Every park in this city has its own cultural and historical significance. Citizens and tourists like to visit such green locations, which offer various options for leisure and cultural recreation. Leeds’s numerous parks and squares create a special atmosphere in the city. In this article, we will tell you about Roundhay Park, which is considered one of the largest urban parks in Europe. Learn more about the history of the park’s creation and development at ileeds.info.
What is known about the history of the park?
The history of Roundhay Park began in the 11th century. William the Conqueror granted the lands, which would later become a park, to Ilbert de Lacy. The location used to be a hunting park and was constantly changing owners (John of Gaunt, Henry IV, Henry VIII, Thomas Darcy, Charles Stourton, Thomas Nicholson and Samuel Elam). It should be noted that it was Thomas Nicholson who owned the northern part of the lands that later became Roundhay Park. There were the remains of quarries and coal mines on this territory. The new owner decided to flood the remains of the industrial zones. Thus, Upper Lake and Waterloo Lake were created. Work on the creation of reservoirs cost £15,000 and lasted 10 years.
The park’s Mansion House was built between 1811 and 1826. The Nicholson family was responsible for building the Church of St John, the alms-houses and the school.
Thomas Nicholson died in 1821 and the estate passed to his half-brother Stephen. In 1871, the park was put up for sale and purchased by the city of Leeds.
Cultural value of the park for the city
Roundhay Park began to be landscaped. This was done by architect George Corson. In 1872, the park was officially opened by Prince Arthur. 19 years later, Britain’s first public electric tram with an overhead electric power was officially launched nearby.
There is a dam on the southern part of Waterloo Lake. A pool was built under it in 1907. This location was very popular among visitors. Later, the pool was closed, and in the modern period, the place was equipped as a parking lot.
Visitors can come across Tropical World on the territory of the park. It is a series of temperature-controlled greenhouses, which hold one of the largest collections of tropical plants. There is also the Coronation House, which was built in 1939 and modernised in 1983. In addition, Tropical World has a butterfly house and aquariums where visitors can see birds, reptiles, meerkats, bats, etc.
Canal Gardens is a special place in the park, which consists of a lawn, trees and flower gardens. There are also the Friends Garden, Alhambra Garden, Monet Garden and the Gardens of the World. By the way, the latter temporarily housed HESCO Gardens, which earned Leeds Council two gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Shows. It should be noted that all gardens are accessible to people with disabilities.
There is also the Arena on the territory of the park. However, Thomas Nicholson planned to create another lake at this place. The owner died and a sports arena was built instead of the lake. This location once provided jobs to the unemployed of Leeds. In general, the Arena holds more than 100,000 people and has hosted many concerts (The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Simple Minds, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Madonna, Level 42, Genesis, Robbie Williams, U2 & Cast, etc.).
This is the history of the creation and development of Roundhay Park, which is not only a beautiful green zone but also a place for cultural recreation of citizens. We hope that our article was informative and that you learned more information about your hometown.