The return part of yesterday's walk involved a detour through Rowntree Park. The land for this park was given by Joseph Rowntree in 1921 as a memorial to the members of the Cocoa Works’ staff who fell in WW1, to be (in his words) a ‘quiet restful memorial park’, rather than ‘another stone obelisk’. At that time Rowntrees, a significant name in the history of confectionary, was a major employer in the city.
The park was divided into formal and informal areas, to reflect the Rowntrees’ belief in making facilities that were available to all. It has a shallow curving lake spanned by a lych-gate and dovecote, formal gardens, a playground and tennis courts. It also had a café as part of the keepers lodge (today the Rowntree Park Reading Cafe).
This shot shows the lych-gate / dovecote, reflected in the lake.
Thank you all for your comments and favs, which put this on the Trending and Popular pages.
I've visited this park many times over the years, but not much recently, so it was lovely to visit again. Last winter the whole area of the park was flooded, so much work has been done over the past six months to bring it back to it's current attractive state.
Thank you all for your comments and favs, which put this on the Trending and Popular pages.
I've visited this park many times over the years, but not much recently, so it was lovely to visit again. Last winter the whole area of the park was flooded, so much work has been done over the past six months to bring it back to it's current attractive state.
Ian