Eastville Park BS5

Eastville Boating Lake c1950
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Eastville Park is a large park with a small lake, just to the east of the M32. The lake at Eastville Park was instigated as part of a social scheme by Ernest Bevin (a well respected westcountryman) who later became Minister of Labour under Churchill in the coalition government of the Second World War and later Foreign Secretary in the Atlee Government from 1945 until his death. Eastville Park swimming pool was built in 1905, and the lake in 1909, with the present boathouse dating from 1925. Since then, local road building has resulted in the loss of the original boundaries of the park and its walls, gates and drinking fountain. The swimming pool was turned into a community garden in in the early 1980s and the bowling greens, though nearly 100 years old, are still very popular. Original Victorian drinking fountain and toilets remain.