Rugby, Caldecott Park c.1955

Photo ref: R69043

More about this scene

OPENED in 1904, Caldecott Park was designed by Mr Edward Thomas of Aughton, Lancashire, who won £20 for his plan (a triangular park with a large clump of trees in the centre) in a newspaper competition. The trees, originally part of the manorial ash grove, are now mainly oaks. His design also included 'three conveniences suitably clad' and a small lake in the centre of the park, which had to be filled in during the 1920s because of problems with leakage. It was replaced with an ornamental garden at a cost of £200. For those in earlier days who worked long hours and raised their families in poor and often cramped accommodation, a stroll in Caldecott Park and Sunday concerts at the bandstand (overleaf) must have felt like a holiday. For the children, there were swings by the Park Road side gate, but they were chained and locked on Sundays — the Lord's Day. The playground has now been moved to the right of the main entrance, and Sunday use is, of course, no longer prohibited.