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Dartmouth Park (West Bromwich)

United Kingdom / England / West Bromwich
 park, Grade II Listed (UK)
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In June 1876, Alderman Reuben Farley approached the fifth Earl of Dartmouth and proposed the idea of leasing land from the Dartmouth estate to establish a park for the people of West Bromwich. After further correspondence and meetings, the Earl offered two sites, the first c 20.2ha at Cooper's Hill, West Bromwich, and the second c 17.8ha near Handsworth, both to be leased at the nominal rent of £1 per year for ninety-nine years. West Bromwich Improvements Commissioners chose the Cooper's Hill site, as its proximity to the town centre was felt to be preferable.

The boundaries were laid out for the 22.7ha park and in October 1876 the lodge design of a local architect, Mr E J Etwell, was accepted. Budgets were set of £300 for building the lodge and £2500 for laying out the park and an advertisement was placed in the Gardeners' Chronicle inviting landscape designers to send in designs (Commissioners Minute Book 1877). In January 1877 sites were fixed within the park for a cricket ground, ornamental water, and the line of a drive or carriageway. Seven plans were submitted and at the Earl's suggestion, a landscape gardener known to him, Exsuperius Weston Turnor, inspected the entries and judged Mr John Maclean from Donnington Park, Leicestershire the winner. Sandwell Park Colliery Company agreed to relinquish any surface rights to the park, allowing work to commence. In November 1877, the Earl donated trees and shrubs for planting and a fountain from Patshull, near Wolverhampton. The park was opened to the public by the Earl of Dartmouth on 3 June 1878; the day was observed as a general holiday and the thoroughfares and the park were crowded with 40,000 to 50,000 people (The Free Press, 8 June 1878).

The park was extended by 3.4ha on the eastern boundary in 1887, providing a boating pool. The Commissioners also intended providing an open-air swimming bath but due to difficulties with the nature of the soil these plans were abandoned and a bowling green laid out instead. Further land was leased in 1909 to allow a formal entrance from Dagger Lane and tennis courts were added near the Beeches Road entrance. Over the next few years the park underwent numerous improvements under the supervision of the Superintendent of Parks, Mr H Browne, including the planting of an avenue of trees from the boating pool to the Beeches Road entrance, moving the bandstand, and widening the main walk.

The freehold of the park was awarded to the people in 1919 and the deeds were handed over by the Prince of Wales in 1923 during a visit to the town. Later that year the Earl unveiled the town's war memorial (listed grade II), erected by public subscription.

In 1928 a paddling pool was added to the list of amenities and five years later, in 1933, a new bandstand was opened.

The park remains in municipal ownership.

historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1001...
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Coordinates:   52°31'13"N   1°58'54"W
This article was last modified 7 years ago