Springfield Park, Liverpool
Encyclopedia
Springfield Park is a 22 acres (8.9 ha) park in Liverpool
, England
.
It is located in the suburb of Knotty Ash
, and lies to the north of Prescot Road. It is bounded on its north side by Alder Hey Children's Hospital
, to the west by the track of the disused Cheshire Lines
railway, and to the east by the buildings on Eaton Road.
The house, which stood in the north-west corner of the park, and the lodge at the front entrance, are no longer standing.
It contains two football pitches and a tennis court. It also has a children’s playground on the site of the house, though no trace of the house remains.
The park also contains an obelisk
commemorating the death of Lord Nelson
, which stands inside the main entrance. It was made on the orders of a Mr Downward, a sugar merchant of the city, who owned Springfield House at the time. It was offered to the city as a bequest, but the city council rejected it as being too small (one councillor dismissing it as “a half-nelson”). Insulted by this, Downward had the obelisk erected in the grounds of his home, where it remains.
The obelisk is 40 ft (12.2 m) high, of red sandstone
blocks, and bore a brass plaque with an inscription to the memory of Lord Nelson.
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...
.
It is located in the suburb of Knotty Ash
Knotty Ash
Knotty Ash is an area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England and a Liverpool City Council Ward. Historically within Lancashire, at the 2001 Census, the population was 13,200.-Description:...
, and lies to the north of Prescot Road. It is bounded on its north side by Alder Hey Children's Hospital
Alder Hey Children's Hospital
Alder Hey Children Hospital is a children's hospital in West Derby, Liverpool. It is run by the Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust as part of the National Health Service in England...
, to the west by the track of the disused Cheshire Lines
Cheshire Lines Committee
The Cheshire Lines Committee was the second largest joint railway in Great Britain, with 143 route miles. Despite its name, approximately 55% of its system was in Lancashire. In its publicity material it was often styled as the Cheshire Lines Railway...
railway, and to the east by the buildings on Eaton Road.
History
Springfield was originally the estate and grounds of Springfield House, one of a number of wealthy properties on the outskirts of the city. After a succession of owners, the estate was acquired in 1907 by Liverpool City corporation as a public amenity.The house, which stood in the north-west corner of the park, and the lodge at the front entrance, are no longer standing.
Features
The park has a number of features, but consists mainly of green space crossed by paths.It contains two football pitches and a tennis court. It also has a children’s playground on the site of the house, though no trace of the house remains.
The park also contains an obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
commemorating the death of Lord Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
, which stands inside the main entrance. It was made on the orders of a Mr Downward, a sugar merchant of the city, who owned Springfield House at the time. It was offered to the city as a bequest, but the city council rejected it as being too small (one councillor dismissing it as “a half-nelson”). Insulted by this, Downward had the obelisk erected in the grounds of his home, where it remains.
The obelisk is 40 ft (12.2 m) high, of red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
blocks, and bore a brass plaque with an inscription to the memory of Lord Nelson.