Peel Park
Encyclopedia
Peel Park is a 22.6 hectares (55.8 acre) urban public park in the Bolton and Undercliffe
area of Bradford
, England, located about 0.75 miles (1.2 km) north-east of the city centre, and named after Sir Robert Peel.
Peel Park was Bradford's first public park and is on the English Heritage
and National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
online databases.
The park is a Green Flag Award
winner and has been for a number of years.
, Bradford on 13 August 1850 to discuss the creation of a park as a memorial to Sir Robert Peel
who had died that year.
Together with a government donation of £1,500, funding was raised from Sir Robert Milligan
, Sir Titus Salt
, Forbes and Company and by numerous other private subscriptions to purchase 26 ha (64.2 acre) of land that was subsequently named Peel Park Estate, and some 22.6 ha (55.8 acre) of this land was developed as Peel Park.
The park was opened in 1853 and a series of galas
were held in the park to raise funds to pay off the remaining debt for the purchase of the land and its layout as a park—this took some 12 years.
In 1870 the park was conveyed to the Municipal Borough of Bradford, and is now owned by the City of Bradford
.
Money was then raised for local hospitals by the galas until 1936 when the last gala was held.
In the 1900s the park lake had a large ornamental fountain and a footbridge crossing the lake.
Slightly higher and to the east of the lake, separated by low cascade was a second smaller lake remodelled from a fish pond in what is today a fenced off children's play area.
To the north east of the lake was a fossilised tree and to the north west of the lake a conservatory
—but all these have gone.
In 1902 a ornamental bandstand
was erected midway along The Terrace but today this location is occupied by the statue of Sir Robert Peel
.
Another lost feature is the two cannons captured by the British in the Crimean War
.
The park had a total of four drinking fountains but two have been lost.
The park had its own plant nursery south of the north western entrance at Bolton Road with computer controlled greenhouses but this property was sold off for commercial use reducing the park's 22.6 ha.
In 1997 Bradford City's centenary year, 100 trees were planted in the park and this is commemorated by a stone plaque on a boulder near the southern entrance.
but larger and more impressive are the main gates and lodge* (1862) at the northern Bolton Road entrance.
There are two grade II listed two-storey Italianate lodges, one at the park gates on Bolton Road and a smaller lodge to a similar design at the Cliffe Road entrance.
One such is a statue of Sir Robert Peel
* dressed in a mid 19th century frock coat and mounted on a cylindrical ashlar sandstone plinth.
The Peel statue was the first public statue erected in Bradford and was originally located in what was Peel Square on Leeds Road, but re-erected post 1926 in Peel Park after Kassapian's Warehouse on Leeds Road was demolished.
The sculptor was W. Behnes and the statue was cast in lead by the Robinson Scott Company of Pimlico
.
To the west of the Peel statue is a life-size statue of a Roman matron representing Autumn* (1869) and to the east a statue of Roman matron representing Spring* (1877) both given by the Bradford Band of Hope Union
.
All three statues are grade II listed.
At the western end of The Terrace is the Viewing Platform (1853-93) giving views over the Bradford valley and Manningham
.
The platform was largely rebuilt in 1990.
A cast iron bridge (1857) takes the eastern end of The Terrace over the carriage drive.
Uphill from the drinking fountain in the far north-eastern corner of the park is an 'Events Area' where the Bradford Mela takes place.
North of the southern entrance is an ornate stone drinking fountain* (1861) in memory of Alderman Thomas Beaumont.
The piers of this monument are recorded as having red granite corners shafts however, these are no longer evident.
The island in the east of the lake is so large relatively that the lake takes on a serpentine appearance.
Close to the site of the abutments of the bridge that crossed the lake embedded in a wall by the southern edge of the lake is an ornate grade II listed stone doorway* (1703–05).
This was originally from the demolished Bradford Hall on Kirkgate, relocated here pre 1926.
*listed building
In the western end of the park is a sports field and BMX
track.
The recently redeveloped BMX racing
track is floodlit, and open to the public outside club times.
South of the Viewing Platform are three bowling greens, the tennis court, a five a side football court, skate park, cafe
pavilion
, car park, toilets and changing rooms.
and can be accessed from the main Cliffe Road and Bolton Road entrances and also from Park Cliffe Road and Lister Lane.
Although there are some steep paths and steps in the park, the pathways and carriageways will give wheelchair access to most of the park.
Authorised vehicles can use the free-to-use car park accessible from the southern entrance gate.
and was the first such event in Europe.
It takes place in the events area in the far north east of the park.
Mela
from Sanskrit
means 'a gathering' or 'to meet' and in the UK Melas provide an opportunity for communities to come together to celebrate and share their cultures.
The Mela currently takes place over two days on a weekend where there is free admission to the park, and total visitor numbers are expected to exceed 100,000.
At the Mela there will typically be children's activities, face painting, exhibitions, funfair rides, interactive sports, visual arts, street theatre, music and dance on stage, singers, crafts, costume making, stalls selling food, a bio dome, and marquees.
The first Bradford Mela was in 1988, held in fields at the back of the University and is the largest such event in the UK and Europe.
After 1988 the Mela was held in Lister Park, Bradford until 1997 excepting for 1994 when it was held in Bowling Park.
Since 1998 the Mela has been held in Peel Park except for 2007 when it was cancelled due to bad weather and ground conditions.
The Bradford Mela
BMX and the Cyclo-Cross Championship
Bolton and Undercliffe
Bolton and Undercliffe is an electoral ward in the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, England.Bolton and Undercliffe covers the area east of Bradford Beck, between Shipley & Wrose to the north and central Bradford to the south...
area of Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, England, located about 0.75 miles (1.2 km) north-east of the city centre, and named after Sir Robert Peel.
Peel Park was Bradford's first public park and is on the 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...
and National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
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...
online databases.
The park is a 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...
winner and has been for a number of years.
History
A public meeting took place in St George's HallSt George's Hall, Bradford
St George's Concert Hall is a grade II* listed Victorian building located in the centre of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. Originally designed with a seating capacity of 3,500, the Hall seats 1500 people....
, Bradford on 13 August 1850 to discuss the creation of a park as a memorial to Sir Robert Peel
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
who had died that year.
Together with a government donation of £1,500, funding was raised from Sir Robert Milligan
Robert Milligan (Bradford MP)
Robert Milligan was an English Liberal Party politician.He was elected unopposed as Member of Parliament for Bradford in West Yorkshire at a by-election in October 1851, and held the seat until the 1857 general election....
, Sir Titus Salt
Titus Salt
Sir Titus Salt, 1st Baronet , born in Morley, near Leeds, was a manufacturer, politician and philanthropist in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. His father Daniel Salt was a businessman and was sent Titus to Batley Grammar School...
, Forbes and Company and by numerous other private subscriptions to purchase 26 ha (64.2 acre) of land that was subsequently named Peel Park Estate, and some 22.6 ha (55.8 acre) of this land was developed as Peel Park.
The park was opened in 1853 and a series of galas
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
were held in the park to raise funds to pay off the remaining debt for the purchase of the land and its layout as a park—this took some 12 years.
In 1870 the park was conveyed to the Municipal Borough of Bradford, and is now owned by the City of Bradford
City of Bradford
The City of Bradford is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. It is named after its largest settlement, Bradford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Keighley, Shipley, Bingley, Ilkley, Haworth, Silsden and...
.
Money was then raised for local hospitals by the galas until 1936 when the last gala was held.
In the 1900s the park lake had a large ornamental fountain and a footbridge crossing the lake.
Slightly higher and to the east of the lake, separated by low cascade was a second smaller lake remodelled from a fish pond in what is today a fenced off children's play area.
To the north east of the lake was a fossilised tree and to the north west of the lake a conservatory
Conservatory
Conservatory may refer to the following:*Conservatory , a large, highly detailed residential solarium or a greenhouse where plants are cultivated*Music school or a school devoted to other arts such as dance...
—but all these have gone.
In 1902 a ornamental bandstand
Bandstand
A bandstand is a circular or semicircular structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts...
was erected midway along The Terrace but today this location is occupied by the statue of Sir Robert Peel
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
.
Another lost feature is the two cannons captured by the British in 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...
.
The park had a total of four drinking fountains but two have been lost.
The park had its own plant nursery south of the north western entrance at Bolton Road with computer controlled greenhouses but this property was sold off for commercial use reducing the park's 22.6 ha.
In 1997 Bradford City's centenary year, 100 trees were planted in the park and this is commemorated by a stone plaque on a boulder near the southern entrance.
Entrances and lodges
The southern Cliffe Road entrance has ornate gates and a lodge* (1861)but larger and more impressive are the main gates and lodge* (1862) at the northern Bolton Road entrance.
There are two grade II listed two-storey Italianate lodges, one at the park gates on Bolton Road and a smaller lodge to a similar design at the Cliffe Road entrance.
The Terrace
The main linear path through the park is The Terrace extending east west on which can be found a number of statues.One such is a statue of Sir Robert Peel
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
* dressed in a mid 19th century frock coat and mounted on a cylindrical ashlar sandstone plinth.
The Peel statue was the first public statue erected in Bradford and was originally located in what was Peel Square on Leeds Road, but re-erected post 1926 in Peel Park after Kassapian's Warehouse on Leeds Road was demolished.
The sculptor was W. Behnes and the statue was cast in lead by the Robinson Scott Company of Pimlico
Pimlico
Pimlico is a small area of central London in the City of Westminster. Like Belgravia, to which it was built as a southern extension, Pimlico is known for its grand garden squares and impressive Regency architecture....
.
To the west of the Peel statue is a life-size statue of a Roman matron representing Autumn* (1869) and to the east a statue of Roman matron representing Spring* (1877) both given by the Bradford Band of Hope Union
Hope UK
Hope UK is a national Christian charity located at 25 Copperfield Street, London, England which educates children and young people about drug and alcohol abuse.-Band of Hope:...
.
All three statues are grade II listed.
At the western end of The Terrace is the Viewing Platform (1853-93) giving views over the Bradford valley and Manningham
Manningham, Bradford
Manningham is an area of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, approximately a mile north of the city centre and is seen as the centre of the city's south Asian population.- Geography :...
.
The platform was largely rebuilt in 1990.
A cast iron bridge (1857) takes the eastern end of The Terrace over the carriage drive.
Drinking fountains
At the eastern end of the park on East Drive is a drinking fountain* erected in the town in 1861 by the Bradford Band of Hope Union and later moved to Peel Park as a result of road improvements.Uphill from the drinking fountain in the far north-eastern corner of the park is an 'Events Area' where the Bradford Mela takes place.
North of the southern entrance is an ornate stone drinking fountain* (1861) in memory of Alderman Thomas Beaumont.
The piers of this monument are recorded as having red granite corners shafts however, these are no longer evident.
Lake
Close to the Bolton Road entrance, adjacent to formal gardens is a 'distorted figure-of-eight' shaped lake with two islands and numerous water fowl.The island in the east of the lake is so large relatively that the lake takes on a serpentine appearance.
Close to the site of the abutments of the bridge that crossed the lake embedded in a wall by the southern edge of the lake is an ornate grade II listed stone doorway* (1703–05).
This was originally from the demolished Bradford Hall on Kirkgate, relocated here pre 1926.
*listed building
Facilities
For young children there are two fenced-in and equipped play areas—one to the east of the lake and the other close to the southern entrance.In the western end of the park is a sports field and BMX
BMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
track.
The recently redeveloped BMX racing
BMX racing
BMX racing is a type of off-road bicycle racing. The format of BMX was derived from motocross racing. BMX bicycle races are sprint races on purpose-built off-road single-lap race tracks. The track usually small a starting gate for up to eight racers, a groomed, serpentine, dirt race course made of...
track is floodlit, and open to the public outside club times.
South of the Viewing Platform are three bowling greens, the tennis court, a five a side football court, skate park, cafe
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
pavilion
Pavilion
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...
, car park, toilets and changing rooms.
Access
Peel Park is open at any time all year roundand can be accessed from the main Cliffe Road and Bolton Road entrances and also from Park Cliffe Road and Lister Lane.
Although there are some steep paths and steps in the park, the pathways and carriageways will give wheelchair access to most of the park.
Authorised vehicles can use the free-to-use car park accessible from the southern entrance gate.
The Bradford Mela
Bradford Mela is a large scale celebration principally of South Asian cultureand was the first such event in Europe.
It takes place in the events area in the far north east of the park.
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...
from Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
means 'a gathering' or 'to meet' and in the UK Melas provide an opportunity for communities to come together to celebrate and share their cultures.
The Mela currently takes place over two days on a weekend where there is free admission to the park, and total visitor numbers are expected to exceed 100,000.
At the Mela there will typically be children's activities, face painting, exhibitions, funfair rides, interactive sports, visual arts, street theatre, music and dance on stage, singers, crafts, costume making, stalls selling food, a bio dome, and marquees.
The first Bradford Mela was in 1988, held in fields at the back of the University and is the largest such event in the UK and Europe.
After 1988 the Mela was held in Lister Park, Bradford until 1997 excepting for 1994 when it was held in Bowling Park.
Since 1998 the Mela has been held in Peel Park except for 2007 when it was cancelled due to bad weather and ground conditions.
Cyclo-Cross championships
The park has hosted events in the Cyclo-Cross National Trophy competition.External links
Peel Park- Webpages: Friends of Peel Park, Bradford Leisure Services - Parks Services, Gardenvisit.com, Parks and Gardens UK
- Documents: Walks in Parks and Woodlands, Walks in Parks, Register of Parks and Gardens of Historic Interest
- Images: Virtual tour Historic: Lake, fountain, bridge and conservatory: 1, 2, 3, 4
- Listed buildings: Bradford Hall doorway; Drinking fountains: Band of Hope Union, Beaumont Memorial; Lodges and entrances: Bolton Road, Cliffe Road; Statues: Autumn and Spring, Sir Robert Peel
- Maps: Wikimapia.
The Bradford Mela
BMX and the Cyclo-Cross Championship