
Before I stopped working in Maesglas, on the western side of Newport, I made sure I visited nearby Belle Vue Park, which opened in 1894 and is a typical Victorian park with a pavilion and bandstand at the centre of wonderful trees, shrubs and Japanese-style plantings.
This was one of the many good works of Godfrey Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar, a rich Army officer and politician who left a large area of land to the Newport Corporation for the benefit of the people. On this land were built the Royal Gwent Hospital, the Tredegar Park sports grounds (which I featured here) and Belle Vue Park, which is on a slope with views to the south in the direction of the River Usk.
Trunk of a large oak of some sort…
One of last year’s leaves among lesser celandine flowers
I always think this shape of tree is a Sequoia, but I could be wrong…
…perhaps this will help in the identification
A century after the park opened, it was in a bit of a state through old age and vandalism, so the then Newport County Borough Council (it’s now a city) commissioned a plan to restore the pavilion, conservatories, tea house, terracing and gates.
In 2002 the Heritage Lottery Fund gave £1.5m towards the restoration work, which began in May 2003 and aimed to respect Thomas Mawson’s original design but with new facilities, which opened in September 2006.
This oriental-looking tree close to the old tea room was fascinating…
…thanks to Hollis for identifying it as box-leaf maple, Acer negundo – I should have realised it was an Acer when I thought it looked Japanese
A grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) at the bottom of the tree…
…squirrels always look so innocent
Bergenia in flower
The park’s tearoom
View from the tea rooms over the terrace and bandstand
In the distance, beyond the building site for new homes, is Newport’s famous Transporter Bridge…
Zooming in on the Transporter Bridge
The bridge was designed by French engineer Ferdinand Arnodin and opened by Godfrey Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar, in September 1906 – the same benefactor responsible for Belle Vue Park. Read more about it here.
From the park you can also see the newer City Bridge, opened in 2004, with its bow-string design, carrying the A48 across the River Usk
The Parc Pantry tea rooms in the pavilion at the heart of Belle Vue Park
I had a super sandwich at the Parc Pantry tea rooms, where the staff were very cheerful and friendly. There were many people walking their dogs and stopping for a snack here.
The blue plaque from Newport Civic Society reads: Belle Vue Park –
Opened in 1894 by Lord Tredegar – Designed by Thomas Mawson, Landscape Architect, Windermere – Restored 2006 with aid of Heritage Lottery Fund
This grey plaque says the park was named a Queen Elizabeth Field – Fields in Trust – for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012
Where there’s a roof there’s always a Buddleia
A detail of the bandstand
Steps down to the lower gardens
Maidenhair spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes) on the wall
There was plenty of interest – these trees had very different flowers…
… on the left were these strongly perfumed white flowers, I think of Viburnum
…these wind-pollinated flowers belong to the tree on the right
I had no idea what these funny things were, but after a bit of research I think they may be bottlebrush (Callistemon) seed pods – how wonderful!
My camera can’t cope with bright red – small Rhododendron or Azalea
Purple Rhododendron
I know I’ve cut the top off, but this is a dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
A Victorian favourite is the monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana)…
…monkey puzzle cones
I’ve no idea what these pretty red leaves are…
…and I’ve no idea what this is, either, although it looks vaguely like something in the rose family, maybe a Prunus?
The tree I can’t name is on the left of this bridge over a muddy stream and on the right…
…is this bright barberry (Berberis darwinii)
I’ve seen these before but I don’t think I can name it – is it Stachyurus praecox?
My exit from Belle Vue Park, or the eastern entrance – there are three entrances as the park is triangular
You can read more about Belle Vue Park on the council website here.
The Squirrelbasket 
Beautiful Park, I don’t remember that one, look what I missed. !!!
There are so many! I hope to get around more of the Cardiff parks eventually, too…
Best wishes 🙂
Enjoyed the tour! The spleenwort photo is my favorite. Did the sequoia have deeply furrowed bark? (should) Those long flowers remind of boxelder, Acer negundo (e.g. http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/ctpollen/Box_elder.html)
Thanks!
Spleenwort is everywhere – I pass it every day on walls along the suburban street where I live.
Thank you for the Acer negundo ID. I’ve added the caption now. I am surprised, as a couple of tree followers have had this on their watch list in the past and found it disappointing – and I had never seen the flowers before.
I have now added an image of the “Sequoia” tree trunk, if that helps with the ID.
Best wishes 🙂
Could be a sequoia, the bark doesn’t rule it out … Sorry, I don’t know them well enough to say, as they don’t grow in my part of the country but I’ve seen them in California.
We would love to walk our dog here!
Our neighbours have a bottlebrush and it looks glorious in flower Pat. I’ll try and capture a photo this year …
I like the design of the ironwork on the bandstand. Thank you for the tour 🙂
And I’m sure the dog would be welcome in the cafe!
I intend to go back and visit again with the husband, even though I don’t work nearby any more.
All the best 🙂
Thanks you. I have something of a fascination with Thomas Mawson – there are numerous gardens of his design in the Lakes, obviously, but also several right here in the village. I didn’t know about this park he designed, so was very pleased to read about it. It looks well worth a visit.
I must admit he was a new one on me, but I later discovered he was also responsible for Dyffryn Gardens, now a National Trust Property, in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Thanks for making connections 🙂