This area was planted by Edward Southwell in 1740. In the 18th and 19th centuries it was a place of recreation and a fashionable resort in the summer. Here there were statues of Roman gods.

John Wesley (1703-1791), the founder of Methodism, preached in ‘The Grove’ on several occasions. A stone with an information plaque has been placed here as a memorial to this great preacher and theologian.