Local people are invited to a party at Woodthorpe Grange Park to celebrate one hundred years since it opened.
Woodthorpe Grange Park in Mapperley was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham on Thursday 1 June 1922.
The park provides a large green space enjoyed by visitors from the city and wider surrounding area, with its wide variety of facilities including pitch and putt, tropical house, formal gardens, sports pitches and café. The Grange, a 19th century Grade II listed manor house, sits in a mix of landscapes including formal gardens, green houses, grassland and small wooded areas.
The Grange was sold in the mid-1890s to Sir Jesse Boot, the founder of Boots and Co Limited, and has been owned by Nottingham City Council since 1921. It is home to the council’s Sport, Culture and Parks Service, the maintenance depot for the local area’s ground maintenance team and the city’s nursery section – along with its popular Plant Shop.
The party marking its centenary is taking place on Wednesday (1 June 2022). From 10am – 4pm, visitors can enjoy croquet and garden games on the lawn, children’s activities, ranger-led activities, a Ukulele band, and musical performances from Carlton Male Voice Choir. There will also be historical talks and walks delivered by the Friends of Woodthorpe Grange Park, and a charity cake sale.
The Sheriff of Nottingham Councillor Nicola Heaton and Lord Mayor of Nottingham, Councillor Wendy Smith will attend. The Woodthorpe and Mapperley Co-op will also be in attendance. Having donated a total of £300 to the restoration of the sunken garden, they will also be giving away free sweets and colouring sheets to local children.
During the event, there will be speeches mirroring those on the opening day of the park. According to the original programme from the event, held in the archive at the Nottingham Local Studies Library, the park was officially opened at 3pm by The Right Worshipful The Mayor of Nottingham (Councillor F Berryman).
The Mayor declared the park open as a public Recreation Ground for the City of Nottingham and asked the Chairman of the Public Parks Committee (Alderman CJ. Mee) to take over the management of the Park.
A Vote of Thanks to the Mayor for performing the Opening Ceremony was proposed by the Sheriff of Nottingham (Councillor A. Parks) and seconded by the Deputy Mayor (Alderman H Bowles).
Councillor Audra Wynter, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Transport, and Parks, said: “We are proud to celebrate this huge milestone for one of our most-loved city parks and it is fun to try and recreate some of the atmosphere and ceremony from that time. While we are looking to the past, the future is looking very positive for our parks which have proved to be key for wellbeing. We will soon announce our Nottingham Green Space Strategy which means we can look forward to a greener, healthier, happier Nottingham.”