Stratford Park
Encyclopedia
Stratford Park is a green flag award
ed area of Stroud
in Gloucestershire
, south west England
. With a large park and lake, and a leisure centre complex, Stratford Park is a major tourist area for Stroud. It is located on the outskirts of Stroud near Paganhill and Whiteshill. It is also the site of the first wholly successful British campaign to save trees from road-widening.
Edward Stratford was the last member of a family that had owned the piece of land which had been recorded as part of Stroud since 1307. He sold it to a Stroud mercer called Nathaniel Gardner in 1653 after the civil war, and the house still has a stone with the initials C.G.1674 for his son Giles Gardner. Joseph Watts, a Stroud brewer who died in 1855, owned the house from 1819. However, his grandson Joseph Watts Hallewell M.A, J.P, D.L., focused his interests of the extensive grounds, and changed the estate's name from Stratford House to Stratford Park - hosting the 1870 Agricultural Show. Following the death of then owner G.F.Ormerod in June 1935, his executors, following his wishes and sold the 56 acres (226,624.2 m²) to Stroud Urban District Council to ensure that the people of Stroud could access and enjoy the parkland permanently. In 1936 the outdoor swimming pool
and the Stratford Park bowling green, were opened, both of which are still in use today.
More recently the park received national attention in August 1989 when Stroud District Council arranged for security workers and tree-fellers to attend at midnight to remove thirteen trees they felt stood in the way of a road-widening scheme. However local people got wind of the 'secret' operation and were there to protect the trees first. After a stand-off that lasted till dawn the police called off the operation on grounds of public safety. The following year the first 'traffic calming' scheme in Gloucestershire was introduced without the need to harm any of the trees. In the following three years Gloucestershire County Council figures showed accident rates on the affected stretch of road had been halved. The trees remain to this day.
The traditional park includes a Victorian bandstand which hosts band concerts during the summer, and there is plenty of space for dog walking and other leisure activities. There is a lake which is often used for angling competitions. It contains many fish and ducks and swans. There is a 6 inches (152.4 mm) scale model railway track skirting the lake.
Green Flag award
The Green Flag Award is the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the United Kingdom. The scheme was set up in 1996 to recognise and reward green spaces in England and Wales that met the laid down high standards...
ed area of Stroud
Stroud, Gloucestershire
Stroud is a market town and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District.Situated below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills at the meeting point of the Five Valleys, the town is noted for its steep streets and cafe culture...
in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, south west 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 a large park and lake, and a leisure centre complex, Stratford Park is a major tourist area for Stroud. It is located on the outskirts of Stroud near Paganhill and Whiteshill. It is also the site of the first wholly successful British campaign to save trees from road-widening.
History
Lido
The Lido is an 11 km long sandbar located in Venice, northern Italy, home to about 20,000 residents. The Venice Film Festival takes place at the Lido every September.-Geography:...
and the Stratford Park bowling green, were opened, both of which are still in use today.
More recently the park received national attention in August 1989 when Stroud District Council arranged for security workers and tree-fellers to attend at midnight to remove thirteen trees they felt stood in the way of a road-widening scheme. However local people got wind of the 'secret' operation and were there to protect the trees first. After a stand-off that lasted till dawn the police called off the operation on grounds of public safety. The following year the first 'traffic calming' scheme in Gloucestershire was introduced without the need to harm any of the trees. In the following three years Gloucestershire County Council figures showed accident rates on the affected stretch of road had been halved. The trees remain to this day.
Today
In 1975 the Leisure Centre building was opened within the grounds of the park to provide a whole new range of leisure provisions for the people of Stroud. The leisure centre offers plenty of facilities including a gym, 25 metre indoor swimming pool with viewing area, outdoor pool (with rare 10m cast-in-situ curved concrete 3-level diving board), trampolining, three sports halls, outdoor astroturf all-weather pitch, hard court tennis courts, and a bowls pitch. There are also squash courts and badminton courts. Social events are also held at the leisure centre.The traditional park includes a Victorian bandstand which hosts band concerts during the summer, and there is plenty of space for dog walking and other leisure activities. There is a lake which is often used for angling competitions. It contains many fish and ducks and swans. There is a 6 inches (152.4 mm) scale model railway track skirting the lake.