Stanley Park, Blackpool
Encyclopedia
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 (3.54 km) and covering an area of 256 acres (103.6 ha). It is located near the geographical centre of the town to the south of the district of Layton
.
(MP) Sir Albert Lindsay Parkinson acquired a large area of land, intending to develop it into a park with the help of the town council. The council subsequently took over the land and the project, further extending the area by purchasing and demolishing some of the surrounding buildings. The task of designing the park was given to the distinguished landscape architects TH Mawson and Sons
and much of the work was handled by the founder's son Edward Mawson
as his father's health failed due to Parkinson's disease
. The park's golf course was designed by the famous partnership of Harry Colt and Dr Alister MacKenzie
, who also created the nearby Blackpool North Shore and Royal Lytham and St. Annes
courses. The park was finally declared open on 2 October 1926 by the 17th Earl of Derby
, Sir George Edward Villiers Stanley. It is named in honour of his father, the former Governor General of Canada
, Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby
KG
, GCB
, GCVO
, PC who, from 1885 to 1886, had been the first MP for the newly created Blackpool Parliamentary Constituency having been, for 20 years before that, one of the MPs for the larger constituency of which Blackpool had then been part.
Since 1995, Stanley Park has had Grade II status (as an historically important garden) on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
and is currently undergoing extensive restoration with the help of National Lottery
funding. Despite its age, the park was still the most recent park development in Blackpool until 2006 when George Bancroft Park
was opened.
.
In the park's eastern quadrant is a large lake which is home to many water birds and is used for boating and fishing. The lake contains islands reserved exclusively for wildlife. Around the lake are situated a "trim trail" (open-air exercise facility), a bandstand with a large amphitheatre
, a small crazy golf
course and one of the park's two elaborate rose gardens.
The northern quadrant of the park is dominated by the 18-hole golf course
which, although it is home to Blackpool Park Golf Club, remains a municipal facility. This area also contains the larger of the two rose gardens, six bowling greens and the park's central cafe. The cafe, Parks, is housed in an art deco building which has recently been reactivated after years of disuse. The cafe is close to a car park at the end of a road, Mawson Drive, leading from the main gate. Adjoining the car park is the visitors' centre, opened on 24 August 2005 by the 19th Earl of Derby.
The western quadrant is the site of a 5000-seater cricket
ground, home to Blackpool Cricket Club
and regularly used for county cricket
by Lancashire CCC
. Stanley Park Sports Arena (which hosts a number of athletics competitions) and the Blackpool Sports Centre, containing three halls, gym
and climbing wall
, are located to the south of the cricket ground and this area also contains a putting green, table tennis
tables and a conservatory.
Blackpool F.C.
, the town's professional football club, had its home at the athletic grounds on the same site between 1897 and 1899, prior to moving to its current Bloomfield Road
address.
The southern quadrant is dominated by playing fields but is also the location of a children's play area and the Blackpool Model Village. The Model Village is an open air ornamental village in miniature and, while not directly accessible from within the park, is enclosed inside its perimeter to the southeast. A clock tower, a memorial to Blackpool's first Mayor, Dr William Cocker, is to the south of the central fountain. Tennis
courts, Astro-Turf
pitches and a skateboard
park are also to be found in the southern part of the park.
whose stream feeds the park's lake is also in this location. Blackpool Zoo
and Blackpool Victoria
hospital are to the east of the park; the zoo in particular is easily accessible from the park's main paths. The Zoo was constructed on the site of the 1929-1947 Stanley Park Aerodrome
.
While the lake is not suitable for sports, most of Stanley Park's other sporting facilities are more than adequate for a variety of local sporting events. The cricket ground in West Park Drive hosts intra-county games and some first class matches and is also used for a well-attended annual Fireworks display on Bonfire Night. Local theatre groups use the park's pleasant scenery for outdoor performances. The playing fields are floodlit by night and are used by many local clubs and schools and for local tournaments. The bandstand hosts a number of public performances, mainly by local bands, during the summer months. The athletics track and field is regularly used by local senior schools for yearly school games.
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...
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...
on the Fylde coast
The Fylde
The Fylde ; Scandinavian: "field") is a coastal plain in western Lancashire, England. It is roughly a 13-mile square-shaped peninsula, bounded by Morecambe Bay to the north, the Ribble estuary to the south, the Irish Sea to the west, and the Bowland hills to the east...
in the county of 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 is the largest park in the town, bounded by a roughly circular perimeter of 2.2 miles (3.54 km) and covering an area of 256 acres (103.6 ha). It is located near the geographical centre of the town to the south of the district of Layton
Layton, Blackpool
Layton is a district of the town of Blackpool on the Fylde coast in the county of Lancashire, England.-Geography:Located roughly in Blackpool's geographical centre Layton accounts for a relatively large part of the town's total area...
.
History
As early as 1921, former Blackpool Mayor and Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) Sir Albert Lindsay Parkinson acquired a large area of land, intending to develop it into a park with the help of the town council. The council subsequently took over the land and the project, further extending the area by purchasing and demolishing some of the surrounding buildings. The task of designing the park was given to the distinguished landscape architects TH Mawson and Sons
Thomas Hayton Mawson
Thomas Hayton Mawson , better known as T. H. Mawson, was a British garden designer, landscape architect, and town planner....
and much of the work was handled by the founder's son Edward Mawson
Edward Prentice Mawson
Edward Prentice Mawson was the eldest of the nine children of Thomas Hayton Mawson, and, like his father a British garden designer, landscape architect, and town planner..-Education:...
as his father's health failed due to Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
. The park's golf course was designed by the famous partnership of Harry Colt and Dr Alister MacKenzie
Alister MacKenzie
Dr. Alister MacKenzie was an internationally renowned, British golf course architect whose course designs, on three different continents, are consistently ranked among the finest golf courses in the world...
, who also created the nearby Blackpool North Shore and Royal Lytham and St. Annes
Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club
Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England, is one of the courses in the Open Championship rotation. The Women's British Open has also been played on the course four times: once prior to being designated a major championship by the LPGA Tour, and three times since.The...
courses. The park was finally declared open on 2 October 1926 by the 17th Earl of Derby
Earl of Derby
Earl of Derby is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the end of the reign of Henry III and died in 1279...
, Sir George Edward Villiers Stanley. It is named in honour of his father, the former Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
, Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby
Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby
Frederick Arthur Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, PC , known as Frederick Stanley until 1886 and as Lord Stanley of Preston between 1886 and 1893, was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom who served as Colonial Secretary from 1885 to 1886 and the sixth Governor General...
KG
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, PC who, from 1885 to 1886, had been the first MP for the newly created Blackpool Parliamentary Constituency having been, for 20 years before that, one of the MPs for the larger constituency of which Blackpool had then been part.
Since 1995, Stanley Park has had Grade II status (as an historically important garden) on the 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...
and is currently undergoing extensive restoration with the help of National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
funding. Despite its age, the park was still the most recent park development in Blackpool until 2006 when George Bancroft Park
George Bancroft Park, Blackpool
George Bancroft Park is a municipal park and garden created in the town of Blackpool in 2006. The park is named after George Bancroft who a former leader of Blackpool Town Council who died in 2001.-Background:...
was opened.
Facilities
The park is designed with all main paths leading out radially from the circular Italian garden at the centre. At the very centre is a fountain surrounded by a number of flowerbeds and small statues. The steps leading down to this garden from the north are flanked by two ornamental lions which are copies of the Medici lionsMedici lions
The Medici lions are two lion sculptures placed around 1600 at the Villa Medici, Rome, Italy, and since 1789 displayed at the Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence. The sculptures depict standing male lions with a sphere under one claw, looking to the side...
.
In the park's eastern quadrant is a large lake which is home to many water birds and is used for boating and fishing. The lake contains islands reserved exclusively for wildlife. Around the lake are situated a "trim trail" (open-air exercise facility), a bandstand with a large 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...
, a small crazy golf
Miniature golf
Miniature golf, or minigolf, is a miniature version of the sport of golf. While the international sports organization World Minigolf Sport Federation prefers to use the name "minigolf", the general public in different countries has also many other names for the game: miniature golf, mini-golf,...
course and one of the park's two elaborate rose gardens.
The northern quadrant of the park is dominated by the 18-hole golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
which, although it is home to Blackpool Park Golf Club, remains a municipal facility. This area also contains the larger of the two rose gardens, six bowling greens and the park's central cafe. The cafe, Parks, is housed in an art deco building which has recently been reactivated after years of disuse. The cafe is close to a car park at the end of a road, Mawson Drive, leading from the main gate. Adjoining the car park is the visitors' centre, opened on 24 August 2005 by the 19th Earl of Derby.
The western quadrant is the site of a 5000-seater cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
ground, home to Blackpool Cricket Club
Blackpool Cricket Club
Blackpool Cricket Club is a cricket club based in Stanley Park, in Blackpool, Lancashire. Located in western quadrant is of the park, the club plays at a 5000-seater ground, which is regularly used for county cricket matches by Lancashire....
and regularly used for county cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
by Lancashire CCC
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
. Stanley Park Sports Arena (which hosts a number of athletics competitions) and the Blackpool Sports Centre, containing three halls, gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
and climbing wall
Climbing wall
A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet, usually used for indoor climbing, but sometimes located outdoors as well. Some are brick or wooden constructions, but on most modern walls, the material most often used is a thick multiplex board with holes drilled...
, are located to the south of the cricket ground and this area also contains a putting green, table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
tables and a conservatory.
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
, the town's professional football club, had its home at the athletic grounds on the same site between 1897 and 1899, prior to moving to its current Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
address.
The southern quadrant is dominated by playing fields but is also the location of a children's play area and the Blackpool Model Village. The Model Village is an open air ornamental village in miniature and, while not directly accessible from within the park, is enclosed inside its perimeter to the southeast. A clock tower, a memorial to Blackpool's first Mayor, Dr William Cocker, is to the south of the central fountain. 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...
courts, Astro-Turf
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 and a skateboard
Skateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
park are also to be found in the southern part of the park.
Location
Stanley Park is surrounded on all sides by roads named North Park Drive, South Park Drive, East Park Drive and West Park Drive. The residential area immediately surrounding the park is one of the more affluent parts of Blackpool and most of the houses are relatively large. Although the park is normally considered to be bounded by the Park Drives, the golf course actually continues on the far side of East Park Drive and the Salisbury Woodland GardensSalisbury Woodland Gardens, Blackpool
Salisbury Woodland Gardens is an open space located in the east of Blackpool, flanked by East Park Drive and Woodside Drive and linking Blackpool Zoo with Stanley Park. Known simply as the Woodland Gardens to local people, the site was acquired in 1924 by Blackpool Corporation and was originally...
whose stream feeds the park's lake is also in this location. Blackpool Zoo
Blackpool Zoo
Located two miles from Blackpool's sea-front in Lancashire, England, Blackpool Zoo provides a home to over 1,500 animals from all over the world. The Zoo aims to provide its visitors with a stimulating, informative and enjoyable experience that demonstrates its role in the conservation of...
and Blackpool Victoria
Victoria Hospital (Blackpool)
Victoria Hospital is the main hospital for Blackpool and the Fylde Coast in Lancashire, England. The hospital is part of the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust....
hospital are to the east of the park; the zoo in particular is easily accessible from the park's main paths. The Zoo was constructed on the site of the 1929-1947 Stanley Park Aerodrome
Stanley Park Aerodrome (Blackpool)
Stanley Park Aerodrome was an airfield located in the Stanley Park area of Blackpool, Lancashire England which was in use for civil and military flying from 1929 until closure of the airfield in 1947...
.
Events
Blackpool Council and the Friends of Stanley Park organise a large programme of historical and nature walks and talks as well as sporting activities, musical events and children's entertainment. An events brochure can be picked up from the Stanley Park Visitor Center, libraries and Tourist Information Centers.While the lake is not suitable for sports, most of Stanley Park's other sporting facilities are more than adequate for a variety of local sporting events. The cricket ground in West Park Drive hosts intra-county games and some first class matches and is also used for a well-attended annual Fireworks display on Bonfire Night. Local theatre groups use the park's pleasant scenery for outdoor performances. The playing fields are floodlit by night and are used by many local clubs and schools and for local tournaments. The bandstand hosts a number of public performances, mainly by local bands, during the summer months. The athletics track and field is regularly used by local senior schools for yearly school games.
Other Blackpool Natural Spaces
- Bispham Rock GardensBispham Rock GardensBispham Rock Gardens, also known as Devonshire Road Rock Gardens, is a municipal park located in Bispham, Blackpool on the Fylde coast in Lancashire, England. The gardens are an important wildlife resource and contains a number of rare species....
- George Bancroft Park, BlackpoolGeorge Bancroft Park, BlackpoolGeorge Bancroft Park is a municipal park and garden created in the town of Blackpool in 2006. The park is named after George Bancroft who a former leader of Blackpool Town Council who died in 2001.-Background:...
- Kincraig Lake Ecological ReserveKincraig Lake Ecological ReserveKincraig Lake Ecological Reserve is a wildlife reserve located in Bispham in Blackpool on the Fylde coast, Lancashire, England...
- Kingscote Park, BlackpoolKingscote Park, BlackpoolKingscote Park is a municipal park in Layton, a suburb of Blackpool in the county of Lancashire, England. The park is the second largest park within Blackpool after Stanley Park and the largest park in Layton.-Background:...
- Moor Park, BlackpoolMoor Park, BlackpoolMoor Park is a municipal park located in the Moor Park area of Bispham in Blackpool on the Fylde coast in Lancashire, England.The park is bordered by Bispham Road to the west, Moor Park Avenue to the south, housing on Bristol Avenue to the north and businesses on Bristol Avenue to the east...
- Salisbury Woodland Gardens, BlackpoolSalisbury Woodland Gardens, BlackpoolSalisbury Woodland Gardens is an open space located in the east of Blackpool, flanked by East Park Drive and Woodside Drive and linking Blackpool Zoo with Stanley Park. Known simply as the Woodland Gardens to local people, the site was acquired in 1924 by Blackpool Corporation and was originally...
External links
- Blackpool Council - Information and brochure request
- Friends of Stanley Park - Information and fundraising activities
- Blackpool's Stanley Park - Stanley Park page at 3piers.com
- 360 degree views - Stanley Park - Panoramic view of the lake/bandstand area at bbc.co.uk
- Lancashire in Pictures - Stanley Park - Photos of Stanley Park on a winter's day at bbc.co.uk
- Cricket Archive - Stanley Park - Stanley Park cricket ground at cricketarchive.com
- Blackpool Model Village