— 1809 — A wooden pavilion for recreation was constructed by John Thompson.
— 1817 — It was re-built in limestone in the current footprint by architect George Allen Underwood. He added the crouching lion sculpture that can still be seen on the parapet. Montpellier became more and more popular for recreation.
— 1826 — The copper covered dome or ‘Rotunda’ was added by architect John Buonarotti Papworth. Inspired by the Pantheon in Rome, it had almost identical proportions. (17 metres high, 16 metres across)
Many fine details were put into the design – a lantern tops the dome, slender doric columns grace the colonnade and there were painted murals of hunting and country scenes along the corridors. It was used as a Pump Room with water pumped from 80 local wells. There were rooms for dancing, billiards and reading.
— 1848 — Jenny Lind, the ‘Swedish Nightingale’, a successful opera singer appeared here two years before she toured America, promoted by P.T. Barnum, as told in the film ‘The Greatest Showman’.
— 1882 — A corner of the room was used by Worcester City and County Bank, which was taken over by Capital and Counties Bank.
— 1891 — First performance of Scherzo, a work for a small orchestra, by local composer Gustav Holtz aged 17.
— 1893 — Cheltenham Borough Council bought the Spa and nearby Montpellier Gardens.
— 1918 — Capital and Counties Bank was acquired by Lloyds.
— 1926 — Lloyds Bank opens a branch in the building.
— 1955 — The building was recognised as nationally important and became Grade One Listed.
— 1960 — The Council and Lloyds Bank carried out restoration work.
— 2017 — It was beautifully restored by the popular Ivy chain of restaurants.
— 2022 — Stuart and Katie Ballard visited the Ivy for lunch using the number 51 bus from Cirencester.
— 2023 — Captured as a design for a woodcut print 'Now the Ivy' by Katie Ballard to mark Wings, Wood, Weave 2, an exhibition to be held at the neighbouring Gardens Gallery in Montpellier Gardens 8-14 November.
During my research I found the words 'Montpellier Rotunda, formally Lloyds bank, now the Ivy' several times, hence the name for this print Now the Ivy. And if you're going to exhibit in the Gardens Gallery it seems appropriate to choose this subject matter. I've always liked the building, and I do even more now its such a nice place to go and eat! #theivy #cheltenhamivy
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