Princes Park (Dartford)

Last updated

Princes Park
Princes Park, Dartford, South Stand.jpg
Princes Park stadium during a match between Dartford and Burgess Hill Town, January 2007
Princes Park (Dartford)
LocationDarenth Road
Dartford
DA1 1RT
Owner Dartford Borough Council
Operator Dartford
Capacity 4,100 (642 seated)
Surface Grass
Construction
Broke ground2005
Opened17 November 2006
Construction cost£7 million
ArchitectAlexander Sedgley
Tenants
Dartford (2006–present)
Greenwich Borough (2013–2016)
Thamesmead Town (2017–2018)
Millwall Lionesses (2018)
London City Lionesses (2019–2024)

Princes Park is a football stadium in Dartford, Kent, England. It is the home of Dartford. Thamesmead Town were also sharing the ground with Dartford since 2017 until going out of business in October 2018. The stadium's postcode is DA1 1RT, the closest possible representation of the word "Dart". DA1 1FC was unobtainable, as the letter C is not allocated for use at the end of British postcodes. The stadium is owned by Dartford Borough Council.

Contents

Construction

Construction work began on 14 November 2005. Designed by Alexander Sedgley architects, the stadium has a capacity of 4,100 (642 seated), and has been described as one of the most ecologically sound ever built. [1] The pitch level is sunk two meters below the external ground level to reduce noise and light pollution. It is estimated to have cost around £7 million. The stadium was opened on 11 November 2006 when Dartford FC, who had been without a home ground in the borough since 1992, beat Horsham YMCA 4–2 in an Isthmian League Division One South league fixture, in front of a capacity 4,097 crowd. [2]

The stadium roof has a sedum roof blanket, a living roof that provides a natural air filtration system. Solar panels on the roof serve the community changing areas and public toilets hot water storage cylinders. The roof is supported by treated Glulam timber beams. Water recycling system which serves the toilets within the clubhouse. Rain water is collected in the two large ponds at the north end of the stadium grounds. Underfloor heating on both levels of the clubhouse. Low energy lighting. Increased fabric insulation to give the clubhouse better thermal retention and efficiency. Condensing boilers to provide a more energy efficient system. Also excavated earth was reused for landscaping the external courtyard areas around the stadium. [2]

Facilities

Princes Park has an all-weather training pitch available for community use, and the stadium's clubhouse which contains bars, banqueting suites and meeting rooms.

Located close to Dartford town centre and the M25 motorway, Princes Park is also served by a dedicated "Fastrack" bus stop. The use of public transport for travel to the stadium is encouraged, although there is a dedicated car park with spaces for up to 300 vehicles. Vehicle access is via Grassbanks, a new road named by the winner of a local newspaper competition. On non-matchdays, this is available for use as a "park and ride" station for users of the Fastrack bus service.

Sports

Sports played at the stadium include

Commendations

The stadium has received a number of commendations for its design and environmentally friendly features. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors acknowledged the stadium for being "green",[ citation needed ] and the venue has received significant publicity in the national press.[ citation needed ] Princes Park was the winner of the GT Ground Awards, "Best New Non-League Ground" award. saying, "Let's hope other forward-thinking councils will follow their lead." [4] On Sky Sports Soccer AM show in April 2007, Fashion designer and architect Wayne Hemingway said of Princes Park "It’s got a grass roof all the way around the outside, it’s got solar panels it’s totally sustainable and creates its own electricity. That’s the way that buildings should go, it’s just fantastic, and it’s definitely the best stadium in the country." Adding that "the absolute number one new stadium in the country is from a club that is in the conference - Dartford" ahead of Arsenal's Emirates Stadium and the new Wembley Stadium. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wembley</span> Suburb of London

Wembley is a large suburb in the London Borough of Brent, north-west London, 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Charing Cross. It includes the neighbourhoods of Alperton, Kenton, North Wembley, Preston, Sudbury, Tokyngton and Wembley Park. The population was 102,856 in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Bexley</span> London borough in United Kingdom

The London Borough of Bexley is a London borough in south-east London, forming part of Outer London. It has a population of 248,287. The main settlements are Sidcup, Erith, Bexleyheath, Crayford, Welling and Old Bexley. The London Borough of Bexley is within the Thames Gateway, an area designated as a national priority for urban regeneration. The local authority is Bexley London Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Workington</span> Coastal town in Cumbria, England

Workington is a coastal town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Derwent on the west coast in Cumbria, England. At the 2011 census it had a population of 25,207.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eltham</span> District of southeast London, England

Eltham is a district of southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is 8.7 miles (14.0 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross, and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. The three wards of Eltham North, South and West have a total population of 35,459. 88,000 people live in Eltham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barn Elms</span> Open space in Richmond upon Thames, London

Barn Elms is an open space in Barnes in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, located on the northerly loop of the River Thames between Barnes and Fulham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walderslade</span> Human settlement in England

Walderslade is a large suburb in Kent in Chatham split between the unitary authority of Medway and the boroughs of Maidstone and Tonbridge & Malling in South East England. It was, until 1998, fully part of Kent and is still ceremonially associated via the Lieutenancies Act. It encompasses almost all the ME5 postcode district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arriva Southern Counties</span> Bus operator in East Sussex, Kent and Essex

Arriva Southern Counties Limited, trading as Arriva Southern Counties, is a bus operator in Kent, Essex, Hemel Hempstead, and Watford in England. It is a subsidiary of Arriva UK Bus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ebbsfleet International railway station</span> Railway station in Kent, England

Ebbsfleet International railway station is in Ebbsfleet Valley, Kent, 10 miles east of London, England, near Dartford and the Bluewater Shopping Centre to the west and Gravesend to the east. The station, part of the Thames Gateway urban regeneration project, is on the High Speed 1 (HS1) rail line, 300 metres south-west of Northfleet railway station, off the A2 trunk road, 5 mi (8.0 km) from its junction with the M25 motorway. It served as a primary park-and-rail service for the London 2012 Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannizaro Park</span> Park in London

Cannizaro Park is a public park in Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton. Located towards the south-western edge of Wimbledon Common, it is known for its ornamental landscaped gardens with ponds and sculpture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dartford F.C.</span> Association football club in Dartford, England

Dartford Football Club is a semi-professional association football club based in Dartford, Kent, England. In the 2024-25 season, the club participates in the Isthmian League Premier Division, the seventh tier of the English football league system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thamesmead Town F.C.</span> Football club

Thamesmead Town Football Club was a football club originally based in Thamesmead in south-east London before moving to Dartford in 2017. They joined the Kent League in 1991 and reached the 5th round of the FA Vase in the 1995–96 season. In the 2007–08 season, they were champions of the Kent League Premier Division and were promoted to the Isthmian League Division One North for the 2008–09 season. In the 2012–13 season, they won the Division One North play-offs and were promoted to the Isthmian League Premier Division for the first time in their history, but were relegated back after finishing 22nd the following season. The club announced it was folding in October 2018 and subsequently closed down.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stonebridge Road</span> Multi-purpose stadium in Northfleet, Kent, England

Stonebridge Road is a multi-purpose stadium in Northfleet, Gravesend, Kent, England, also known as Kuflink Stadium for sponsorship reasons. It is primarily used for football matches. Stonebridge Road was constructed in 1905, and was initially the home of Northfleet FC, which merged with Gravesend FC in 1946. It is currently the home ground of Ebbsfleet United. Thus, Stonebridge Road has been the home of Ebbsfleet and its predecessor football clubs for over 100 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wembley Stadium</span> Football stadium in London, England

Wembley Stadium is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, which had stood from 1923 until 2003. The stadium is England's national football stadium, and thus hosts the majority of the England national team home matches and the FA Cup Final – the final of England's primary domestic club football competition. It is widely regarded as one of the most iconic football stadiums in the world, and is considered a hub for the English game. Wembley Stadium is owned by the governing body of English football, the Football Association, whose headquarters are in the stadium, through its subsidiary Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL). With 90,000 seats, it is the largest stadium in the UK and the second-largest stadium in Europe, behind Barcelona's Camp Nou.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fastrack (bus)</span> Bus Rapid Transit network in Kent, England

Fastrack is a bus rapid transit scheme in the Thames Gateway area of Kent. It consists of three routes, operated by Arriva Southern Counties on behalf of Kent County Council with Prologis and Amazon respectively. Measures used to allow buses to avoid traffic include signal priority, reserved lanes, and dedicated busways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damson Park</span> Association football stadium in Solihull, England

Damson Park is an association football stadium in Solihull, West Midlands, England. It was the new home of Solihull Borough following their departure from their original Widney Lane Ground. It is now the home of Solihull Moors, the club formed when Solihull Borough and Moor Green merged in 2007. They previously shared Damson Park with Birmingham & Solihull R.F.C. and also used to have an agreement that allows Birmingham City Reserves the use of the ground for their reserve games. Birmingham City W.F.C. of the FA WSL have used Damson Park for home games since 2014.

<i>World Cup Sculpture</i> Sculpture in London

The World Cup Sculpture, or simply The Champions, is a bronze statue of the 1966 World Cup Final located near the site of West Ham United Football Club's former Boleyn Ground stadium in the London Borough of Newham, England. It depicts a famous victory scene photographed after the final, held at the old Wembley Stadium in London, featuring Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters and Ray Wilson. It remains the only time the England national football team have won the World Cup, and England captain Moore is pictured held shoulder high by his colleagues, holding the Jules Rimet Trophy aloft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meridian VP F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Meridian Valley Park Football Club is a football club located in Charlton, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, London, England. Affiliated to the Kent FA, they are currently members of the Southern Counties East League Division One and play at the Meridian Sports & Social Club.

Richmond Park Golf Course, a public, daily fee golf course comprising two 18-hole courses, is located in Richmond Park in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and is home to Richmond Park Golf Club, Putney Park Golf Club and White Lodge Golf Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Park Golf Clubhouse</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

The Victoria Park Golf Clubhouse is a heritage-listed former club house at 309 Herston Road, Herston, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Reyburn Jameson and built in 1931 and extended in 1939 and 1948. It is also known as the Pink Palace, after a nightclub which operated out of the building in the late 1970s and 1980s. The building now serves as offices for the Mental Illness Fellowship of Queensland. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 17 December 1999.

References

  1. ↑ "Football stadium brings club home". BBC News. 14 November 2005. Retrieved 24 September 2008.
  2. 1 2 "About Princes Park". Dartford Borough Council . Retrieved 24 September 2008.
  3. ↑ "Dartford Borough Council News - Popular golf course reopens at Princes Park". Dartford Borough Council. 1 October 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2008.
  4. ↑ "Ground Awards". Groundtastic magazine. Archived from the original on 9 October 2008. Retrieved 24 September 2008.
  5. ↑ "Dartford Borough Council News - Princes Park 'better than Wembley'". Dartford Borough Council. 16 April 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2008.

51°26′14″N0°13′51″E / 51.43722°N 0.23083°E / 51.43722; 0.23083

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.