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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.
17
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
OA
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