James Aldren (1828-1904)  acquired the land which became Strawberry Gardens in the late 1850s. On the Tithe Map of 1838 this area of land consists of a field called ‘Syke’ along Heysham Road, and behind three fields all denoted ‘Town Field’. All in 1838 were either owned by the church (Glebe land) or by the Rector.

James was born in Heysham, the eldest son of Thomas Aldren and Ellen (also) Aldren. Ellen was born in Heysham and Thomas elsewhere in Lancashire. In 1850 James married Mary Gibson (1829-1914). One of the witnesses to the marriage is Thomas John Knowlys’ eldest daughter Mary Isabella;  a reasonable assumptioon is that Mary Gibson was a servant at Heysham Tower. James’ occupation on the marriage record is given as grocer and the 1851 Heysham Directory confirms this. Thirty years later in the 1881 census he is listed as a gardener and living at Strawberry Gardens with his wife, his second daughter Lucy (24) and granddaughter Mary Harrison (9).

At some point in the 3 decades between 1851 and 1881 James developed the Gardens as a tourist attraction. with visitors arriving by horse tram (as pictured below).

Visitors could pick their own strawberries, but over time, other attractions were added, including aviaries, conservatories, greenhouses , swings for children and a tennis court.

In 1889 Lucy Aldren married James Wyton, a local gardener originally from Long Compton in Warwickshire. After James Aldren died in 1904 the running of Strawberry Gardens passed to his daughter Lucy and her husband James Wyton.

In1905 (the year after James Aldren died) the whole property was the subject of an auction sale along with a number of fields along Tibicar Lane (now Oxcliffe Road). 

We are not aware of the outcome of this sale except that Strawberry Gardens continued to function as It had before under the management of James Wyton, James Aldren’s son-in-law.

The gardens closed in 1920 and the site is now occupied by the pub, Strawberry Gardens operated by Greene King. We would be grateful for any infomation about when the pub was bult - the 1933 OS map shows marks a hotel, but still shows Strawberry Gardens behind it.

Post cards and advert and most  illustrations on this page by courtesy of Ian Miller.