George Bancroft Park, Blackpool - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

George Bancroft Park is a municipal park

Urban park

An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...

and garden created in the town of Blackpool

Blackpool

Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...

(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...

, 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...

) in 2006. The park is named after George Bancroft who a former leader of Blackpool Town Council who died in 2001.

Background

The development is part of Blackpool's "Central Gateway", a project which has gradually adapted derelict railway land, which was formerly the approach to Blackpool Central railway station

Blackpool Central railway station

Blackpool Central was the largest railway station in the town of Blackpool in the county of Lancashire, England. When it closed in 1964, it became the station with the highest number of platforms ever to close, comprising 14 platforms...

, into an access road and associated facilities.

The park was ceremonially opened by designer and TV personality Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen on 24 May 2006, almost 80 years after the town's last major park, Stanley Park

Stanley Park, Blackpool

Stanley Park is a municipal park in the town of Blackpool on the Fylde coast in the county of Lancashire, England. It is the largest park in the town, bounded by a roughly circular perimeter of 2.2 miles and covering an area of...

, was completed.

As well as the traditional gardens and children's play area, George Bancroft Park has an enclosed 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...

and five-a-side football court. A more unusual aspect of the park is the presence of two highly sculptural 20-metre climbing

Climbing

Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...

towers and a bouldering

Bouldering

Bouldering is a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs over a crash pad so that a fall will not result in serious injury. It is typically practiced on large natural boulders or artificial boulders in gyms and outdoor urban areas...

wall.

Background

See also