started to "Save Aston Hall" and the few acres close round it, an
agreement being entered into for £35,000. Many of the 20s. shares were
taken up, and Her Majesty the Queen performed the opening ceremony June
15, 1858. The speculation proved a failure, as out of about £18,000
raised one-half went in repairs, alterations, losses, &c., and it would
have been lost to the town had not the Corporation bought it in
February, 1864. They gave £33,000 (£7,000 being private subscriptions),
and it was at last opened as a free park, September 22, 1864. The
picture gallery is 136ft. long, by 18ft. wide and 16ft. high. In this
and various other rooms, will be found a miscellaneous museum of
curiosities, more or less rare, including stuffed birds and animals,
ancient tapestry and furniture, &c.

~Aston Lower Grounds,~ the most beautiful pleasure grounds in the
Midland counties, cover 31 acres, and were originally nothing more than
the kitchen and private gardens and the fish-ponds belonging to Aston
Hall, and were purchased at the sale in 1818 by the Warwick bankers, who
let them to Mr. H.G. Quilter, at the time an attempt was made to
purchase the Hall and Park "by the people." Adding to its attractions
year by year, Mr. Quilter remained on the ground until 1878, when a
limited liability company was formed to take to the hotel and premises,
building an aquarium 320 feet long by 54 feet wide, an assembly-room,
220 feet long, by 91 feet wide, and otherwise catering for the comfort
of their visitors, 10,000 of whom can be now entertained and amused
under shelter, in case of wet weather. Mr. Quilter's selling price was
£45,000, taking £25,000 in shares, and £20,000 cash by instalments. The
speculation did not appear to be very successful, and the property is
now in private hands. The visitors to the Lower Grounds since 1864 have
averaged 280,000 per annum.