Out & About August 2017

OA feature

P rior to Victorian times, the land to the east of the town centre was known as the Marsh, and was indeed wet and boggy and prone to flooding. The Marsh was used for grazing cattle, and also for recreation – according to Hawkins’ Guide of 1890,“in summer evenings, the place is alive with cricketers who make the most of the limited number of pitches”. A row of poplars had been planted in 1838 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s coronation, and in 1883 an avenue of lime trees, by public subscription. Sports and celebrations of every kind were held in the park, and as many of them were in honour of the monarchy, it was no surprise that some people began referring to the Marsh as ‘Victoria Park’. The name change did not please everyone, local historian and author of A History of Newbury (1887) Walter Money remarking: “The Marsh has been the scene of many merrymak- ings and rustic sports and is usually chosen as the site for the travelling circuses… it has recently been termed Victoria Park, but it is to be hoped that the historic name of the Marsh will long retain its proper place.” Not for very long, for in 1901, the “great and good queen” Victoria died, and the burgesses took the opportunity to rename the Marsh, Victoria Park in her honour. Walter Money’s opinion was not recorded. Ambitious plans were put forward in the Newbury Weekly News of December 5, 1901, to increase the size of the park and drain the ground to make it more usable. In 1935, the Silver Jubilee of King George V was enthusiastically celebrated in Newbury with the opening of a sports pavilion, bowling green and tennis courts in the park. Two years later, a slice of greenery was annexed to create the road at Park Way. In the late 1930s, a nursery school was constructed in the park to look after the children of women working on the war effort. Road construction in the 1960s led to a loss of some land and an increase in air pollution and noise from increased traffic levels – but still the park proved popular with local people and later attempts to build in it and on it have been unsuccessful. Responsibilty for the management of Victoria Park passed from West Berkshire Council to the Town Council in 2001, and over the fol- lowing years money from the Heritage Lottery Fund was used to good effect to update the park’s facilities. This investment in the town’s “jewel in the crown” continues, with a new football pitch, changing rooms and a café still to come. 

Borough of Newbury proposed Pleasure Ground plan NWN December 5, 1901

If you want to see more photos – old and new – of Newbury and the surrounding area on FB, there are groups who share memories – search West Berkshire History and Newbury & Thatcham Past and Present, and ask to join

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