Uncovering the Lost 'Disneyland' of Victorian England | Rosherville Gardens

Описание: Step back in time with me as I explore Rosherville Gardens in Northfleet, Kent — once one of Victorian Britain’s most famous pleasure grounds. Hidden beneath the cliffs overlooking the Thames, these gardens were a wonderland of fountains, grottoes, and grand terraces that drew thousands of Londoners every summer.

In this video, I walk through the site where the gardens once stood, tracing the paths visitors would have taken from the old clifftop entrance down into the chalk quarry below. Along the way, I uncover the few surviving traces of this lost world.

Once described as “the place to spend a happy day”, Rosherville Gardens offered fireworks, music, hot air balloons, and romance. But by the early 20th century, after disaster and social change, the crowds were gone, the fountains were silent, and the gardens had vanished — their story all but forgotten.

Join me as I piece together the rise and fall of this extraordinary site, revealing what still lies hidden beneath Northfleet’s cliffs today.

00:59 - Early History
06:35 - The Clifftop Entrance Today
08:46 - A Thriving Pleasure Garden
10:12 - Entering the Gardens Today
12:50 - Entertainment at the Gardens
22:43 - The Clifftop Conservatory
25:02 - The Main Entrance Today
26:00 - Rpsherville Pier Today
28:40 - The Italian Gardens
32:37 - The Bear Pit
33:50 - The Archery Ground
35:01 - The Caves
36:34 - The Princess Alice Disaster
38:49 - The Train Station
39:30 - Beginning of the End
43:21 - The End
45:22 - Homeward Bound

📍 Filmed on location in Northfleet, Kent
🎥 Featuring: On-site tour, archival images, and verified historical sources
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If you want to find out more about Rosherville Gardens, there is a wonderful Facebook page, ‘Friends of Rosherville Gardens’, with an active community sharing their thoughts and experiences.

#Rosherville Gardens #history #Kenthistory #VictorianBritain #abandonedplaces