TrustNews Mar 22
River Park
Rose Burns writes on behalf of Friends of River Park
Aerial View of River Park (Photo Friends of River Park)
Winchester City Council has recently caused a furore by deciding to hand over the site of the redundant Leisure Centre, the Indoor Bowls Club and the Skate Park to the University of Southampton. This decision was rescinded, as it was conceded to be unlawful, but exactly the same decision is threatened, notice having been advertised. This is 17 per cent of the area of the North Walls Recreation Ground and it is publicly owned.
You may ask why River Park came into being in the first place. It was a legacy from the Alfred the Great 1000-year celebrations in 1901, which included the unveiling in September 1901 of the great king's statue, created by Sir Hamo Thorneycroft, in the Broadway.
1902 Conveyance and title plan for River Park
including Hyde Abbey Garden and Hyde Gate
The main person behind those celebrations, Mayor Alfred Bowker, felt strongly that there should be a legacy to commemorate Alfred, "the Founder of the Kingdom and Nation" (as was written on the plaque below the statue), and Winchester residents agreed. Together they decided that the legacy should take the form of a purchase by the city and its residents of the Hyde Abbey Gateway and the River Park area, including what is now Hyde Abbey Garden.
There was a fundraising exercise amongst residents, and with a loan arranged from the Local Government Board, to be paid back through an additional levy on local rates, the purchase was agreed in 1902 with the Barrow Simmonds family. This was an important Winchester family, much involved with good deeds in Winchester, who had bought the land (the former Hyde Abbey Barton Farm) from the family of Jane Austen's brother Edward Knight.
The Recreation Ground, as it became known, took some time to become established, as the land had to be raised because of the flood risk, and levelled for the playing fields. This was not without some friction between the city and its ratepayers because of the spiralling costs. But from 1908 the football pitches were available, boats were for hire in the streams from 1909 and the construction of the bowling green was started in 1910.
River Park is a very historic site and it was an integral part of Hyde Abbey. The chancel of the Great Church is now marked by Hyde Abbey Garden, created in 2003 as Winchester's Jubilee project and designed by Kim Wilkie, internationally renowned garden designer and Hampshire resident. The garden echoes the archaeological remains of the Abbey Church which lie beneath it.
Hyde Abbey Gardens (Photo Friends of River Park)
Coming back to the parkland, the area of the Skate Park and the indoor Bowls Club is considered to be where the Danish Giant, Colbrand, was defeated by Guy of Warwick in battle in the 700s.This incident gave the area the name 'Danemark Mead'. A school bearing this name was established to the south of River Park in 1912; it was later renamed as St Bede's Primary School. When Barrow Simmonds was asked in 1908 to sanction the building of the school on the covenanted land, he refused, saying this in a letter to the Town Clerk: "ln reply to yours of the 2lst instant, l sold the land to the Citizens of Winchester for a Recreation Ground and not for building purposes. My own opinion is that it is not advisable to build on a portion of it as proposed. I cannot think that the Citizens generally would desire this. If there were really a manifest feeling in favour of the building, possibly I should yield to their wishes".
The river at River Park (Photo Friends of River Park)
The covenant in the 1902 conveyance to the city and its residents only allows for a public park and recreational use and the only buildings permitted in that covenant are the park keeper's lodge cottage (where the Colour Factory is now), and buildings for public recreation or public scientific-type purposes. The now redundant Leisure Centre building, the Indoor Bowls Club and the Skate Park all fall within the description, and so this area continues to be protected by the covenant. Friends of River Park submit that any future use of the site should respect the covenant so that River Park remains in public ownership, for public recreational use.
Further information can be found at wvwv.riverparkwinchester.org