Corporation Park, Blackburn
Encyclopedia
Corporation Park is a traditional Victorian
park
in Blackburn, Lancashire
, England
. It was landscaped by William Henderson
and opened in 1857. Corporation Park is regarded as the main formal park in Blackburn and is used mainly by local people for general recreation, walking and dog walking
, as well as for its tennis
, bowling
and football facilities.
The park is registered by English Heritage
as a Park and Garden of Special Historic Interest
and is one of around 440 facilities of "exceptional historic interest" meriting a Grade II listing. The park has also been credited with the Civic Trust
's prestigious Green Flag Award
. Corporation Park also gives its name to a local government ward
for Blackburn with Darwen
Borough Council.
The 18 hectare
(44.5 acre
) park occupies a relatively central location to the west of the main town centre precincts. The land is delineated to the north and south by two of Blackburn's main arterial roads. Revidge Road stretches for 490 metres (535 yards) along its northernmost edge; the grand southern entrance at Preston New Road (90 metres, 98 yards) arches away immediately along East and West Park Roads to reach its greatest width of 625 metres (685 yards) from Park Crescent to Brantfell Road. The grounds can be entered from the main southern entrance, two entrances aside the east and west porter's lodges or ten other gates on the perimeter of the park.
A Grade II listed triumphal archway with flanking lodges (see picture above) marks the main entrance at the southern edge of the park, from which the landscape widens and rises 84 metres (276 ft) to its peak adjoining Revidge Road in the north. Over one of the smaller side arches reads an inscription: "This park was publicly opened on the 22nd day of October 1857 during the mayorality of WILLIAM PILKINGTON ESQUIRE, by whose munificence the four ornamental fountains were presented to the borough". Travelling through the large archway for carriages or two smaller side arches on foot, visitors are presented with the largest of these recently restored ornamental fountains
to the right and a war memorial
and formal garden of remembrance (laid out in 1922) on the left. The fountain was formerly powered by gravity, with a water jet rising 23 metres (75 ft) into the air, although the modern jet is more modest.
A former reservoir providing drinking water to Blackburn lives on as one of two lakes in the park. The areas of water are home to a number of species of waterfowl
, including mute swan
, moorhen
and duck
s. A stream, Snig Brook, flows down the park from the ponds to the memorial garden, broken by waterfalls and pools.
The park is well identified with its conservatory
, erected in 1900 and now also a Grade II listed building. A fine example of cast iron
Victorian conservatories, the gabled central section is designed to house exotic plants with the cooler wings being used for more northern flora. The building is ornamented with arches, pierced spandrels, columns and features a large clock and a central louvred chimney.
The Council has recognised that the conservatory "is in need of refurbishment" and that "options for this will be realistically addressed during 2008". Although £40,000 of Heritage Lottery Funding was allocated to the upkeep of the conservatory it is estimated that the cost to refurbish the building would be in the region of £1.5m. The conservatory sits alongside an inhabited aviary
, which is also proximate to one of two porter's lodges at the West Park Road and East Park Road entrances. A magnificent wide avenue, the broad walk, is flanked by lime trees going east to west.
The park is also home to a number of sporting facilities. The 'Red Rake' tennis
courts
are terraced into the hillside in the northerly sections of the park. A set of bowling greens
are situated on the southern side of the broadwalk. A Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) suitable for football and basketball
was installed opposite Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School
in 2007. A children's play area resides next to the two lakes.
A battlement viewing platform stands 213.5 m above sea level and 83.5 metres (274 ft) above the southern entrance, allowing long views over Blackburn and the West Pennine Moors
. This stone barrage formerly hosted two trophy Russian cannons (see history section below) and was developed in 2006 into a panopticon
viewing platform as part of a regional arts project.
and was previously a quarry called Park Delph. An ideal building material, the millstone grit was used for building the majority of the cotton mill
s and churches in Blackburn. One of the park's two lakes was created in 1772 as the town's water supply, Pemberton Clough. A system of wooden piping carried the water to the town until the installation of the mains water in
1847. The smaller lake was known as 'the can' as citizens drew water from it using cans. The reservoir was consequently names 'big can'. Both are on the County Sites and Monuments Record for Lancashire.
The first steps toward the establishment of the park were taken in 1845 when a sum of £4701 19s 7d was raised towards the purchase and implementation of the park by the sale of land on the town's moor. The 50 acres (202,343 m²) for the park were secured in January 1855 with the purchase by the then Mayor, Thomas Dugdale
, for the Corporation, from Joseph Feilden
for £3,237 6s 3d. at £65 per acre. Blackburn Corporation was also required to build public roads on the east and west sides of the estate (now East and West Park Roads) at an eventual cost of £4,480 17s 1d. In 1855 work commenced on the Preston New Road entrance by Roberts and Walmsley, awarded the contract to build the arch and lodge at a cost of £789. The East and West lodges were constructed at this time. In 1857 Three of the four fountains in the park built and paid for by Mayor William Pilkington, including the largest at the main entrance built by Varley's of Blackburn. The fourth fountain, which stands in the stream running down from the main lake, was built later than the others and was paid for by John Dean. It is made of slate and is of a simpler design than the others. In 1857 two Russian cannons captured from Sevastopol
during the Crimean War
presented to the town as a Trophy by Lord Panmure, the Secretary of War. These were mounted on a stone-faced battery at the top of the park. By its opening the total cost of the park was £14,701 19s 1d.
The grand opening of the park was performed on 22 October 1857 by Mayor William Pilkington, who led a procession from the town hall. Shops were closed and factory bosses gave their employees leave to attend the event. An estimated 60,000 people were in attendance, 14,000 of whom had arrived by train, leading to overcrowded paths and thousands of people outside the park. The Sevastopol cannon trophies were fired as part of the celebrations. The Blackburn Weekly Times praised the opening of the estate in an editorial following the celebrations:
The park would soon be host to another massive gathering. When eleven brass bands gathered on the upper terrace of the park in 1861 more than 50,000 people gathered to listen.
The full cost to the borough as reported in the Blackburn Weekly Times on 24 October 1857 are as follows. All figures are in pounds, shillings and pence
.
The Times went on to report that "This sum will have to be repaid in 40 years, i.e. one fortieth part in each year, with interest. The average cost, therefore, to the town for that period will be upwards of £500 per annum, or one penny in the pound on the present assessment. This may well be regarded as a triumph of social economy".
The blockade of trade goods, supplies, and arms
(including cotton shipments) from the Confederacy
by the Union
during the American Civil War
brought about a severe depression in the region's textile industry known as the Lancashire Cotton Famine. From 1863 to 1864 construction of the Broad Walk, adjoining paths leading to the upper slopes, a carriage drive to the summit and general improvements to the surrounding scarped terrain were undertaken as a public works to provide employment for hundreds of cotton operatives during this depression. The paths were paved with stones from the quarries on the upper slopes.
Over sixty years later in 1936 the Blackburn Times reported that "crowds of young men and maidens would walk four or five abreast, promenading from end to end between 3 o'clock and 4.30". In 1867 the land of the Red Rake Farm on Revidge Road was purchased by the Council with the aim of adding it to the enclosure of the park at some future date. The land cost £1,200, and was intended for sporting use including tennis courts and bowling greens. The park's tennis courts are situated on this land to this day.
The statue of Flora
, the Roman Goddess
of flowers and spring was presented in 1871 by T. H. Fairhurst. The statue was the work of Thomas Allen
of Liverpool who moved to the town in 1870 and created a number of other works in the area, including honeycombed facing stones on the Old Bank in Higher Church Street and the carving on the side of the old YMCA
building near Sudell Cross (now the Sir Charles Napier public house
). In 1880 the first park bandstand was constructed west of the large lake. This was supplemented two years later with Italian gardens laid out adjacent to the Broad Walk.
On a Sunday in February 1914 there was a loud explosion heard across Blackburn, resulting in much interest from the public, many of whom assumed there had been an explosion at Addison Street Gasworks. It transpired the next day that one of the trophy cannons had been fired with about 1½lb of explosive as part of a protest by suffragettes. Users of the park reported seeing a flash and houses around the park were shaken. A large piece of calico cloth was found next to the cannon in a brown paper parcel, on which was written in blue pencil:
The firing of the cannon required the removal of several years of stones and gravel from the cannon. It was also supposed that the device was not cleaned before it was fired, resulting in the surrounding area being splashed with a yellow substance.
In 1921 it is reported that the park is to have more sports facilities, including four tennis courts and bowling greens to be laid below the eastern end of the broad walk. A new pavilion, The Bowls House, would serve these facilities. Plans for the War Memorial and Garden of Remembrance were approved on 5 October 1922, which laid the improvements out at the southern entrance to the park. A total of three bowling greens are laid between 1923 and 1925 below the eastern end of the broadwalk. A putting green is opened in 1925. The land near Revidge that the Corporation had purchased from the Red Rake Farm was converted into ten hard tennis courts and ornamental gardens in 1924. Again, the work was carried out by the unemployed as part of a £17,000 scheme which included widening the Revidge Road.
In 1937 it was recommended by the Parks Committee that the four German field gun
s installed in the park after World War I
be sold for scrap the Russian cannon
s were to be kept for the time being. In 1938 it was announced that the Russian guns to be re-conditioned and have their oak carriages replaced by concrete. Plans for new toilets at the southern entrance to the park were approved on 22 February 1939. With the outbreak of World War II
, the bandstand, gates and railings were dismantled in 1941 for salvage towards the war effort.
In 1950 a timber aviary
was constructed close to the conservatory. Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 was commemorated by the planting of two oak
s in the middle of the Italian gardens, one on each side of the central path leading up to the Broadwalk. The statue of Flora has been subject to three serious acts of vandalism since 1951. On the centenary of Blackburn's incorporation as a borough the work was daubed with red paint and given a blue sash which read "Centenary Queen 1851-1951". In October 1952 the bun at the back of Flora's head was broken off and a chip from the shoulder section when the statue was knocked of its pedestal. On the night of 21 January 1960 the statue was again attacked with paint in a protest against apartheid in South Africa
. A strip of hardboard was hung round the neck reading "1960 Africa Year - Boycot [sic] S.A. goods" It was reported a crowd of unknown teenagers "invaded" the park in 1957 to dance to rock 'n' roll records played on a portable gramophone
. In the same year, three weeks are taken to resurface the main drive from the Preston New Road to West Park Road entrances. A new aviary was opened in 1958, replacing the existing timber one with a more permanent structure. Fund were provided by a well-known local ornithologist from Beardwood.
The park was supplemented in the 1960s with a children's play area and paddling pool. In 1974 Corporation Park and adjacent residential areas were designated a conservation area
. In 1996 this conservation area was extended to the south and Corporation Park was given a Grade II listing by English Heritage
on the register of Parks and Gardens.
A 'Historical Restoration Management Plan' was submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund
in 1999, culminating in many of the improvements on display today. Improvements introduced through the £3.8m landscaping and restoration project include restoration of boundary walls, new gates and the reintroduction of 75% metal railings to the park borders, which were originally removed as strategically valuable metal during World War II
.
Other refurbishments include new bench
es, realignment of coping stones, resurfacing of pathways with tarmac
and gravel
for the broad walk and Italian gardens. All water features have been cleaned and restored. The pools have been cleared and some de-silt
work to the lakes has been carried out. Lake edges have been restored and a new cascade for the main lake dam have been created. Several new planting schemes around the park have been undertaken, including for the Italian Gardens. The restored southern gatehouse and veranda now provides an office at the main entrance for the Park manager and Park Warden. The restoration was performed by Casey's contractors under the management of Capita.
As discussed above, the 'Colourfields' viewing point was officially launched in 2006 and is the first in a series of landmarks called 'Panopticons
' - a project of the East Lancashire Environmental Arts Network. The project redeveloped the existing historical cannon positions
.
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
in Blackburn, 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...
, 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...
. It was landscaped by William Henderson
William Henderson (landscape gardener)
William Henderson was a landscape garderner from Birkenhead, England. He was responsible for laying out the grounds of Corporation Park, Blackburn ; Alexandra Park, Oldham ; Queen's Park, Bolton . He also worked on cemeteries, including Tonge Cemetery, Bolton...
and opened in 1857. Corporation Park is regarded as the main formal park in Blackburn and is used mainly by local people for general recreation, walking and dog walking
Dog walking
Dog walking is both a pastime and a profession involving the act of a person walking with a dog, typically from the dog's residence and then returning. This constitutes part of the daily exercise regime needed to keep a dog healthy...
, as well as for its tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, bowling
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
and football facilities.
The park is registered by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Park and Garden of Special Historic Interest
National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
In England, the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England provides a listing and classification system for historic parks and gardens similar to that used for listed buildings. The register is managed by English Heritage under the provisions of the National...
and is one of around 440 facilities of "exceptional historic interest" meriting a Grade II listing. The park has also been credited with the Civic Trust
Civic Trust
The Civic Trust of England was a charitable organisation founded in 1957. It ceased operations in 2009 and went into administration due to lack of funds/...
's prestigious Green Flag Award
Green Flag Award
The Green Flag Award is the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the United Kingdom. The scheme was set up in 1996 to recognise and reward green spaces in England and Wales that met the laid down high standards...
. Corporation Park also gives its name to a local government ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
for Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen is a unitary authority area in Lancashire, North West England. It consists of Blackburn, the small town of Darwen to the south of it, and the surrounding countryside.-Formation:...
Borough Council.
The 18 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
(44.5 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
) park occupies a relatively central location to the west of the main town centre precincts. The land is delineated to the north and south by two of Blackburn's main arterial roads. Revidge Road stretches for 490 metres (535 yards) along its northernmost edge; the grand southern entrance at Preston New Road (90 metres, 98 yards) arches away immediately along East and West Park Roads to reach its greatest width of 625 metres (685 yards) from Park Crescent to Brantfell Road. The grounds can be entered from the main southern entrance, two entrances aside the east and west porter's lodges or ten other gates on the perimeter of the park.
Features
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
to the right and a war memorial
Blackburn War Memorial
Blackburn War Memorial is a war memorial located in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. It was unveiled on 2 August 1924.-Origins:Plans for the memorial and Garden of Remembrance were approved on 5 October 1922....
and formal garden of remembrance (laid out in 1922) on the left. The fountain was formerly powered by gravity, with a water jet rising 23 metres (75 ft) into the air, although the modern jet is more modest.
A former reservoir providing drinking water to Blackburn lives on as one of two lakes in the park. The areas of water are home to a number of species of waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
, including mute swan
Mute Swan
The Mute Swan is a species of swan, and thus a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is native to much of Europe and Asia, and the far north of Africa. It is also an introduced species in North America, Australasia and southern Africa. The name 'mute' derives from it being less...
, moorhen
Moorhen
Moorhens, sometimes called marsh hens, are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family Rallidae. They constitute the genus Gallinula....
and duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s. A stream, Snig Brook, flows down the park from the ponds to the memorial garden, broken by waterfalls and pools.
The park is well identified with its conservatory
Conservatory (greenhouse)
A conservatory is a room having glass roof and walls, typically attached to a house on only one side, used as a greenhouse or a sunroom...
, erected in 1900 and now also a Grade II listed building. A fine example of cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
Victorian conservatories, the gabled central section is designed to house exotic plants with the cooler wings being used for more northern flora. The building is ornamented with arches, pierced spandrels, columns and features a large clock and a central louvred chimney.
The Council has recognised that the conservatory "is in need of refurbishment" and that "options for this will be realistically addressed during 2008". Although £40,000 of Heritage Lottery Funding was allocated to the upkeep of the conservatory it is estimated that the cost to refurbish the building would be in the region of £1.5m. The conservatory sits alongside an inhabited aviary
Aviary
An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages...
, which is also proximate to one of two porter's lodges at the West Park Road and East Park Road entrances. A magnificent wide avenue, the broad walk, is flanked by lime trees going east to west.
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
are terraced into the hillside in the northerly sections of the park. A set of bowling greens
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
are situated on the southern side of the broadwalk. A Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) suitable for football and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
was installed opposite Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School is a co-educational independent school in Blackburn, Lancashire, founded in 1509 as a boys' school. The term "school" is usually used to collectively refer to the following:...
in 2007. A children's play area resides next to the two lakes.
A battlement viewing platform stands 213.5 m above sea level and 83.5 metres (274 ft) above the southern entrance, allowing long views over Blackburn and the West Pennine Moors
West Pennine Moors
The West Pennine Moors cover an area of approximately of moorland and reservoirs in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.The West Pennine Moors are separated from the main Pennine range by the Irwell Valley. The moorland includes Withnell, Anglezarke and Rivington Moors in the extreme west,...
. This stone barrage formerly hosted two trophy Russian cannons (see history section below) and was developed in 2006 into a panopticon
Panopticon
The Panopticon is a type of building designed by English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham in the late eighteenth century. The concept of the design is to allow an observer to observe all inmates of an institution without them being able to tell whether or not they are being watched...
viewing platform as part of a regional arts project.
Prehistory as a quarry and water supply
The park area contains large reserves of Millstone GritMillstone Grit
Millstone Grit is the name given to any of a number of coarse-grained sandstones of Carboniferous age which occur in the Northern England. The name derives from its use in earlier times as a source of millstones for use principally in watermills...
and was previously a quarry called Park Delph. An ideal building material, the millstone grit was used for building the majority of the cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
s and churches in Blackburn. One of the park's two lakes was created in 1772 as the town's water supply, Pemberton Clough. A system of wooden piping carried the water to the town until the installation of the mains water in
1847. The smaller lake was known as 'the can' as citizens drew water from it using cans. The reservoir was consequently names 'big can'. Both are on the County Sites and Monuments Record for Lancashire.
Preparation and opening
Thomas Dugdale
Thomas Lionel Dugdale, 1st Baron Crathorne PC , known as Sir Thomas Dugdale, 1st Baronet, from 1945 to 1959, was a British Conservative Party politician...
, for the Corporation, from Joseph Feilden
Joseph Feilden
Randle Joseph Feilden was a businessman and Conservative politician who represented several Lancashire constituencies.Feilden was born at Clifton, Bristol, the second son of Joseph Feilden of Witton Park, Lancashire. He was an officer in the 60th Rifles. He was elected member of parliament for...
for £3,237 6s 3d. at £65 per acre. Blackburn Corporation was also required to build public roads on the east and west sides of the estate (now East and West Park Roads) at an eventual cost of £4,480 17s 1d. In 1855 work commenced on the Preston New Road entrance by Roberts and Walmsley, awarded the contract to build the arch and lodge at a cost of £789. The East and West lodges were constructed at this time. In 1857 Three of the four fountains in the park built and paid for by Mayor William Pilkington, including the largest at the main entrance built by Varley's of Blackburn. The fourth fountain, which stands in the stream running down from the main lake, was built later than the others and was paid for by John Dean. It is made of slate and is of a simpler design than the others. In 1857 two Russian cannons captured from Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
presented to the town as a Trophy by Lord Panmure, the Secretary of War. These were mounted on a stone-faced battery at the top of the park. By its opening the total cost of the park was £14,701 19s 1d.
The grand opening of the park was performed on 22 October 1857 by Mayor William Pilkington, who led a procession from the town hall. Shops were closed and factory bosses gave their employees leave to attend the event. An estimated 60,000 people were in attendance, 14,000 of whom had arrived by train, leading to overcrowded paths and thousands of people outside the park. The Sevastopol cannon trophies were fired as part of the celebrations. The Blackburn Weekly Times praised the opening of the estate in an editorial following the celebrations:
The park would soon be host to another massive gathering. When eleven brass bands gathered on the upper terrace of the park in 1861 more than 50,000 people gathered to listen.
Cost
£sd
£sd was the popular name for the pre-decimal currencies used in the Kingdom of England, later the United Kingdom, and ultimately in much of the British Empire...
.
| Aspect | £ | s. | d. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area of the park, full 50 acres (202,343 m²) at £65 per acre | 3257 | 6 | 3 |
| Interest to 5 July 1856, £172 1s. 1d; compensation to adjoining landowners £77 4s. 11d. | 249 | 6 | 0 |
| Boundary walls | 1583 | 7 | 6 |
| Making roads | 4480 | 17 | 1 |
| Park entrance | 831 | 15 | 6 |
| Gardeners, masons, flaggers, paviers, manual and team labour | 2402 | 4 | 2 |
| Inspectors | 147 | 14 | 0 |
| Surveying | 80 | 8 | 9 |
| Palisading | 727 | 16 | 6 |
| Railing and fencing for roads | 28 | 6 | 3 |
| Materials | 143 | 13 | 7 |
| Rent and taxes | 48 | 7 | 3 |
| Legal expenses and stamps | 32 | 8 | 11 |
| Tools and implements | 28 | 8 | 1 |
| Conveying water | 53 | 12 | 9 |
| Joiners' work and plumbing | 15 | 15 | 10 |
| Manure | 72 | 12 | 7 |
| Seeds, plants, shrubs, seeds, &e | 327 | 18 | 2 |
| Landscape gardener and superintendent | 116 | 9 | 0 |
| Manual and team labour this week, say | 39 | 14 | 10 |
| Total cost to the day of opening, 22nd Oct. 1857 | 14701 | 19 | 7 |
| Deduct from the above outlay the total proceeds of sale of the recreation grounds on the Town's Moor, viz. :- | |||
| To the East Lancashire Railway Company | 951 | 6 | 8 |
| Accumulated interest to April, 1856 | 491 | 16 | 9 |
| To the Blackburn Railway Co. | 2070 | 6 | 8 |
| Accumulated interest to 1 July 1857 | 1188 | 9 | 6 |
| Total to deduct | 4701 | 19 | 7 |
| Nett [sic] paid for out of borrowed money | 10000 | 0 | 0 |
The Times went on to report that "This sum will have to be repaid in 40 years, i.e. one fortieth part in each year, with interest. The average cost, therefore, to the town for that period will be upwards of £500 per annum, or one penny in the pound on the present assessment. This may well be regarded as a triumph of social economy".
19th century
Union blockade
The Union Blockade, or the Blockade of the South, took place between 1861 and 1865, during the American Civil War, when the Union Navy maintained a strenuous effort on the Atlantic and Gulf Coast of the Confederate States of America designed to prevent the passage of trade goods, supplies, and arms...
(including cotton shipments) from the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
by the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
brought about a severe depression in the region's textile industry known as the Lancashire Cotton Famine. From 1863 to 1864 construction of the Broad Walk, adjoining paths leading to the upper slopes, a carriage drive to the summit and general improvements to the surrounding scarped terrain were undertaken as a public works to provide employment for hundreds of cotton operatives during this depression. The paths were paved with stones from the quarries on the upper slopes.
Over sixty years later in 1936 the Blackburn Times reported that "crowds of young men and maidens would walk four or five abreast, promenading from end to end between 3 o'clock and 4.30". In 1867 the land of the Red Rake Farm on Revidge Road was purchased by the Council with the aim of adding it to the enclosure of the park at some future date. The land cost £1,200, and was intended for sporting use including tennis courts and bowling greens. The park's tennis courts are situated on this land to this day.
The statue of Flora
Flora (mythology)
In Roman mythology, Flora was a goddess of flowers and the season of spring. While she was otherwise a relatively minor figure in Roman mythology, being one among several fertility goddesses, her association with the spring gave her particular importance at the coming of springtime...
, the Roman Goddess
Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans...
of flowers and spring was presented in 1871 by T. H. Fairhurst. The statue was the work of Thomas Allen
Thomas Allen
-Politicians:*Tom Allen , U.S. Representative for Maine*Thomas Allen , Chicago Alderman*Thomas Allen , English MP for Middlesex*Sir Thomas Allen, 1st Baronet -Politicians:*Tom Allen (born 1945), U.S. Representative for Maine*Thomas Allen (alderman), Chicago Alderman*Thomas Allen (English...
of Liverpool who moved to the town in 1870 and created a number of other works in the area, including honeycombed facing stones on the Old Bank in Higher Church Street and the carving on the side of the old YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
building near Sudell Cross (now the Sir Charles Napier public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
). In 1880 the first park bandstand was constructed west of the large lake. This was supplemented two years later with Italian gardens laid out adjacent to the Broad Walk.
20th century
In 1900 the new conservatory was opened. In 1905 the fountains, which had been in continuous operation since 1857, were turned off. The Northern Daily Telegraph reported a plan to fill the basin of the large fountain with flowers and the others with weeping plants. Although this never happened, the fountains were turned off owing in part to the nuisance caused by the reported drifting of the large fountain's water jet and the £30 annual cost of operating the fountains. The Red Rake site, recently added to the park as a playground was supplemented with new bowling green in 1906 to provide work for unemployed of Blackburn. Money was provided by the Distress Committee, using £307 received from the Queen's Unemployed Fund. In 1908 a gramophone concert held in the park drew an audience of 20,000. The second bandstand was officially opened in 1909.On a Sunday in February 1914 there was a loud explosion heard across Blackburn, resulting in much interest from the public, many of whom assumed there had been an explosion at Addison Street Gasworks. It transpired the next day that one of the trophy cannons had been fired with about 1½lb of explosive as part of a protest by suffragettes. Users of the park reported seeing a flash and houses around the park were shaken. A large piece of calico cloth was found next to the cannon in a brown paper parcel, on which was written in blue pencil:
In 1921 it is reported that the park is to have more sports facilities, including four tennis courts and bowling greens to be laid below the eastern end of the broad walk. A new pavilion, The Bowls House, would serve these facilities. Plans for the War Memorial and Garden of Remembrance were approved on 5 October 1922, which laid the improvements out at the southern entrance to the park. A total of three bowling greens are laid between 1923 and 1925 below the eastern end of the broadwalk. A putting green is opened in 1925. The land near Revidge that the Corporation had purchased from the Red Rake Farm was converted into ten hard tennis courts and ornamental gardens in 1924. Again, the work was carried out by the unemployed as part of a £17,000 scheme which included widening the Revidge Road.
In 1937 it was recommended by the Parks Committee that the four German field gun
Field gun
A field gun is an artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march and when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances, as to opposed guns installed in a fort, or to siege cannon or mortars which...
s installed in the park after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
be sold for scrap the Russian cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
s were to be kept for the time being. In 1938 it was announced that the Russian guns to be re-conditioned and have their oak carriages replaced by concrete. Plans for new toilets at the southern entrance to the park were approved on 22 February 1939. With the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the bandstand, gates and railings were dismantled in 1941 for salvage towards the war effort.
In 1950 a timber aviary
Aviary
An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages...
was constructed close to the conservatory. Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 was commemorated by the planting of two oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
s in the middle of the Italian gardens, one on each side of the central path leading up to the Broadwalk. The statue of Flora has been subject to three serious acts of vandalism since 1951. On the centenary of Blackburn's incorporation as a borough the work was daubed with red paint and given a blue sash which read "Centenary Queen 1851-1951". In October 1952 the bun at the back of Flora's head was broken off and a chip from the shoulder section when the statue was knocked of its pedestal. On the night of 21 January 1960 the statue was again attacked with paint in a protest against apartheid in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. A strip of hardboard was hung round the neck reading "1960 Africa Year - Boycot [sic] S.A. goods" It was reported a crowd of unknown teenagers "invaded" the park in 1957 to dance to rock 'n' roll records played on a portable gramophone
Phonograph
The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...
. In the same year, three weeks are taken to resurface the main drive from the Preston New Road to West Park Road entrances. A new aviary was opened in 1958, replacing the existing timber one with a more permanent structure. Fund were provided by a well-known local ornithologist from Beardwood.
The park was supplemented in the 1960s with a children's play area and paddling pool. In 1974 Corporation Park and adjacent residential areas were designated a conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
. In 1996 this conservation area was extended to the south and Corporation Park was given a Grade II listing by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
on the register of Parks and Gardens.
Restoration programme
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
in 1999, culminating in many of the improvements on display today. Improvements introduced through the £3.8m landscaping and restoration project include restoration of boundary walls, new gates and the reintroduction of 75% metal railings to the park borders, which were originally removed as strategically valuable metal during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Other refurbishments include new bench
Bench (furniture)
A bench is a piece of furniture, on which several people may sit at the same time. Benches are typically made of wood, but may also be made of metal, stone, or synthetic materials. Many benches have arm and back rests; some have no back rest and can be sat on from either side. In public areas,...
es, realignment of coping stones, resurfacing of pathways with tarmac
Tarmac
Tarmac is a type of road surface. Tarmac refers to a material patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901...
and gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
for the broad walk and Italian gardens. All water features have been cleaned and restored. The pools have been cleared and some de-silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
work to the lakes has been carried out. Lake edges have been restored and a new cascade for the main lake dam have been created. Several new planting schemes around the park have been undertaken, including for the Italian Gardens. The restored southern gatehouse and veranda now provides an office at the main entrance for the Park manager and Park Warden. The restoration was performed by Casey's contractors under the management of Capita.
As discussed above, the 'Colourfields' viewing point was officially launched in 2006 and is the first in a series of landmarks called 'Panopticons
Panopticons
Panopticons is an arts and regeneration project of the East Lancashire Environmental Arts Network managed by Mid Pennine Arts. It involved the construction of series of 21st-century landmarks, or Panopticons , across East Lancashire, England, as symbols of the renaissance of the area...
' - a project of the East Lancashire Environmental Arts Network. The project redeveloped the existing historical cannon positions
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
.
External links
- Corporation Park, Blackburn with Darwen Council
- Corporation Park Management Plan 2008/09, Blackburn with Darwen Council
- Open Spaces Strategy for Blackburn with Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen Council