Councillors in Bath are facing calls to preserve a rare and historically significant Georgian garden tucked behind Number 4 the Circus. Known as the Georgian Garden, this little-known free public space offers a unique glimpse into the original 1770s garden design of a grand Bath residence.
The garden and house are owned by a charitable trust that has become effectively inactive, with no trustees or assets to manage their care. Bath and North East Somerset Council, tasked with overseeing the charity, is currently moving to restore it with the intent of dissolving the trust.
Meanwhile, the grand townhouse itself has stood empty for six years, costing the council nearly £19,000 in maintenance last year alone, with further expenses anticipated. At a recent charitable trust board meeting, councillors voted to appoint new trustees specifically to facilitate the charity’s dissolution.
READ MORE: Fire Service Investigates Electric Vehicle Battery Fire Incidents
READ MORE: Crime Boss Sentenced to Six Additional Years for Drug Dealing While Under Investigation
This decision has alarmed heritage advocates. Kay Ross, Vice Chair of the Avon and Gloucestershire Gardens Trust, which campaigns to protect historic gardens, attended the meeting to stress the garden’s deteriorating condition. She highlighted concerns over overgrown areas, damaged box hedges, and the replacement of the original “hoggin” gravel—chosen to match Georgian-era authenticity—with standard river gravel. Ross also noted the disappearance of a reconstructed Georgian-style bench and the loss of plans needed to build a replacement.
“It is meant to replicate a Georgian garden exactly, incorporating archaeology and detailed research. Slowly, that heritage is fading away,” Ross warned.
Local resident Peter Scott echoed those concerns, emphasizing his findings about the council’s expired lease on the property and a lack of fundraising efforts. He criticized the council’s approach as prematurely accepting closure of the charity rather than exploring ways to maintain its mission.
Committee member Graham Page also questioned the restrictive language of the board’s current resolution. However, the council’s monitoring officer clarified that newly appointed trustees would not be legally compelled to dissolve the charity, leaving room for preservation efforts.
Councillor Oli Henman expressed shared commitment to revitalizing this important heritage asset, underscoring the garden’s cultural and historical value to the city.
The garden’s discovery beneath a clay layer in 1985 revealed an intact original layout—a rarity in historic garden preservation. Restoration, based on detailed plans by Dr. John Harvey of the Garden History Society, was completed by 1990, and the garden remains open to the public via Gravel Walk.
The Circus itself is iconic in Bath, begun in 1754 by John Wood the Elder and completed by his son John Wood the Younger in 1768. Number 4 the Circus was recently highlighted in a BBC program showing its connection to wealth generated through the British Empire, including ties to families involved in slavery.
By the 1960s, the property was owned by Charles and Frances Cooke, who bequeathed it for public exhibition as a Georgian house via a charitable trust. Despite this, the house has rarely been open, with public access limited to one day annually during heritage open days.
As the council navigates the future of the trust and garden, campaigners urge a commitment to preserving this rare piece of Bath’s architectural and horticultural history for generations to come.