Alexandra Park, Ipswich is a moderately sized public park

Park

A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...

 situated between Grove Lane, Kings Avenue and Back Hamlet, Ipswich

Ipswich

Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...

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History

In 1903, the Ipswich Corporation

Ipswich Corporation

The Ipswich Corporation was a municipal corporation that owned property and government to town. The corporation kept highly details accounts of their operation, a great deal of which survives to this day...

 purchased one of six packages of land which was formerly part of the Hill House Estate and home of the Byles family. The land became parkland

Parkland

Parkland or Parklands may refer to:* A park* Aspen parkland, a biome transitional between prairie and boreal forest * Landscaped parkland, a managed rural area associated with European country houses such as Longleat-Place names:United States...

 and was named Alexandra Park after the wife of Edward VII.

In June, 1904 the park was officially opened to the public.

Features

The park is mainly gently sloped grass area. It includes a children's play area and public toilets.

It also is host to the May Day

May Day

May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....

 Festival in Ipswich, held usually on the closest Sunday to May 1.

The park has a natural slope from Grove Lane down to Kings Avenue, this permits views of the surrounding areas including the Orwell Bridge

Orwell Bridge

The Orwell Bridge was opened to road traffic in 1982 and carries the A14 over the River Orwell just south of Ipswich in Suffolk, England....

, the docks area and many of the towns ancient churches such as St Mary le Tower and its prominent spire

Spire

A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....

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Memorial Fountain

The fountain was presented to the town by Alderman Charles Henry Cowell as a memorial to his mother, Marianne Byles Cowell.

External links

• http://www.ipswich.gov.uk/