The soul of Warden Hill might be the simple meeting room now St Christopher’s church with ten beautiful Tom Denny stained glass windows, but the heart of Warden Hill is a community orchard, Weaver’s Field, and the adjoining pasture which is Warden Hill. This name shows that in the past the hill was a lookout, weard den, and now is the name of a ward in Cheltenham borough.
The hill itself is a mere 200 feet (61 metres) above sea level, not to be compared with Leckhampton Hill which is close by. But from the top of Warden Hill there is an amazing 360 degrees view. Friends of Warden Hill ensured that it remain open and accessible to all despite the housing development all around; they won approval for it to be accepted as permanent playing fields under the Fields in Trust 2012 Diamond Jubilee appeal.
In the 18th century several fields around the hill had ‘Warden’ in their name. They were in Leckhampton parish but were part of the Up Hatherley estate. About 1870 a small farm was established here, though still within the estate, and the newly-married Philip Weaver became the farmer. Till this time he had been living in Up Hatherley with his parents. A house was built on the southern slope of Warden hill and the main drive to the house was across the field from Warden Hill Road. Philip Weaver and his wife Joyce lived at Warden Hill Farm for some 50 years, and they had eight children. Three sons all worked on the farm according to the censuses of 1901 and 1911.
Philip died in December 1914. By this time the two older sons were independent, but the third, Harry, continued to manage the farm for his mother, as he had done for Philip. Joyce did not die until 1932. Possibly soon after Harry took over the farm, he decided to plant an orchard to the south of the house on part of his arable field. When the estate was put up for sale in 1920, his mother was able to buy most of the fields of Warden Hill Farm, about 19 acres. The sales particulars noted that an orchard had ‘recently’ been planted. Later it was described as an orchard of plum trees. Pershore Yellow Egg plums were fashionable at the time; the trees did not suffer from silver leaf and the plums were good for cooking. It appears that a few of these plum trees may survive on the site.
Harry died in 1960, and only the youngest of Philip and Joyce Weaver’s children, Marion, remained in the house for another four years, dying in 1964. The small farm was then inherited by a cousin who sold it to Cheltenham Borough Council. What a happy coincidence that Cheltenham’s Green Space development officer has encouraged the local Friends of Warden Hill to plant a traditional orchard of mixed fruit trees, including some special Gloucestershire varieties, in the former orchard area which has been cleared of scrub. Other remaining fruit trees will be ‘rescued’ if it is possible, while maintaining their valuable habitat characteristics acquired through neglect over some fifty years. The people of Warden Hill can enjoy walking through and round the Hill and Weaver’s Field orchard, and as it matures enjoy picking the fruit to add to the blackberries growing in profusion in the hedges.
A longer version of this account may be found on Cheltenham Borough Council website.
