Riversley Park is an urban park in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England, which covers an area of 13 acres (5.3 hectares) and is located immediately to the south of the town centre, with the River Anker flowing through it. [1]
Riversley Park is an urban park in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England, which covers an area of 13 acres (5.3 hectares) and is located immediately to the south of the town centre, with the River Anker flowing through it. [1]
The park was opened on 6 July 1907 on land donated by a local benefactor Edward Melly (1857–1941), and was named after Melly's family home in Liverpool. [2] [3]
A 2003 artwork, Gold Belt , by Alisha Miller, is located in a walkway underneath Vicarage Road bridge, which links the park to the George Eliot Memorial Gardens. [4]
Edward Melly also donated £600 towards the construction of the Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery in the park, which was begun in 1914, and was completed in 1917. [2]
Within the park is a memorial to soldiers killed in the Boer War (1899–1902) which consists of a bronze statue of a soldier on a granite plinth. This was first created in 1905, and was originally located in Bond Gate in the town centre, but was moved to the park in 1967. In 2006 the original statue was stolen, and it was replaced by an identical one in 2008. The memorial is grade II listed. [5]
South of this there is also a war memorial which was first erected in 1920 to commemorate soldiers who were lost in the First World War, with a later dedication to those lost in the Second World War. The memorial consists of a granite Celtic Cross, which is also grade II listed. [6]
The park also contains a children's play area containing a pyramid tower, climbing frames, slides and a water feature. The current play area was opened in 2010, replacing an earlier one, and was named in honour of Louis Carter, a local soldier who was killed in Afghanistan at the age of 18 in 2009. [7]
Each Sunday morning at 9am a free, fully marshalled, timed two kilometre run/walk, open to children aged 4-14, takes place in the park, starting near the bandstand.
Nuneaton is a market town in Warwickshire, England, close to the county border with Leicestershire to the north-east. Nuneaton's population at the 2021 census was 88,813, making it the largest town in Warwickshire. Nuneaton's urban area, which also includes the large villages of Bulkington and Hartshill, had a population of 99,372 at the 2021 census.
Bedworth is a market town in the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth, Warwickshire, England. It is situated between Coventry, 6 miles to the south, and Nuneaton, 3 miles (5 km) to the north. In the 2021 census the town had a population of 31,090.
Warwickshire is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire to the south, and Worcestershire and the West Midlands county to the west. The largest settlement is Nuneaton and the county town is Warwick.
Polesworth is a large village and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England. It is situated close to the northern tip of Warwickshire, adjacent to the border with Staffordshire. It is 3 miles (5 km) east of Tamworth, and is 4.5 miles (7 km) northwest of Atherstone.
Cannon Hill Park is a park located in south Birmingham, England. It is the most popular park in the city, covering 250 acres (101 ha) consisting of formal, conservation, woodland and sports areas. Recreational activities at the park include boating, fishing, bowls, tennis, putting and picnic areas.
Witherley is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. The civil parish of Witherley includes Atterton, Fenny Drayton, and Ratcliffe Culey as well as the village of Witherley itself. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 1,373.
The Coventry to Nuneaton Line is a railway line linking Coventry and Nuneaton in the West Midlands of England. The line has a passenger service. It is also used by through freight trains, and freight trains serving facilities on the route.
Ansley is a civil parish in Warwickshire consisting of Ansley, Ansley Common, Church End, Birchley Heath and, previously, Ansley Hall Colliery.
Warwickshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Warwickshire in England. It is the second smallest territorial police force in England and Wales after the City of London Police, with 1,126 regular officers as of July 2024. The resident population of the force area is 554,002.
Nuneaton Griff F.C. are a football club based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England. They joined the Midland Football Combination Premier Division in 1999, and have been competing in the Midland League Division One since it was formed in 2014.
The Jephson Gardens are formal gardens, together with a grassed park, in the town of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. The gardens, once a place for the wealthy to 'take the air' and 'be seen', are found in the centre of the town on the Parade, with the River Leam flowing to the south of them. One of the town's most popular tourist attractions, they have facilities such as cafes and floral displays. The gardens are often marketed in tandem with the nearby all-grassed Mill Gardens on the south side of the river. The gardens have a total area of 14.6 acres (59,000 m2) with Mill Gardens and its boating lake, both on the opposite side of the river, providing an extra 3.9 acres (16,000 m2).
The Coventry/Bedworth Urban Area or Coventry Built-up area as defined by the Office for National Statistics had a population of 359,252 at the 2011 census, which made it the 16th largest conurbation in England and Wales by population. It is also one of the most densely populated. In the 2021 census the population of the urban area was recorded at 389,603.
The South African War Memorial is an equestrian memorial dedicated to the South Australians who served in the Second Boer War of 11 October 1899 to 31 May 1902. It was the first war in which South Australians fought, and 1,531 men were sent in nine contingents, with over 1,500 horses to accompany them. Over 59 South Australians died in the war.
The 'Gold Belt' is a public sculpture located in a walkway underneath the Vicarage Road bridge, Nuneaton, England. The walkway links Riversley Park and the George Eliot Memorial Gardens.
Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery is set in the grounds of Riversley Park, Nuneaton, England, and has three galleries which house regularly changing temporary and touring exhibitions. There is a gallery dedicated to the writer George Eliot, together with two others focusing on local history and fine art. There is a small display of objects which belonged to the comedian Larry Grayson.
Stockingford was a railway station serving the Stockingford area of Nuneaton in Warwickshire, England. It was opened by the Midland Railway on the Birmingham-Nuneaton-Leicester Line in 1864, and operated until closure in 1968.
The Boer War Memorial, also known as the South African War Memorial, stands in a prominent position in Queens Park, Crewe, England. It was erected in memory of local soldiers who had served or fallen in the Boer War, and consists of a bronze statue of soldier in uniform standing on a column on a stone plinth. The monument was unveiled in 1903, and contains plaques with the names of those who were lost in the war. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.
The Royal Artillery Boer War Memorial is located on the south side of The Mall in Central London, close to the junction with Horse Guards Road at the northeast corner of St James's Park. Unveiled in 1910, it marks the deaths of the 1,083 soldiers of the Royal Artillery who died in the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902 It has been a listed building since 1970.
Edward Ferdinand Melly (1857–1941) was an English businessman, public servant and philanthropist. Born into a wealthy Liverpool family, Melly is most remembered for his philanthropic work in his adopted hometown of Nuneaton, Warwickshire.
