Spinney Hill Park

On 17th March 1885 the town corporation Sanitary Committee reported that they sought land for a new recreation ground. They were concerned about the inadequacy of public open space to the east of the town where building development was rapidly proceeding. Moreover, the nearby Spinney Hills Recreation Ground, to the east of Hartington Road, was of inadequate size and the tenancy insecure.

The site chosen was grazing land subdivided into fields with spinneys of trees alongside Mere Road and also alongside what was later to become Park Vale Road (O/S maps xxx1.11 & xxx1.15, 1885, 25" to 1 mile). The land belonged to the Spinney Hills Estate and was owned by C.S. Burnaby Esq. (Supplement, 1886). By 30 March 1886 the committee had purchased the grazing land (Supplement, 1886). Conditions attached to the purchase required that no land be sold for fifteen years and that the land should never be turned into building plots or worked for minerals. The £18,000 purchase price was substantially less than the £36,000 asked for the recreation ground land (Supplement 1886; Storey, 1895, 129-130; Wilshere, 1986, 2).

Mr John Burn laid out the park in 1886 with 'natural' style planting. He retained existing trees and created a woodland walk, winding paths and a carriage drive from Mere Road. He straightened the Evington or Willow Brook to create a more gentle curve and created small rocky weirs and cascades. He built two bridges which were linked by an oval gravel walk (Leicester Advertiser, 1886). He included a bandstand, 'gymnasia', wrought iron swings, seesaws, 'giant strides', parallel bars, horizontal ladders, plus an area for cricket. Mr J. Jordan, the Borough Surveyor, dealt with the sewerage, drainage, pathways and fencing for the new park. Amongst items acquired for the opening were many shrubs and trees from Cropston Waterworks and Abbey Park (Wilshere, 1986, 2-3).

The mayor's wife, Mrs Israel Hart, officially opened the park at 1pm on Tuesday 24 August 1886, although the park was not fully complete (Supplement 1886). There were a number of speeches followed by a presentation by the Chair of the Sanitary Committee, Thomas Windley. Four hundred guests attended a luncheon at 2pm. Surrounding streets were hung with flags, bells were rung from St Saviours church, bands played and there were fireworks in the evening (Wilshere, 1986, 3).

The polished granite fountain was erected in April 1887, gifted by Councillor Samuel Mather, a local marketplace pork and cheese merchant (Wilshere, 1986, 5).

In 1888 a Refreshment Pavilion and Park Keeper's Lodge were constructed to the designs of Leicester architect, Stockdale Harrison, at a cost of £609 19s and £319 18s 9d respectively (Wilshere, 1986, 5). A sandstone and granite bridge was also built (Leicester City Council, 2004, 9).

In 1892 the corporation gave up a 15 foot wide strip of the southern boundary of the park for the construction of Park Vale Road. House building was undertaken in surrounding streets between 1890 and the 1920s, the houses facing the park being larger and with small front gardens (Wilshere, 1986, 3). During 1894-5 a Bowling Pavilion was constructed (Wilshere, 1986, 5). The Spinney Hill Bowling Club had been founded in 1892.

In 1914 and 1923 respectively the bandstand and the bowling green pavilion were replaced. Maps of 1930 show a new shelter towards the top of the park. Between 1938 and 1939 a sports pavilion was built (Wilshere, 1986, 5). During the 20th century East Midlands Electricity Board constructed three electricity sub stations.

In 1954, owing to the flooding of the bowling green after heavy rain, its turf banks were rebuilt and water coming down the hillside was diverted and drained (Wilshere, 1986, 7). The Ordnance Survey map of 1955 shows a new shelter in the centre towards the lower end of the park and three sets of tennis courts between the lodge and the bowling green.

In 1956 for the first time the park was the venue for the Louie Knight Cup. This cricket cup was presented by the head gardener. Spinney Hill Park was the only city park to have a putting green until 1965, but by the 1970s this was converted to crazy golf (Wilshere, 1986,6).

There are records from 1955 of the park suffering vandalism. Increased hedging was introduced alongside the stream to deter after-hours intruders and in 1958 the original refreshment pavilion (by then disused) was fenced to prevent willful damage. It was burnt down in the 1970s (Wilshere, 1986, 6).

According to Wilshere, in 1965 the park had one bowling green, one hockey and four cricket pitches, one grass and one hard tennis court. In 1968 this provision had changed to six bowling rinks (the bowls pavilion had been extended in 1963), three cricket pitches, nine grass and four hard tennis courts. Wilshere further reports that by 1985 there were adventure playgrounds, large scale chess and draughts areas, and four bitumen tennis courts were floodlit as were two netball courts. (Wilshere, 1986, 6).

On 28 October 1982, after a request from the Leicester Group of the Victorian Society, the city council designated the park and the neighbouring streets Spinney Hill Conservation Area.

In its centenary year, 1986, new features were introduced by the council including a play area, picnic site, a new tea kiosk and probably the toilet block on the perimeter. The sports pavilion was renovated. The City Wildlife Project introduced nature areas including a woodland area with oak, field maple, and silver birch trees along East Park Road (an older row of Lombardy poplars had become dangerous and were felled). Alders and willows were also planted alongside the brook. In the north-east corner, adjacent to the brook, a pond was established with marginal plants and a meadow (Wilshere, 1986, 6). A wooden owl sculpture was installed. Centenary celebrations were held over the weekend of 23 and 24 August 1986. This consisted of a multi-cultural festival with a visit from the Lord Mayor, Councillor St John Phipps (Wilshere, 1986).

In 2002, after a request by the Leicester Group of the Victorian Society, the park lodge was listed Grade II.

In 2001 the city council planning committee controversially approved the building of a police station on flat land within the park boundary along East Park Road. After vociferous campaigning recorded in the local newspaper, The Leicester Mercury, and referral of the scheme to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, the size and location of the police station were altered. Although initially the council proposed to sell park land, it was eventually leased for the police station (Leicester Mercury, 2004, 4). The police station was opened in September 2005.

Between 2007 and 2009 the council consulted with park users and nearby inhabitants over a proposed £2 million bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to renovate the park.