Greenbank Park
Encyclopedia
Greenbank Park, Liverpool
, England
, with its focal point of the elegant, placid lake is situated in the south of the city close to the borders of Sefton Park
.
, philanthropists through two centuries. The family acquired nearby Greenbank House
in 1788 as a holiday house and remained there until 1940. Gradually it became their permanent residence and a venue for many distinguished visitors to Liverpool who "had some special opinion to propagate or philanthropic scheme to advance".
In 1897 Liverpool Corporation entered into an agreement with the Rathbone family to purchase the piece of land, part of which is now Greenbank Park for the sum of £
13,000. The agreement required the corporation to maintain this land as open space or recreation ground for the general public, "but they shall be at liberty to let off the whole or any part of the said land to cricket or other clubs, and to use the lake for boating, skating or other purposes".
In case the corporation was to develop the land, they were charged with maintaining a roadway or pathway to allow public access to the lake and to prevent as far as possible the destruction of trees.
The park boasts the dual distinction of having the first of the Old English Gardens in Liverpool's parks, and the first Boating Lake.
The walled garden is all that remains of their estate on the park. Now laid out as an Old English garden, it contains a memorial tablet to the late Mr Michael Kearney, the former Deputy Chairman of the Parks and Gardens Committee, who originated the idea of its design. This garden, once famous for its herbaceous borders, has been restored as a move to reflect its former glory.
The lake provides the focal point within the park. Visitors are able to fish while enjoying sight of nesting waterfowl and herons. There is a bridge at its northern end. The wet area towards this end is used as a conservation area and it has been proposed that following improvement works with local schools, this will become an outdoor classroom.
Much of the area is open parkland with trees to the perimeter. The wall to the side of the children's playground is a colourful result of a local graffiti
art project.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, 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...
, with its focal point of the elegant, placid lake is situated in the south of the city close to the borders of Sefton Park
Sefton Park
Sefton Park is a public park in south Liverpool, England. The park is in a district of the same name within the Liverpool City Council Ward of Mossley Hill, and roughly within the historic bounds of the large area of Toxteth Park...
.
Historical background
The area was the former home of the Rathbone familyRathbone family
The Rathbone family of Liverpool, England, were a family of non-conformist merchants and shipowners, whose sense of high social consciousness led to a fine tradition of philanthropy and public service....
, philanthropists through two centuries. The family acquired nearby Greenbank House
Greenbank House
Greenbank House, is a Grade II listed building, located in Liverpool, England. It stands within the University of Liverpool's Greenbank Halls of Residence site, between Greenbank Road and Greenbank Lane.- Original House :...
in 1788 as a holiday house and remained there until 1940. Gradually it became their permanent residence and a venue for many distinguished visitors to Liverpool who "had some special opinion to propagate or philanthropic scheme to advance".
In 1897 Liverpool Corporation entered into an agreement with the Rathbone family to purchase the piece of land, part of which is now Greenbank Park for the sum of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
13,000. The agreement required the corporation to maintain this land as open space or recreation ground for the general public, "but they shall be at liberty to let off the whole or any part of the said land to cricket or other clubs, and to use the lake for boating, skating or other purposes".
In case the corporation was to develop the land, they were charged with maintaining a roadway or pathway to allow public access to the lake and to prevent as far as possible the destruction of trees.
The park boasts the dual distinction of having the first of the Old English Gardens in Liverpool's parks, and the first Boating Lake.
The walled garden is all that remains of their estate on the park. Now laid out as an Old English garden, it contains a memorial tablet to the late Mr Michael Kearney, the former Deputy Chairman of the Parks and Gardens Committee, who originated the idea of its design. This garden, once famous for its herbaceous borders, has been restored as a move to reflect its former glory.
Current usage
Greenbank Park offers opportunities for both active and passive leisure with an up-to-date children's playground, football pitches and a well-stocked fishing lake, as well as mature trees and a conservation area.The lake provides the focal point within the park. Visitors are able to fish while enjoying sight of nesting waterfowl and herons. There is a bridge at its northern end. The wet area towards this end is used as a conservation area and it has been proposed that following improvement works with local schools, this will become an outdoor classroom.
Much of the area is open parkland with trees to the perimeter. The wall to the side of the children's playground is a colourful result of a local graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
art project.