Corporation Park
By Natasha Baxter
In the 19th century, the blockade of trade goods and supplies such as cotton shipments - from the Confederacy by the union during the the American Civil War which brought a depression upon the industries for cotton. From 1863 to 1864, the construction of the broad walk was introduced which provided employment for hundreds of cotton operatives during this depression. The paths were also paved with stones from the quarries on the upper slopes. In 1867 the land of the Red Rake Farm on Revidge Road was purchased by the council who aimed to add it to the enclosure of the park and was intended for sporting use including tennis courts. The statue of Flora (the Roman Goddess of flowers and spring) was presented by T.H. Fairhurst in 1971 and was the work of Thomas Allen of Liverpool who moved o the town in 1870. In 1900 the new conservatory was opened to the public and in 1905 the fountains which had been going since 1857, had been turned of mostly due to the cost of ÂŁ30 annually. In February 1914, a loud explosion was heard and it found to be that one of the trophy cannons had been fired as a part of a protest by the suffragetes. In October 1922, plans for the war memorial and garden of rememberance were approved and placed at the southern enterance of the park.
The park was opened in 1857 to the public. There was a canon battery at the top of the park which was set off for the grand opening of the park which 60,000 people attended. In 1863, the broad walk was constructed which provided work to the cotton workers during the time of cotoon famine. The paths used were paved with stones from the quarries. In the time of the parks opening, it had many benefactors like Mayor William Pilkington who donated two black swans which helped with the wildlife that many of the loacl residents filled up with ducks and geece. In 1985 a man called Mr Walsh opened the aviary and donated thirty birds. There’s a childrens playground, six tennis courts, a childrens cycle track, basketball courts and a younger childrens play area.