This in from John Allen, in his own words. Ed
Every year heritage sites across England open their doors for free for the public to look round, supported by English Heritage. Many of the locations are places that the public don’t normally get to see.
This coming weekend (13th and 14th September) two of the houses in Alexandra Gardens in Ventnor will be open for guided tours from 1pm.
Alexandra Gardens is a row of eight grand Victorian villas facing out to see just above the Winter Gardens and build in the early 1880s on the site of Ventnor Mill.
Architectural interest
Architecturally they are interesting with their high ceilings, large bay windows allowing the sun to stream through and gothic turrets on the roofs. Of particular interest are the grand marble fireplaces and hand painted wood-grain on the staircase.
Although intended as homes for the well off, they were built at a time of economic uncertainty and they went into mixed use almost immediately. By 1889 number 3 was serviced apartments, one per floor, when the young Edward Elgar and his new bride spent their honeymoon there. On the tour you will be able to see the rooms where they slept and sat.
Fascinating history
The street has other claims to fame: the movie of DH Lawrence’s “The Trespasser” was filmed at number six, in the 1920s the preacher at Ventnor Congregational Church found number three too big and controversially carried out his ministry from Ryde rather than staying in Alexandra Gardens, for several years before the second world war German Jewish students came to stay at number four as a staging post out of the country and on Coronation Day in 1953 Alexandra Gardens was described in the local newspaper as the “gayest place” in Ventnor.
Most of all the street has been loved by generations of holidaymakers as all of the houses have at some time been holiday accommodation.
As well as the guided tours you will be able to sample homemade cakes and cream teas in the lovely dining room of number five (The Windsor Carlton).
Find out more
More information about the Open Days and Alexandra Gardens can be found at www.alexandragardens.co.uk.
If you are driving to Ventnor the sat nav code is PO38 1EE and there is a large car park nearby in Dudley Road.
Image: © John Allen
