About Us
Our local green spaces are vital for everyone and every community – and for all age groups and interests!
FoCP is a group of people passionate about preserving & improving Congleton park for generations to come.
The Friends of Congleton Park are a constituted group, formed in 2005, which aims to promote the use and awareness of the Park for the enjoyment of the public, in partnership with Cheshire East Council, Congleton Town Council, under the Guidance and support of the Park Manager. The Group may act as a consultative body on the Park’s developments, fund raise, and organise and support events.
FoCP run several events throughout the summer
Help to improve facilities in the park
Improve the safety of the park
Consultative body on the Park's developments
Conservation of the Park
Increasing biodiversity & looking after nature
The Friends work with Congleton Town Council and other community groups to support larger community events in the Park. We loan euipment (e.g. barriers, signs, tables etc.) from the Community Store to ensure that the event is safe and enjoyable for visitors, as well as volunteering.
Congleton Park covers an area of 10 hectares (24.7 acres) and includes the historic Town Wood. Designed by Edward Kemp, an emphasis was placed upon creating river views, a formal promenade flanked by rugged rocks topped with ornamental shrubs and formal avenues of Chestnut and Lime. The park was opened to the public on 29th May 1871.
Congleton Park from the River shown on an old postcard; note the absence of trees on the edge of Hankinson’s Field.
Congleton Park History
Conception, Design and Opening of Congleton Park in 1871
Following a movement to create public parks in the nineteenth century in 1856 the Town Council bought twelve acres of land between Town Wood and the river Dane with the object of creating an open space in which to lay out a public park.
A park committee was appointed but seemingly they needed reassurance about the site. One advisor to whom they applied was James Bateman who had developed a series of impressive gardens at Biddulph Grange. The Congleton and Macclesfield Mercury reported on 27 October 1860:
‘We understand that James Bateman Esq. The Grange, has in the company with other members of the Park Committee declared the spot admirably suited to the purpose contemplated (A Public Park)’.
As parks were a matter of public pride their design was as important as that of public buildings, which were built on a grand scale with meticulous attention to detail. Just as a notable architect was employed to design buildings, so equivalent landscape designers and gardeners were employed for the parks.
The designer of Congleton Park was Edward Kemp (learn more about Edward Kemp’s private comission’s from the Garden Trust) who was helped by the Congleton surveyor William Blackshaw. Kemp had worked under the supervision of Joseph Paxton at Chatsworth. In September 1843 he became Head Gardener and subsequently Superintendant at Birkenhead Park. Later he was consulted on the designs for Central Park in New York!
His main aims and many of his ideas were the result of having being trained by Paxton. These ideas included providing open spaces, together with formal bedding and rockeries and a mixture of evergreen trees with the border shapes of native trees. In Congleton Park Paxton’s principles are particularly noticeable in the carriageway running round the outside of the park and in its proximity to the river. Paxton always emphasized water features. He also encourages the creation of formal gardens and pathways running through them and areas ‘for the passive enjoyment of the park’s scenery’. Kemp provided these features as well as seating and viewing points in the park and in the Town Wood. Adhering to Paxton’s designs, he also allowed a large amount of open space surrounded by trees.
Unfortunately Kemp’s original designs don’t exist, according to newspaper reports from the time it seems Kemp has designed a much larger scheme:
28/05/1870 The Staffordshire Advertiser: “Congleton Public Park.….While Mr. Kemp’s plans in their entirety contemplate the addition of several acres of land on the south side of the river, it is felt that however desirable such addition would be for the future protection of the park from nuisances, yet that so large a scheme would fail to be carried at once on the voluntary system; and that it is therefore better to limit the present effort to the land on the north side…which will place upwards of twenty acres of beautiful land, commanding splendid views of the surrounding scenery, at the service of the inhabitants of the borough for the purpose of health, recreation and improvement. To effect this object will require the outlay of £3,000. Several handsome subscriptions have already been promised ..”
In time other characteristics came to be added – a bowling green and a croquet lawn and provision for boating was made. In addition he created a network of winding paths through the wood, many designed to create unexpected twists and views. The paths in Town Wood culminated in a high view point, which later became the site for the Russian cannon.
If you are interested in further reading of Kemp and Congleton’s Park design view:
1. Cheshire Gardens Trust Reseasrch Report on Congleton Park.
2. Cheshire Gardens Trust image report of Congleton Park.
3. ‘Landsacpes Designs for ‘Gentlemen of Wealth’ Edward Kemp’s Private Commissions (Elizabeth Davey)
The Old Russian Cannon c. 1871
The Crimean war (1845-1856) fought by the British and the French against the Russians, resulted in a large number of cannons being captured, many being taken after the siege of Sevastopol. The War Office, not willing to use these, decided to offer them to towns and cities in England as trophies. The Town Clerk seemingly applied for a cannon in January 1859 and the application was accepted. The cannon arrived at Congleton Station on 14 June 1859 and was escorted into the town in an ‘immense procession’ led by five Crimean War veterans. At first the cannon was placed on a specially built platform situated either at the bottom of Moody Street on an open space now outside the Royal bank of Scotland, or on the other side of the street in front of ‘Mr Deakin’s shop’, which is where Woolworths was replaced by The Space TMC. By 1871 it seems to have become an anachronism, and the opening of Congleton Park seemed to be a suitable opportunity to move it to a mock fort emplacement at the top of the Park Wood. During the Second World War the demand for metal led to a debate by the Town Council for the cannon to be donated to help the war effort. We think this means it was melted down in aid of the war effort.