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| Gloucester Park |
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Location: Gloucester Park Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 09/09/2003 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: |
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Location: Gloucester Park Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 09/09/2003 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: |
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Location: Gloucester Park Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 09/09/2003 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: Basildon town centre as seen from the 'Sharpeville Hills' Gloucester Park. |
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Location: Gloucester Park Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 05/06/2003 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: Murryfield pavilion. |
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Location: Gloucester Park Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 05/06/2003 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: |
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Location: Gloucester Park Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 05/06/2003 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: |
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Location: Gloucester Park Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 05/06/2003 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: Gloucester Park fishing lake. |
| Gloucester Park |
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Gloucester Park, named after the Duke and Duchess of
Gloucester*, who formally opened the park on June 26th 1957, is situated close to the town centre. Laid out over 250 acres on former farm land previously farmed by Brewitts and Hunts, the area bore virtually no resemblance to the park it is now, having no fishing lake, athletics stadium or cricket pavilion etc. The original plan, conceived in 1951, was for a 355 acre park, and this included a Gloucester Park extension area on land between St. Nicholas Lane and Basildon Road. This area was never developed though parts are still left as natural woodland. In the early 1960s another area of the park was lost to housing when the Ghyllgrove housing estate development commenced. It was some years later on 5th May 1963 when the Phase 1 & 2 developments began with a turf cutting ceremony carried out by then Chairman of Basildon Council, Bert Phelps. The first phase included around 10 football pitches, a cricket square, and the eventual Murryfield pavilion changing facilities and live entertainment social club. Sharpeville Hills Artificial mud hills created out of soil excavated in building the new housing estates dominate the north eastern side. These hills were officially named Sharpeville in 1985, to mark the 25th anniversary of a racially motivated massacre of innocent protesting blacks in the township in South Africa on March 26th 1960, during the years of apartheid and white rule. An inscribed memorial to the event stands at the summit which reads as follows: These hills were officially named the Sharpeville Hills to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre of 21st March 1960 when sixty nine black demonstrators were shot dead by South African police whilst taking part in a peaceful protest against the Apartheid Pass Laws. The massacre caused the United Nations to call upon the South African Government to abandon its policies of racial discrimination and separate developments and inspired the formation of Anti Apartheid movements throughout the world. The memorial stands as a permanent symbol of solidarity of the people of Basildon with the black majority population of South Africa in the struggle to overthrow Apartheid and achieve freedom in their own country. At the southern end stands the town's main championship-size swimming pool Gloucester Park, open since 1968. During the early 1970s a six acre fishing lake with an artificial island was constructed, opening on July 28th 1973. This was achieved by widening an existing watercourse and digging out a new channel to create an artificial island and two coves on the southern banks. The two acre island is home to wildfowl and heavily populated with willow trees. At the same time, the eastern side of the lake was landscaped with more artificial hills. A boating lake with two artificial islands was also completed adjacent to the swimming pool. A 400 metre athletics track was opened on July 21st 1973, which would later feature a covered spectator enclosure. Football finals are often held there, and the venue, once known as Gloucester Park Bowl due to the nature of the hilly landscaping, is now called Gloucester Park Arena. Another building completed in 1973 was the Gloucester Park Play Centre. This was built to the rear of the Swimming Pool car park and used in the council run Play Leadership scheme. It was later used as a child nursery and since April 2001 has been called Parklands Women's Centre and manned by Basildon Women's Refuge. Further development in the mid 1970s saw tennis and netball courts added, a bowls green, crazy golf course and the town's bandstand erected. A whole range of sporting activities including football, tennis, bowls, fishing, cricket and athletics can now be enjoyed within the parks grounds. The park has also played host to many other activities. Travelling fun fairs have set up in the field behind the swimming pool regularly since the 1960s, as have various circuses like Chipperfields and Gerry Cottle, and the Basildon Carnival used to end its procession there. Basildon Round Table have held their annual Firework Fiesta in the park most years since the mid 1970s. A memorable Fiesta occurred in the early 1990s when the event was held adjacent to the main fishing lake; the fireworks issuing forth from the island lighting the dark waters. A summer feature since 2001 has been the annual Basildon Festival, previously held at Wat Tyler Park, Pitsea. In 2009 work got underway on the new 'Sporting Village' at the northern end of the park. A 50m International sized swimming pool is at the heart of the new development which also included a sports hall and fitness suite. The Sporting Village opened on 30th April, 2011. The athletics building was removed during 2010 and the Murryfield pavilion was demolished later in the year. Gloucester Park swimming pool closed on 24th April, 2011. Note: *The Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (Henry William Frederick Albert; 31/03/1900 – 10/06/1974), the 3rd son of King George V (03/06/1865 – 20/01/1936) and uncle to Queen Elizabeth II. Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (née The Lady Alice Christabel Montagu Douglas Scott, 25/12/1901 – 29/10/2004). Text researched and written 2002 with revisions 2002-2006,2010-11. Copyright © 2002-2006,2010-11, B. Cox - Basildon History Online. All rights reserved. |
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