I've only visited the garden at Winterbourne once, way back in August 2008, so was before I picked up Birmingham photography. One of the last places we went to with my late brother (passed November 2008). In the years since, I took some exteriors of the house fro Edgbaston Park Road when it was being restored, and another time for the blue plaque of John Nettlefold, who lived here.

View feature View community

An Edwardian gem that is Winterbourne House & Garden


An Edwardian gem that is Winterbourne House & Garden


I've only visited the garden at Winterbourne once, way back in August 2008, so was before I picked up Birmingham photography. One of the last places we went to with my late brother (passed November 2008). In the years since, I took some exteriors of the house fro Edgbaston Park Road when it was being restored, and another time for the blue plaque of John Nettlefold, who lived here.


Winterbourne House & Garden

Winterbourne House and Winterbourne Botanic Garden is located on Edgbaston Park Road in Edgbaston and belongs to the University of Birmingham. It has been on the site since 1903, and been part of the University since 1944.

 

History of Winterbourne

Winterbourne House was built between 1903 and 1904 as the family home of John & Margaret Nettlefold. They commissioned the local architect Joseph Lancaster Bell to design and build the house. It was made of brick and tiles. The original garden was designed by Margaret Nettlefold herself. They lived here with their children until 1919, when John was getting a bit unwell.

The property was sold to the Wheelock family, who had 9 children. They lived here until 1925. It was then purchased by John Nicholson, who was a local businessman, and a keen gardener. He made improvements to the garden, adding a rock garden and alpine area. He was here until his death in 1944.

Winterbourne was then passed onto the University of Birmingham. Initially the house was used as student halls. The house has had a variety of uses since 1944. During 2009 to 2010, the house was fully restored. During this time the Birmingham Civic Society placed a blue plaque on the house for John Nettlefold.

The garden has many plants from around the world. The house now has a gift shop and tearoom. Plus an Art Gallery. During the Pandemic, the garden has only been open to members.

 

2008

So far the visit of August 2008 was the only time I've been to Winterbourne House & Garden, so is a bit hard to remember this visit (from 12 to 13 years ago). Other than it was one of the places we went to that year before my brother passed away of cancer in November 2008.

View from the garden of Winterbourne House.

dndimg alt="Winterbourne Garden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne Garden (Aug 2008) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Below, one of my late brothers photos of a small boggy pond.

dndimg alt="Winterbourne Garden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne Garden (Aug 2008) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

A pond with water lilies (my late brothers photo below). Not sure if this is the Chad Brook or not.

dndimg alt="Winterbourne Garden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne Garden (Aug 2008) (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Large leaves over the pond (or Chad Brook). (One of my late brothers photos below).

dndimg alt="Winterbourne Garden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne Garden (Aug 2008) (6).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Looking at my archive photos from that visit, I didn't take much, so only had a handle of photos like this. The pond / Chad Brook with water lilies.

dndimg alt="Winterbourne Garden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne Garden (Aug 2008) (7).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

One of my late brothers photos towards the house.

dndimg alt="Winterbourne Garden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne Garden (Aug 2008) (8).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

He also took this one in the garden.

dndimg alt="Winterbourne Garden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne Garden (Aug 2008) (9).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Yes this was one of his photos as well (I Photoshopped myself out of it).

dndimg alt="Winterbourne Garden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne Garden (Aug 2008) (10).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

What looks a ships deck.

dndimg alt="Winterbourne Garden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne Garden (Aug 2008) (11).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The ships deck from the front.

dndimg alt="Winterbourne Garden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne Garden (Aug 2008) (12).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

2009

About a year or so after loosing my brother, during December 2009,  I was walking past Winterbourne House on Edgbaston Park Road, while there was so on the ground at the University of Birmingham. Work was underway to restore the house. Was the same day as I got the statue of George I outside of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts (another place we visited back in 2008, but couldn't take photos inside unfortunately).

dndimg alt="Winterbourne House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne House (Dec 2009) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

A University of Birmingham sign says this is part of the Green Zone. G.11 is Winterbourne House and G.12 is Winterbourne Botanic Garden.

dndimg alt="Winterbourne House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne House (Dec 2009) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Looked like at the time they were also doing work on the grounds outside near the car park entrance.

dndimg alt="Winterbourne House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne House (Dec 2009) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Details of the first and second floor with the roof covered in snow.

dndimg alt="Winterbourne House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne House (Dec 2009) (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

A sign welcomes you to Winterbourne. Garden Entrance to the left.

dndimg alt="Winterbourne House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne House (Dec 2009) (7).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

It was a blue sky day, snow everywhere but settled. The front drive was quite big. Public car park is also on this side.

dndimg alt="Winterbourne House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne House (Dec 2009) (9).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

2013

The last time I got photos of Winterbourne House & Garden from Edgbaston Park Road was during February 2013, to see the blue plaque that had been installed there. Although I have walked up Edgbaston Park Road in the years since, just not taken any more photos of Winterbourne since then.

Saw this sign as I got close to Winterbourne House & Garden. Tearoom * Gifts * Gallery * Plants. University of Birmingham.

dndimg alt="Winterbourne House & Garden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne House (Feb 2013) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The house was looking as good as new, cars in the car park to the right.

dndimg alt="Winterbourne House & Garden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne House (Feb 2013) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The drive on the left is the entrance to cars going to the car park.

dndimg alt="Winterbourne House & Garden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne House (Feb 2013) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Heading to the blue plaque on the right.

dndimg alt="Winterbourne House & Garden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne House (Feb 2013) (4).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The Birmingham Civic Society unveiled this blue plaque in 2010 in memory of John Sutton Nettlefold (1866 - 1930). He lived in this house from 1903 until 1919.

dndimg alt="Winterbourne House & Garden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Winterbourne House (Feb 2013) (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Winterbourne during the pandemic

During the pandemic, Winterbourne Garden is open, but the house, shop and tearoom remain closed until further notice. But you can order gifts online and click & collect only (they don't offer a postal service). You can also get a Winterbourne Membership if you want to.

They are not operating a pre-booked system. They have reduced the number of visitors they can have at one time. Only University members or students with ID's can visit at the moment. So it looks like if you are not a member, or don't belong to the University you can't visit right now.

Would be nice to go again one day in the future when things get better.

 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown. Can be found on Twitter: ellrbrown