Walter’s famous ‘grass’ put Colchester firmly on the map

IN the summer of 2020, an episode of Gardeners' World aired that showcased a wonderful garden owned by a lady called Sue Kent.

She attributed her love of gardening to her father.

In fact, gardening runs in her blood.

Her great grandfather was a market gardener from Colchester, famed for his champion asparagus.

On screen appeared a wonderful and elaborate memorandum that described Walter Godfrey as an asparagus grower, an English and foreign fruiterer and market gardener of Magdalen Street, Colchester.

The memo also mentioned the many medals won by Walter and displayed The Prince of Wales Feathers, an indication he supplied his asparagus to royalty.

What piqued my interest about this man was that he also proudly announced his ‘private residence in New Town, Colchester’.

Successful businessman - Walter Godfrey, who was a renowned asparagus grower, owned two shops, one in Colchester (above) and one in Covent Garden (below)

So, I set about finding out more.

Born in 1856, the son of Walter Godfrey, also a gardener, Walter grew up mainly in the Hythe area.

He married Ellen Jessie Jones in 1892 and by 1901, they lived in a modest terrace in Granville Road.

After this census, street directories show the family residing in Wimpole Road.

Walter's Covent Garden shop

However, in 1906, Walter purchased a house called Ivyette Villa, in Gladstone Road, for the princely sum of £610.

Was this the home he proudly announced on his memo?

Today this house is called ‘The Limes’, on account of the many lime trees that once adorned the garden, of which only three remain today.

I still wanted to find out more than the census returns and news snippets could tell me and so I contacted Sue to find out what she knew.

Walter's famous Colchester ‘grass’

Via email, she was able to send me what information she had.

It appears that Walter had two shops - one in Covent Garden and the other in Colchester. She sent me a photo of each.

There was also a photo of a bundle of the wonderful asparagus that he was famous for. It still looked every bit as tasty 120 years later! 

Sue also sent me an article from The Fruit Trade News, dated October 1901.

Headed notepaper used by Walter

This article details a portrait of Walter and tells us that he is one of the most expert, if not champion, giant asparagus growers in the whole of the UK.

It goes on to say that Colchester was famous for its asparagus, rather affectionately known as Colchester ‘grass’.

A bundle of the early asparagus would fetch 5s or 6s per bundle, so 1,000 bundles sold would bring in £300 a year from ‘grass’ alone, according to the article. 

In the interview in the Fruit Trade news, Walter describes his methods for growing the best asparagus.

Colchester historian Sharon Mooney

According to the man himself, plenty of root space, good drainage, air, light and sun will harvest the best crop.

Fork the soil five or six times in March and early April and give the soil a good dressing of lime.

Here, then, a wonderful connection to the name of the former Godfrey family home - The Limes.

The lime trees, having been planted by Walter himself to provide the most important ingredient, enabled him to grow the champion ‘grass’ that Colchester was once famous for.

It proved a nice little earner and one that afforded him a grand private residence to be proud of.

READ MORE:

• Mary's precious photos include memories of long-established Colchester business
• Goals, runs and smiles... more of our sporting pictures from yesteryear
• Adverts in theatre programme show how town’s business community has transformed