Victoria Park, Widnes

Victoria Park is the premier urban park in Widnes, Cheshire, England. It is managed by Halton Borough Council.[1]

Victoria Park

History
The lake with fountain

The park was opened in 1900 to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.[2] It is on the former Appleton House estate and was created by the local council with funds collected via a public subscription.[3]

Facilities
Memorial gravestones
The War Memorial Pillar

There are paved walking routes, grass open spaces, formal gardens, a lake with a fountain, a café with toilets, ice cream parlour, children's play area, tennis courts, bowling greens, a skate park, climbing boulder, bandstand, basketball courts, an enclosed dog run and a butterfly house.[4]

Landmarks

The park contains a Grade II listed war memorial pillar. Incorporating detailed carvings and standing more than 16m high, the memorial is a striking and prominent architectural building.[5] The pillar was designed by Harold E Davies and unveiled by the 17th Earl of Derby in a ceremony on 28 September 1921 after a civic parade from Widnes Town Hall. The memorial cost £6,000 and was paid for by public subscription. The sculptural additions were undertaken by the national artist Herbert Tyson Smith.[5]

There is a memorial fountain in honour of William Ewart Gladstone. A milestone marker with plaque commemorates the last effective Zeppelin air raid of World War I in England. Five Zeppelins dropped bombs in Widnes, Ince and Wigan.[3] There is a statue of Sgt. Thomas Mottershead V.C., DCM (1892–1917) who was born in Widnes and was awarded a Victoria Cross and Distinguished Conduct Medal in World War I. There is a combined memorial headstone for Mottershead and two other recipients of the V.C. from Halton: Thomas Wilkinson and Thomas Alfred Jones.

Events

Vintage Steam Rally

Each year the park hosts North West England's largest Vintage Steam Rally, featuring a vintage fair, and vintage steam machinery.[6]

Parkrun

A 5 km parkrun takes place every Saturday morning beginning at 9am.[7]

See also

References
  1. "Parks & Allotments". www3.halton.gov.uk.
  2. "Victoria Park". Visit Liverpool.
  3. The Wonders of Widnes. Author Andrew Richardson. West Derby Publishing. ISBN 1 871075 07 6. Page 54 - 56
  4. "Victoria Park | Visit Halton".
  5. "War Memorial, Victoria Park , Halton - 1392210 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk.
  6. "North West Vintage Rally | We are one of the largest free admission gatherings of Vintage Fair Organs and Vintage machinery in the UK".
  7. "Widnes parkrun - Weekly Free 5km Timed Run". Retrieved 30 November 2020.
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