Christchurch Park
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Christchurch Park is a 70-acre area of rolling lawns, wooded areas, and delicately created arboreta in central Ipswich, Suffolk, England.
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[edit] History
From the 12th century the park was the site of the Augustinian Priory of the Holy Trinity. In 1536 the Priory's estates were seized by the crown during Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries. The land was purchased by a London merchant, Paul Withipoll in 1545, and between 1548 and 1550 his son Edmund built Christchurch Mansion, now the impressive Tudor centrepiece of the park, on the ruins of the old priory. The Mansion is now the site of an historical museum, art gallery and tea room.
Apart from a small disused lion's head water fountain provided for the poor of Ipswich by the Augustinians, there is no trace left of the priory buildings, although the Round Pond and Wilderness Pond in the park are thought to have originally stocked fish for the monks. St Margaret's Church, which was built by the monks in the 13th century and which served as church and burial place to the lords of the Manor, is also still standing in a corner of the park on St Margaret's Plain.
The park contains memorials to the Ipswich Martyrs, servicemen lost during war as well as past mayors.
Public events have been held in the park since the 18th century, and it was opened for free public access in 1895. In 2004, the park received a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund of over £3 million for a programme of extensive renovation and restoration of its facilities and historical features. This renovation includes the 2006 draining of both the 'round' and 'wilderness' ponds in order to remove the five foot of silt that has collected over the past 80 years.[1]
[edit] 1987 storm
The Great Storm of 1987 which affected most parts of the United Kingdom had drastic effects on the park, destroying around 230 trees including the last remaining elm.
[edit] Wildlife and ornithology
Christchurch Park is home to in excess of 100 different bird varieties, including a large selection of ducks, geese and swans which inhabit the two large ponds situated within the park. A large bird reserve was set up in the early 1990s, and dog-walkers are restricted to keeping their pets on a lead within this area to reduce disturbances to the birds. Alongside the birds of the park, many squirrels inhabit the arboreta.
[edit] Sport and leisure within the park
Sporting facilities within the park include tennis courts, a croquet lawn and a bowling green. Christchurch Park has also long been the centre of many of Ipswich's leisure and entertainment events. The Ipswich Carnival, a giant fireworks display, The Ipswich Flower Show and The Ipswich Music Festival are all held here, along with recent concerts from bands such as McFly, Busted, Jools Holland and Status Quo. Every summer, a "Proms in the Park" event is also held together with a screening of a popular film in the park's 'bowl', Snow Hill, prompting al fresco patriotism. An annual parade of historic vehicles also assembles along the spinal path of the park, and marks the start of the Ipswich to Felixstowe Run.
