Avenham Park
Encyclopedia
Avenham
Avenham and Frenchwood are the central communities which make up the Town Centre ward, of Preston City Council, in Lancashire, England. The name of the ward was chosen by the Boundary Committee for England prior to Preston being awarded city status....
, close to the centre of Preston in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
in the northwest of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and managed by Preston City Council.
The park is located in Preston's Conservation area and leads down to the banks of the River Ribble
River Ribble
The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in northern England. The river's drainage basin also includes parts of Greater Manchester around Wigan.-Geography:...
. It was designed and built in the 1860s.
As an English Heritage Grade II listed park, it features a number of historical structures such as The Belvedere, The Swiss Chalet, The Boer War Memorial and Riverside Walk. The park is one of two city centre Victorian parks in Preston, the other being its neighbour - Miller Park
Miller Park, Preston
Miller Park is a public park under the management of Preston City Council. It is located on the banks of the River Ribble in Preston, Lancashire in the north west of England. The park is one of two city centre Victorian era parks, the other being the adjacent and larger Avenham Park...
. The two parks are separated by the East Lancashire Railway embankment and access is through the Ivy Bridge and along Riverside Walk. The East Lancashire Railway line closed in the 1970s although the viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
across the river, which is a Grade II listed building, remains.
The park was designed by Edward Milner
Edward Milner
Edward Milner was an English landscape architect.-Early life and career:Edward Milner was born in Darley, Derbyshire, the eldest child of Henry Milner and Mary née Scales. Henry Milner was employed at Chatsworth by William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire, as a gardener and porter...
as a "harmonious whole" including the adjacent Miller Park
Miller Park, Preston
Miller Park is a public park under the management of Preston City Council. It is located on the banks of the River Ribble in Preston, Lancashire in the north west of England. The park is one of two city centre Victorian era parks, the other being the adjacent and larger Avenham Park...
. The park includes long open lawn areas and hosts a number of annual events throughout the year. Most notable among its many features is the Japanese garden
Japanese garden
, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
or Rock Garden, which was added in the 1930s when this type of design became fasionable.
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
on high ground at the northeastern corner of the park, overlooking the main park and river. The was originally located in Miller Park but was moved to make way for the statue of the Earl of Derby
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, KG, PC was an English statesman, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and to date the longest serving leader of the Conservative Party. He was known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley...
. The Belvedere is known locally as the "White House" or the "Light House".
Lancaster Canal Tramroad
The Lancaster Canal Tramroad, also known as the Walton Summit Tramway or the Old Tram Road, was completed in 1803 to link the north and south ends of the Lancaster Canal across the Ribble valley , pending completion of the canal. The canal link was never constructed.-History:The Lancaster Canal...
, which used to link the northern and southern parts of the Lancaster Canal
Lancaster Canal
The Lancaster Canal is a canal in the north of England, originally planned to run from Westhoughton in Lancashire to Kendal in south Cumbria...
. The path descends an incline
Inclined plane
The inclined plane is one of the original six simple machines; as the name suggests, it is a flat surface whose endpoints are at different heights. By moving an object up an inclined plane rather than completely vertical, the amount of force required is reduced, at the expense of increasing the...
to the River Ribble. On the site of the current Belvedere was once a stationary steam engine that hauled waggons up the hill. The path crosses the river on a concrete footbridge built in the 1960s on the site of the original tramway trestle bridge. The modern bridge has been built in the same style as the original wooden structure.
The field in the centre of the park has a gentle slope towards the river, and acts as a natural amphitheatre
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
. The original Victorian Bandstand was demolished and replaced with a brick and concrete stage during the 1950s to enable the area to be used for concerts. This construction had surprisingly good acoustic qualities but fell into disuse and was demolished in March 2006, although the Park is still used for many local and regional annual events. These include Preston's Mela
Mela
Mela is a Sanskrit word meaning 'gathering' or 'to meet' or a Fair. It is used in the Indian subcontinent for all sizes of gathering and can be religious, commercial, cultural or sports. In rural traditions melas or village fairs were of great importance...
, which celebrates the culture of the city's large Asian
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
community and on Easter Monday
Easter Monday
Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday and is celebrated as a holiday in some largely Christian cultures, especially Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox cultures...
children have traditionally rolled decorated eggs down its grassy slopes since Victorian times. Bands and musicians such as Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
, The Spice Girls, Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Anne Bedingfield is a British pop singer and songwriter. Bedingfield debuted in the 1990s as a member of the Christian dance/electronic group The DNA Algorithm with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle...
, Sushi and Mark Owen
Mark Owen
Mark Anthony Patrick Owen , is an English singer-songwriter. He is a member of pop band Take That. The band were hugely successful during the 1990s and have enjoyed even more success since their reunion in 2005...
have also performed in Avenham Park in recent years.
In general, the layout of the park is little changed from when the park was first laid out. An 1889 maphttp://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/oldmap/towns/preston/prest18m.gif still provides an accurate representation of the park today.
Recent developments
As part of a multi-million pound Heritage Lottery Funded restoration project, both Avenham and Miller Park have undergone a facelift over the last few years. The refurbishment, which is nearing completion, included restoration of all of the historical features (including The Belvedere, The Boer War Memorial etc), improved lighting and footpaths, vehicle controls and a new Pavilion incorporating a café, better public toilets and a policePolice
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
post and acting as a base for dedicated park staff.
These improvements are intended to make the park cleaner and safer, and provide more events and activities for the people of Preston.
The old stage, which was removed in early 2006, was replaced by a small performance area and facilities to install temporary concert stages like those used at music festivals throughout the country.
In September 2008 the new Pavilion, with its cafe, opened. A programme of public lunchtime walks has been scheduled and the function room may also be booked. Attractive new lamps have been installed on the pathways leading to the Pavilion. The Japanese garden has also been restored and improved.
As part of the refurbishment, the path along the railway embankment and the viaduct was widened and given a hard surface. The Council intends to open this path onto the Fishergate Centre car park, to allow direct pedestrian and cycle access from the railway station.