THE HISTORY OF HANDSWORTH PARK
Summary
Handsworth Park was originally called Victoria Park) and is 15 minutes by bus from the centre of Birmingham. It comprises 63 acres (25 hectares) of landscaped grass slopes, including a large boating lake and a smaller pond fed by the Farcroft and Grove Brooks. It has flower beds, mature trees and shrubs with a diversity of wildlife. It adjoins St. Mary's Church, to the north, containing the graves of the fathers of the Industrial Revolution, James Watt, Matthew Boulton and William Murdoch, and the founders of Aston Villa Football Club. The Victoria Jubilee Allotments site to the south opened on 12 June 2010. The park is divided into two parts by a working railway line and was the site of Handsworth Wood railway station until 1942.
History of Handsworth
Handsworth was an independent urban area in Staffordshire until 1911 when it was absorbed by Birmingham, which had originated as a large parish with scattered farms and cottages. The centre of the parish was St Mary's church, a structure of 13th century origin. Nearby, the Grove Brook was dammed to form fishponds (Parklands 1998). In 1761 Matthew Boulton leased the Soho estate immediately south of the parish boundary, and established a factory known as The Manufactory which flourished from c 1775 when he entered into partnership with James Watt, inventor of the condensing steam engine. These developments, coupled with the increasing prosperity of neighbouring Birmingham, ensured the expansion of Handsworth. In the early 19th century this was a gradual process characterised by large villa residences. From 1852 when the Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Dudley railway opened a station in the south of the parish, Handsworth became a very desirable residential suburb, residential development reaching a peak in the late 19th century.
The Founding of Handsworth Park
Handsworth Victoria Park was founded in the 1880s by the Handsworth Local Sanitary Board - a body set up by the government, and led by locally elected citizens, to oversee the supply of clean water and the laying down of sewers for the growing population of the area. Following the setting up of an education board and a free library, the adoption and proper kerbing of roads, street lighting, tramways and the construction of sewers, influential voices in the district began to speak of the need for a 'lung' in the city. As the civic gospel of municipal improvement spread from centre of Birmingham into the growing suburban estates of Handsworth, its local government leaders saw a public park as a benefit for the district.
The Local Sanitary Board considered the creation of a public park in 1882. The Grove Estate was acquired from the Birmingham and Midland Bank Ltd in April 1887 for £7,500.
The first part of Handsworth Park was laid out to the west of the original London and North Western Railway and was opened on 25 December 1890 despite initial opposition.
Local opposition to creating a public park in Victorian times
Handsworth Park was not an immediately popular idea to many practically minded residents at its inception in the 1880s. The idea of creating a "lung" in the city was strenuously opposed by a cross-section of the voting community (wealthy and middle-class men!) who were ready to pay for a range of other local services - especially better roads and sewers.
At a public meeting in the council offices off Soho Road on 11 January 1887, the Rector of St. Mary's Church, Handsworth Dr. Randall, who could be seen as the voice of receding rural Staffordshire against the spreading metropolis of Birmingham, rose amid the uproar to make what the Handsworth News reporter, with irony, called the speech of the evening:
"Allow me to say that from my heart I am the last man in the parish to stand between any object which is for the welfare of the people of the parish. It is because I don't think it is for the well-being that we should have the park that I lift up my voice against it. We have an agricultural parish, and we have some of the finest air in the kingdom, and I believe that the park will be more for the benefit of the roughs of Birmingham."
This view was described by the reporter as being received with "a perfect howl of dissent, uproar for at least a minute and cries of 'shame' followed by alternations of groaning and cheering".
Original Park Layout
Following the purchase of The Grove, R H Vertegans of the Chad Valley Nurseries, Edgbaston, was approached to provide a plan 'shewing the way in which he would recommend the committee to lay out and plant the [estate] as public pleasure grounds' (Local Board Minute 284). Vertegans had already laid out several parks and recreation grounds in and around Birmingham, including, in 1879-81, West Park, Wolverhampton (qv). At Handsworth, the new park incorporated and its gardens, the former walled garden and tennis lawn becoming a bowling green; a terrace walk and cricket ground were also provided (Birmingham Mail 1888).
The planting of the park was undertaken by the Sheffield nursery of Fisher, Son and Sibray, and the completed park was opened on 20 June 1888, a year after Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee; by permission of the Queen, the park was known as Victoria Park. In the mid and late C20 the park has been known as Handsworth Park.
Additional land acquired
In the late 1880s and early 1890s additional parcels of adjoining land were acquired and added to the park. The eastern side of Handsworth Park - Victoria Park Extension - was laid out 10 years later, by the new Handsworth Urban District Council on St. Mary's glebe land, with the support of a new vicar, the Rev. Prebendary Hodgson. The eastern park extension was opened to the public on 30 March 1898 by the 6th Earl of Dartmouth amid a steady downpour of rain and declared "open to the people for ever."
In 1893 negotiations took place with the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for the acquisition of glebe land to the east of the railway line. The land, comprising a substantial rectory and pleasure grounds which included the remains of a moat and the site of an early manor house, was purchased in 1895 and laid out by the park staff under the supervision of the local surveyor, Edwin Kenworthy. The rectory was demolished and a new lodge and lake constructed in 1897. In the same year more land was added to the western park, and a further, smaller lake constructed.
The final addition to the park took place in 1901 when a strip of ground parallel to Hinstock Road was acquired; public baths immediately adjoining the park at the junction of Hinstock Road and Grove Lane were built on the site of Grove Farm in 1907. Some £28,000 was expended on the park between 1887 and the transfer of Handsworth to the City of Birmingham in 1911 (Dent 1916); from that year until 1961 control of the park rested with the City's Parks Committee.
The park was incorporated, with the old Handsworth Urban District - successor to the Handsworth Sanitary Board - into Birmingham City Council in 1911. venue, For many years it was the venue of the Birmingham Flower Show and other citywide and national events including dog shows, Girl Guides' and Boy Scout Jamboree.
In 1922 The Birmingham Civic Society designed and paid for the creation of a new formal garden which they called a "Sunken Garden" near the Grove Lane entrance. The site of the garden was previously an irregular hollow, but the executed design carries on the axial line of the park entrance and featured as its centrepiece a bronze sculpture of a child holding a lamb atop a Portland stone plinth. This was meant to symbolise the historic use of the land as glebe land. The statue was unveiled on 15 January 1937 and was designed by John P. Walker. Unfortunately, it was stolen in 1988 and has not been recovered. For more information on the sculpture, see the Public Monuments & Sculpture Association.
From the 1970s the Handsworth Carnival used to take place here (now moved to Perry Park in Perry Barr because of its size and rebranded as Birmingham International Carnival), and later the Sihk festival of Vaisakhi and internationally renowned free family reggae festival, Simmer Down have been held here annually.
If anyone is interested in finding out more about the Victorian history of the park, the Handsworth Local History Facebook Group and Handsworth Local History Group have a wealth of information, including lots of wonderful photos.
The deterioration of Handsworth Park
Though the character of the park suffered during and after the war as many of its metal railings and gateways were removed to aid the war effort, the park continued to be a focus for community life right up to the early 60’s. After this period however, visitor numbers declined, and staff numbers were reduced because of shrinking financial support.
From the 1970s Handsworth Park, like many across the UK, was increasingly neglected, though needed and used by local residents from many different background and cultures.
By the 1980’s the condition of the park was very poor, due in part, to social problems and associated crime that had been prevalent in the surrounding area through the 1970’s and 80’s. There were no park keepers from about 1990, and the fear of crime and lack of management left the park in a fairly derelict state.
Local campaign to save Handsworth Park
Handsworth Park began a long decline which ended when local people said enough is enough after learning of plans to build “on our park”. Resistance started with the “Save Handsworth Park Campaign” in 1992 begun and chaired by Dick Pratt who first brought together many different and hitherto separate pressure groups from the area to create what went on to become “Handsworth Park Association” and is now the “Friends of Handsworth Park”.
In 1994, this group of local people began to campaign against a plan to build on the site of the old swimming pool, demolition of one of the last 'Sons of Rest' buildings in the city - most others being already demolished with the exception of the one in Cannon Hill Park - and the sale and development of the Victoria Jubilee Allotments site next to the park.
Originally called 'save Handsworth Park', the group renamed itself the 'Handsworth Park association', when it became clear that the park was to be improved and cared for. From then on members of this group worked in consultation with the City Council's Landscape Practice Group on plans for the restoration of the park. The objectives of the association are: a) to preserve Handsworth Park for the benefit of the community locally and in the surrounding area. (b) to promote the educational use of the park. C) to encourage a general appreciation of the history, flora and wildlife of the park.
In 1999 Birmingham City Council published its Parks Strategy, formally marking the end of a long period of neglect of many local parks. At the beginning of a long list of objectives the strategy says it will ensure that "a network of high-quality parks and other green spaces are provided for Birmingham's citizens and visitors".
As a result of the campaign, Birmingham City Council decided to reintroduce resident park staff. This was clear recognition by Birmingham City Council that the park could play a major role in the lives of people living around the park and indeed the wider city region. This led to the commitment to inject the necessary vision and capital investment to revitalise the park.
Restoration of Handsworth Park in the mid 2000s
Birmingham City Council and their Landscape Practice Group began the process of regeneration for the park in the late 1990s. They studied the park, consulted local people, and identified what needed to be done. Landscape consultants Hilary Taylor Landscape Consultants were employed to provide specialist landscape advice. Additional external partners included the Police and Groundwork Birmingham and Solihull, as well as representatives from local community groups. Designs were carefully developed to respond to the needs of a diverse, urban community, as well as restore the distinctive historic character of the park. Hilary Taylor’s work included new designs for railings, gates, lake edges, planting and paths, and the development of a colour palette for site furniture, structures, buildings and signage.
Hilary Taylor also worked closely with Birmingham City Council in their preparation of a successful application for Heritage Lottery funding which awarded nearly £5m towards the multi-million pound renewal project. The Council also secured around £1.4m from its Single Regeneration Budget, and a further £1.3m from the European Regional Development Fund and supplied nearly £2m itself, totalling £9.6m and making it the biggest park regeneration project in the West Midlands.
John Cunnington Architects were appointed by Birmingham City Council as Conservation Architects, initially, to progress feasibility studies for a number of buildings and structures in the Park for a successful funding bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund. The practice then implemented the proposals to include a new visitor centre on the site of the original boat house, alterations and extension of the “Sons of Rest” building as a classroom in the park, a new entrance to an existing 1970s leisure centre, a cricket pavilion and repairs to the bandstand.
Thomas Vale Construction, one of the City Council's Partnership Contractors, started major works on site in the sunken garden in 2004. Early on in the process there was little to see but mud and mess, but behind this apparent chaos the new park began to take form. The lakes were dredged, and the silt removed with the edges being rebuilt and the main board walk renewed and once again surrounded with lavish plantings of shrubs, perennials and annual plants. As part of the design process, it was decided that the lakes should have a permanent aeration system, to help ensure that the water quality continues to be healthy. The new boathouse was followed by a new ‘Sons of Rest’ Building (a small distinctive building previously used by the 'Sons of Rest' movement founded by Lister Muff in 1927). Improvements were made to the leisure centre (built on the remains of Grove House whose estate was bought to create the original park) and the cricket pavilion. New play facilities and a multi-use games area were also introduced.
All around the park, the historic walls and railings were reinstated. Planting of trees, shrubs and flowers now bring colour and beauty back to the park. The historic gates at Hamstead Road and Grove Lane were refurbished and reinstated and the two fountains, donated by Austin Lines and Charles Palmer, were restored. In 2005 the bandstand was brought back from the Lion Foundry of Kirkintilloch, near Glasgow, where it had been restored. The nearby St Mary's Church has always had a strong connection with the park, and improvements were made here, too. Some of the walls and railings around the Church have been restored, and a new gate now provides direct access from the park to the churchyard with its numerous and fascinating monuments.
The completion of a £9.5 million restoration and rejuvenation of Handsworth Park was celebrated with a Grand Re-Opening Celebration led by Councillor Mike Sharpe, the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, speaking from the restored bandstand at 2.00pm on Saturday 8 July 2006, followed by a count down by a large enthusiastic crowd and the release of clouds of confetti. The Park has also featured on a special parks edition of BBC's Gardeners' World.
Birmingham Civic Society announced that Handsworth Park was the winner of its Renaissance Award for 2006 after going from one of the city's most neglected green open spaces to a park to be proud of. The late Councillor Ray Hassall, cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture, said: "I'm delighted that the Civic Society has recognised the multi-million pound improvements that have been made. This grand old Victorian park has been restored to its former glory for the enjoyment of the local community now and for many years to come."
The project was awarded a Places and Genius Landscape Design Award for Excellence in 2007 and Handsworth Park has also been awarded the Civic Trust’s Green Flag Award.
The Park regeneration received the Birmingham City Design Initiative Award 2007.
The boats were reintroduced to the lake in June 2009.