[Archived] Corporation Park

[MCMC1875]

Took the dog for a walk today. Very impressed with the restoration work that's been completed.

[Jim J]

and what was the wife's opinion??

sorry

[Ewood Spark]

Took the dog for a walk today. Very impressed with the restoration work that's been completed.

Hey don't come on this board praising Blackburn .... don't forget the place is the absolute pits of the earth ... according to some of our most outspoken posters (see Phil and Gords love-in thread)

[bb3]

I've seen it,it looks very nice,congratulations to the lads that worked on it,you did a sterling job.

Trouble is,many folk wouldn't dare go near the place after the big shiny ball in the sky started heading south......

oooops sorry ES

[MCMC1875]

I've seen it,it looks very nice,congratulations to the lads that worked on it,you did a sterling job.

Trouble is,many folk wouldn't dare go near the place after the big shiny ball in the sky started heading south......

oooops sorry ES

A local bloke told me that the contractors used Polish workers who drove from Stockport every day.

A few of the things that impressed me:

Decent gates and railings.

Fountains restored.

The ornamental lake, waterfall and stream.

Working clock with chimes on top of the conservatory.

The Broadwalk is magnificent.

Planters on the ballustrades lining the steps.

Reinstated paths free of water.

The overgrown greenery and Rhodedendrons have been cut back to open the place up.

The inevitable CCTV to help keep the place in one piece.

Very pleasant, even in late November.

Edited November 26, 2006 by MCMC1875

[Jack]

Pity the cannons aren't there any more. If I remember rightly, they were taken away during WW2. Great view from up there, i'll have to go down there and see how it looks.

[FourLaneBlue]

It's perfectly safe during the daytime but who would want to walk through on their own at dark? Better to be safe than sorry.

Does anyone know what the park used to be? Was it a farm or a huge country-style house or just fields?

[blue phil]

It used to be safe !!

My old gran used to live just up the road from Corpy park ; we used to spend all day there ..and into the evening . I'd be very uneasy at the thought of kids wandering around there after tea time .

Anyway , FLB ...you're the historian - you should be giving us the answers

[Drummer Boy]

It's perfectly safe during the daytime but who would want to walk through on their own at dark? Better to be safe than sorry.

Does anyone know what the park used to be? Was it a farm or a huge country-style house or just fields?

It is a former quarry that was landscaped after it stopped being worked

[FourLaneBlue]

It used to be safe !!

My old gran used to live just up the road from Corpy park ; we used to spend all day there ..and into the evening . I'd be very uneasy at the thought of kids wandering around there after tea time .

Anyway , FLB ...you're the historian - you should be giving us the answers

Not really Phil...I was just given that moniker...I haven't had the time in the last few years to do much research on anything other than my work.

Although I did just do a quick Google and come up with this...

"On the land where the park now stands there used to be a quarry called Park Delph.

The rock is millstone grit - extremely good for building. During the early to mid nineteenth century, it was used for building the majority of the cotton mills and churches in Blackburn.

The land was acquired from Joseph Feilden, who declined to sell it to any private individual but reserved it for the public.

An agreement was made by which an area of fifty acres was sold to the corporation for £65 per acre, the council having to make roads on either side as a condition of the contract (East and West Park Roads)."

From - http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/server.php?sho...4412&viewPage=2

So now you know! Drummer Boy had it right, it used to be the "Park Delph quarry."

Edited November 26, 2006 by FourLaneBlue

[Jack]

For anyone interested in Blackburn's history.

Cotton Town

[3rdpillar]

Not so long ago i took the oportunity to take a packed lunch for me and my girl and enjoy the park at lunchtime.

Two things struck us...

alot of single men cruising..... &

more than a fair share of "druggi" types hanging around.

Not been back since, shame.

Edited November 27, 2006 by 3rdpillar

[colin]

I asked my Mum

There is a quarry, now full of water, in Corporation Park, fed by Snig Brook which was once Blackburn's water supply. There's a big tank above the Park with far distant views, ladder cum steps up to the top and a trig point. It used to be everybody's favourite walk on a fine Sunday afternoon. (I'm begining to sound like my Dad) The footpath to it has been closed and the ladder taken away.

So there you go.

[MCMC1875]

Last Saturday afternoon the place was populated by families, dog walkers and squirrels (I seem to remember another thread about squirrels ).

[Cocker]

Last Saturday afternoon the place was populated by families, dog walkers and squirrels (I seem to remember another thread about squirrels ).

Was Tugay there walking his squirrel?

[Lee]

No but MCMC1875 was there chasing them off with a spade!

(thought of you MCMC1875 as I nearly drove over one of the blighters down Jack Walker Way this lunchtime!)

[MCMC1875]

No but MCMC1875 was there chasing them off with a spade!

(thought of you MCMC1875 as I nearly drove over one of the blighters down Jack Walker Way this lunchtime!)

Hello Lee!

......obviously the critter was on its way to or from the park!

[colin]

Corporation Park (and surrounding properties) is superb...... just a shame that it's wasted in it's location. The people who left it to the town and it's designers deserve it to be in a better setting where it would be more appreciated.

Theno,

The complete and utter reason for placing parks in urban areas is so that people who live in towns and cities have some green space in which to have a wander and look at trees and flowers, feed the ducks and generally have a change from the urban environment. It is why Local Authorities and central Government are against any of our parks being destroyed either in part or in whole and all have been for about 100 years. They are a valuable asset and need to be treasured.

Corporation Park is not "wasted in it's location." It's in the best location it could possibly be, slap bang next to the centre of an urban centre. Parks like it are one of the better things the Victorians left us.

If it was situated in Wasdale in the Lake District it would be wasted in it's location.

That OK?

[FourLaneBlue]

Corporation Park is fine where it is.

[1864roverite]

Quentin Crisp actually mentioned Corporation Park in one of his many books ! Although I wont make any admission as to actually reading any of them, I worked on an incident in Witton Park a good few years ago which resulted in some research being conducted

[Paul]

I have heavily edited this thread, apologies to anyone who is offended by this. I'd say we've reached an all time low when a thread concerning the rejuvenation of a Blackburn public park has to be edited by admin and we receive requests for it to be locked.

There is a thread in which admin allows discusion on more sensitive topics. How much longer that continues remains to be seen. Meanwhile anyone who takes this thread back in the previous direction, e.g Blackburn's population make-up, will find their posting severly restricted. I won't be getting into any discussions on freedom of speech, nor am I going to put up with a tirade aimed at admin/mods and the running of the MB, so don't even go there please. This is a football message board, other subjects are tolerated, nothing more or less.

[dave birch]

So zer! You haf been varned!

[thenodrog]

Just heard that a report recommends charging tolls to reduce traffic. Anybody old enough rem that public information message that appeared late night on BBC 1 about motorway driving? There was the dangerous weaver bird driver forever cutting up others, the chap with can-can girls always on his mind and the gormless airhead one with the birds flying around his head tweeting, with nothing on his mind and blissfully unaware of all things around him. Something about Corporation Park will now forever remind me of that information message. Must be the aviary.

[thenodrog]

I'd say we've reached an all time low when a thread concerning the rejuvenation of a Blackburn public park has to be edited by admin and we receive requests for it to be locked.

Just read this .......

1. can we be informed of the members who want it closed?

2. If you are reluctant what about informing us of the number of them, furthermore what happens if admin receives MORE requests for it to be kept as it were than you have received to lock it Paul?

3. imo whilst the park is delightful during the day the dangers from a variety sources of taking a short cut across at night should not be underestimated. And if making people on here aware of this is a crime then I'm a criminal.

Edited December 1, 2006 by thenodrog

[den]

Have you had too many corn flakes this morning Theno?

For goodness sake calm down. It's only half past ten.