Tolkien’s favourite Barrow’s had a back garden. Or at least, it did in 1880, when a tea warehouse. If the garden was still there nearly thirty years later, and available to customers of the first-floor Tea-Rooms in circa 1909-11, is unknown. Possibly not. But commercial tea-rooms would usually be loathe to give up such a thing, if they can use it for customers.
Restored and colourised from eBay.
I’m assuming here the Barrow’s Stores was inter-connected with the older Warehouse, in an L-shape, on that Bull St. / Corporation St. corner. Which is does appear to have been on the map and also on this later picture which illustrates the L-shape…
Bull St. on the left, Corporation St. on the right.
I guess a really good large-scale deeds/sale map might give an indication, and perhaps show how long the garden existed, and if it made it into the Corporation St. era. 93 Bull St. is the target, according to this 1887 advert.
Apparently 93 Bull St. was Cadbury’s original shop/home, back in the 1830s. So even if this garden picture is not a Tolkien item then it would be a Cadbury item.



