St. Nicholas' Park
Encyclopedia
St. Nicholas' Park, commonly known as "St. Nick's", is a park is situated in the centre of Warwick
, England
. Bordering the park to the south is the River Avon.
land, also called St. Nicholas Meadow, and was situated on the southern edge of the town. The site was purchased by Warwick Borough Council
in the 1930s
in response to the towns growth with formal and childrens gardens being laid out. Following World War II
the eastern side of the meadow was laid out as playing field
s. There was also an outdoor swimming pool
for public use. The cottage
s in the park by the brook
were at that time a watermill
.
. As well as the pool there is a sports hall and outdoor astroturf
pitches. The children's corner now has small fair
ground rides and a mini golf course as well as an outdoor swimming pool. There is an outdoor play area and the formal gardens and the sports pitches remain. There is a small pagoda
in the formal gardens which is a popular daytime meeting place for local schoolchildren. A British Military Fitness
group meet in the park on a regular basis and there is a sea scout
hut in the park The "Friends of St Nicholas Park" are a group of individuals who are interested in the park and look to improve and maintain it. The current park is approximately 40 acres in size.
Over the river is an open grass area called "Myton Fields" which is used both as an overflow car park for St Nicholas and a park in its own right. There are also the "Kingfisher Pools" were fishing
and angling
can take place.
Warwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
, 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...
. Bordering the park to the south is the River Avon.
History
The area which is now the park was once meadowMeadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
land, also called St. Nicholas Meadow, and was situated on the southern edge of the town. The site was purchased by Warwick Borough Council
Warwick (district)
Warwick is a local government district of central Warwickshire in England. The current leader of the district council is Conservative Party member Michael Doody. The council is currently controlled by the Conservative group, who hold 23 of the 46 council seats...
in the 1930s
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
in response to the towns growth with formal and childrens gardens being laid out. Following 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 eastern side of the meadow was laid out as playing field
Playing field
A playing field is a field used for playing sports or games. They are generally outdoors, but many large structures exist to enclose playing fields from bad weather. Generally, playing fields are wide expanses of grass, dirt or sand without many obstructions...
s. There was also an outdoor swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
for public use. The cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
s in the park by the brook
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
were at that time a watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
.
The Current Park
The outdoor swimming pool has now been replaced by an indoor leisure centreLeisure centre
A leisure centre in the UK and Canada is a purpose built building or site, usually owned and operated by the city, borough council or municipal district council, where people go to keep fit or relax through using the facilities.- Typical Facilities :...
. As well as the pool there is a sports hall and outdoor astroturf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
pitches. The children's corner now has small fair
Fair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
ground rides and a mini golf course as well as an outdoor swimming pool. There is an outdoor play area and the formal gardens and the sports pitches remain. There is a small pagoda
Pagoda
A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist,...
in the formal gardens which is a popular daytime meeting place for local schoolchildren. A British Military Fitness
British Military Fitness
British Military Fitness, or BMF, is an organisation providing fitness classes in over fifty public parks across the United Kingdom. The classes are run by former or serving members of the British armed forces with recognised fitness training qualifications....
group meet in the park on a regular basis and there is a sea scout
Sea Scout
Sea Scouts are members of the international Scouting movement, with a particular emphasis on water-based activities, such as kayaking, canoeing, sailing, and rowing. Depending on the country and the available water these activities are on lakes, rivers or sea in small or large ships. Sea Scouting...
hut in the park The "Friends of St Nicholas Park" are a group of individuals who are interested in the park and look to improve and maintain it. The current park is approximately 40 acres in size.
Over the river is an open grass area called "Myton Fields" which is used both as an overflow car park for St Nicholas and a park in its own right. There are also the "Kingfisher Pools" were fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and angling
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
can take place.