Wicksteed Park

Last updated

Wicksteed Park
Merlin (geograph 3513474).jpg
Locomotive "Merlin" hauling a passenger train on the Wicksteed Park Railway
Location Kettering, Northamptonshire, England
Opened1921
OwnerWicksteed Charitable Trust
SloganThe Place Where Fun Was Invented
Attractions
Total27
Roller coasters3
Water rides4
Website https://wicksteedpark.org/

Wicksteed Park is a Grade II listed park in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England, which includes an amusement park within its grounds. The park is located in the south-east of Kettering, on the western edge of Barton Seagrave village. The park is owned by the Wicksteed Charitable Trust, with the amusement park being run by its trading subsidiary company Wicksteed Park Ltd (replaced by Wicksteed Trading Ltd after going into administration in 2020).

Contents

Foundation

The park was founded by Charles Wicksteed, a wealthy industrialist who owned the engineering works of Charles Wicksteed & Co. Ltd in Kettering. In 1913 he purchased the meadowland, which was part of the Barton Seagrave Hall estate, with the intention of building a model village for his workers, to be called the Barton Seagrave Garden Suburb Estate. The Wicksteed Village Trust was set up to run the enterprise. After World War I, when local authorities were building public housing, Wicksteed decided instead to create a park with leisure facilities for local people, with refreshments and attractions, for which a modest charge was made, funding the provision of a free playground and sporting facilities. [1]

The first playground equipment, manufactured by Wicksteed's company, had been installed in 1917 and an artificial lake fed by the Ise Brook was constructed in 1921, with the park officially opened that year. By 1926 the park had a pavilion and theatre building, a rose garden, a water chute, bandstand, and fountain. The water chute was designed by Charles Wicksteed and a few years later was given a new roof. [2] Barton Seagrave Hall was purchased by Charles Wicksteed in 1928. In 1931 a railway track was built around the edge of the lake. Charles Wicksteed died in 1931 and the Wicksteed Village Trust continued his work, adding features and facilities to the park. [1]

Development

The park continued to develop during the 1930s with the addition of a golf course, toy shop and aviary. A tunnel was added to the railway. The park attracted a record 40,000 visitors on August bank holiday Monday in 1935. During World War II the park remained partially open, with American troops billeted in the pavilion. Improvement continued in the 1950s, with the opening of a cinema, a miniature car track, a pets corner and an ice cream factory. In 1969 a new office and administration block was built. The 1970s saw the addition of a nature trail, a skateboarding rink and a ferris wheel. In April 1980 the park played host to the It's a Knockout television programme and also added the iconic double pirate ship. Attendance had fallen during the 1970s but had recovered to an annual 750,000 visitors by 1982. Two roller coasters, nautic jets, a cup and saucer ride and a pedal cycle monorail were added during the 1990s. [3]

Twenty-first century

A ride at Wicksteed Park Arena, Wicksteed Park.jpg
A ride at Wicksteed Park

A mascot for the park, Wicky Bear, was acquired in 2000. The park hosts the local weekly parkrun and an annual fireworks display. [4] During the display in November 2005, eleven people were injured in an accident when a firework shot into the crowd. [5]

In 2012 the park received over £1 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards the cost of restoration of the lake. [6] Northamptonshire County Council and Kettering Borough Council also helped fund the work, which was completed in 2014. [7] Barton Seagrave Hall was sold in 2012 to help fund the park. [8]

In 2013 the BBC Children in Need event for BBC East was held here and had one of the choirs shown on the nationwide Children in Need Choir

On The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off in 2019, comedian James Acaster made a baked replica of Wicksteed Park for his Showstopper challenge.

In 2016 the water chute at Wicksteed Park was given Grade II listed building status. [2] At the end of the 2016 season, Wicksteed Park made the decision to close the double pirate ship due to high maintenance costs. The ride was sold to a businessman from Bulgaria. [9]

Wicksteed Park was awarded a further £1.78 million by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in 2018 for a project to preserve the park's history. [10]

In March 2020 the Covid-19 pandemic forced the closure of the attractions in the park, and in June 2020 Wicksteed Park Ltd announced that it had gone into administration. An appeal to save the amusement park raised £130,000 in donations from the public and £247,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. A new company, Wicksteed Trading Ltd, was set up and bought most of the park's assets. [11] The outdoor space was reopened in July 2020, with attractions and rides starting to open in the spring of 2021. An official reopening was scheduled for May 2021. [12]

Wicksteed Park Railway

Locomotive "Cheyenne" at Wicksteed Park Railway in 1976 Locomotive Cheyenne at Wicksteed Park Railway 1976.jpg
Locomotive "Cheyenne" at Wicksteed Park Railway in 1976

The 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge [13] Wicksteed Park railway is one of the features of the park. Over 15 million people have taken to its rails since it first opened in 1931. It was the last feature of the park to be added during the lifetime of the park's founder Charles Wicksteed and is supported by the Friends of the Wicksteed Park Railway.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kettering</span> Town and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England

Kettering is a market and industrial town as well as a civil parish in the North Northamptonshire district, in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England. It is 45 miles (72 km) west of Cambridge, 31 miles (50 km) southwest of Peterborough, 28 miles (45 km) southeast of Leicester and 15 miles (24 km) north-east of Northampton. It is west of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene. The name means "the place of Ketter's people ".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoot the chute</span> Type of amusement ride

Shoot the chute is an amusement ride consisting of a flat-bottomed boat that slides down a ramp or inside a flume into a lagoon. Unlike a log flume or super flume, which generally seats up to eight passengers, a modern-day shoot-the-chute ride generally has larger boats seating at least four across.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knoebels Amusement Resort</span> Amusement park

Knoebels Amusement Resort is a family-owned and operated amusement park, picnic grove, and campground in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1926, it is the United States's largest free-admission park. The park has more than 60 rides including three wooden roller coasters, three steel roller coasters, a 1913 carousel, and two haunted house dark rides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreamland Margate</span> Amusement park in Kent, England

Dreamland Margate is an amusement park and entertainment centre based on a traditional English seaside funfair located in Margate, Kent, England. The site of the park was first used for amusement rides in 1880, although the Dreamland name was not used until 1920 when the park's Grade II* listed Scenic Railway wooden rollercoaster was opened.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Ise</span> River in Northamptonshire, England

The River Ise is a river in Northamptonshire, England and a tributary of the River Nene.

Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure is a water park and amusement park in Bessemer, Alabama. It is owned by Koch Family Parks, which consists of members of the family who formerly had minority ownership in Holiday World & Splashin' Safari.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakeside Amusement Park</span> Amusement park in Lakeside, Colorado

Lakeside Amusement Park is a family-owned amusement park in Lakeside, Colorado, adjacent to Denver. Opened in 1908, it is the oldest amusement park in Colorado still operating in its original location, and is the lone remaining American amusement park to have had the name White City. The park, comprising nearly half of the Town of Lakeside that it was responsible for creating in 1907, features the landmark Tower of Jewels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belle Vue Zoological Gardens</span> Former establishment in Manchester, England

Belle Vue Zoological Gardens was a large zoo, amusement park, exhibition hall complex, and speedway stadium in Belle Vue, Manchester, England, that opened in 1836. The brainchild of John Jennison, the gardens were initially intended to be an entertainment for the genteel middle classes, with formal gardens and dancing on open-air platforms during the summer, but they soon became one of the most popular attractions in Northern England. Before moving to Belle Vue, Jennison, a part-time gardener, had run a small aviary at his home, the beginnings of the zoo that over the years grew to become the third-largest in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flamingo Land Resort</span> Theme park, zoo, and resort in North Yorkshire, England

Flamingo Land is a theme park, zoo, and resort located in Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire, England. Opened in 1959, it has been owned and operated by The Gibb Family since 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canobie Lake Park</span> Amusement park in Salem, New Hampshire

Canobie Lake Park is an amusement park in Salem, New Hampshire, located about 31 miles (50 km) north of Boston. It was founded as a trolley park on the shore of Canobie Lake in 1902. Three local families currently run the park, which draws visitors from throughout the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions. Canobie Lake Park's age and history inspired author Stephen King to use rides and elements from the park in his Joyland novel. It is one of only thirteen trolley parks still operating in the United States as of 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Winnepesaukah</span> Amusement park in Georgia, U.S.

Lake Winnepesaukah, commonly known as Lake Winnie, is an amusement park located in Rossville, Georgia, on the south of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Carl and Minette Dixon opened the park to over 5,000 guests on June 1, 1925. They named it after the Native American word Winnepesaukah, meaning "bountiful waters" or "beautiful lake of the highlands". The park originally featured the largest swimming pool in the southeastern United States, which debuted in 1926 and was later removed. Its Boat Chute attraction, designed by Carl Dixon and opened in 1927, is the oldest mill chute water ride of its kind still operating in the United States.

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

Barton Seagrave is a large village and civil parish in the North Northamptonshire, England. The village is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south-east of Kettering, town centre. The older part of the village is known for its Norman Church and attractive buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paultons Park</span> Theme park in Hampshire, England

Paultons Park is an amusement park located in the New Forest National Park, near the village of Ower, in Hampshire, England, with over 70 rides and attractions. The park is situated on the former Paultons Estate, and covers 140 acres of land and features a collection of around 80 species of birds and animals, in addition to the rides. The park garnered international recognition in 2011, when it opened the Peppa Pig World themed area based on the children's animated television series Peppa Pig. The park has since opened the creature-themed area Critter Creek, the dinosaur-themed area Lost Kingdom and the Western-themed area Tornado Springs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hopkins Rides</span> American amusement ride manufacturer

Hopkins Rides is an amusement ride manufacturer based in Palm City, Florida. The company has produced amusement rides for over 45 years and currently focuses on water rides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Playground slide</span> Slides for children to play on in playgrounds

Playground slides are found in parks, schools, playgrounds and backyards. The slide is an example of the simple machine known as the inclined plane, which makes moving objects up and down easier, or in this case more fun. The slide may be flat, or half cylindrical or tubular to prevent falls. Slides are usually constructed of plastic or metal and they have a smooth surface that is either straight or wavy. The user, typically a child, climbs to the top of the slide via a ladder or stairs and sits down on the top of the slide and slides down the chute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waldameer & Water World</span> Amusement park in Erie, Pennsylvania

Waldameer Park & Water World is an amusement park and water park at the base of Presque Isle in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States. Waldameer is the fourth oldest amusement park in Pennsylvania, the tenth oldest in the nation, and one of only thirteen trolley parks still operating in the country. It is home to several notable rides, including the Ravine Flyer II roller coaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Northamptonshire</span> District in England

North Northamptonshire is one of two local government districts in Northamptonshire, England. Its council is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. It was created in 2021. The council is based in Corby, the district's largest town. Other notable towns are Kettering, Wellingborough, Rushden, Raunds, Desborough, Rothwell, Irthlingborough, Thrapston and Oundle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal theme park</span> Combination of a theme park and a zoo

An animal theme park, also known as a zoological theme park, is a combination of an amusement park and a zoo, mainly for entertainment, amusement, and commercial purposes. Many animal theme parks combine classic theme park elements, such as themed entertainment and amusement rides, with classic zoo elements such as live animals confined within enclosures for display. Many times, live animals are utilized and featured as part of amusement rides and attractions found at animal theme parks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wicksteed Park Nature Reserve</span>

Wicksteed Park is a 14.2-hectare (35-acre) nature reserve in Barton Seagrave, on the eastern outskirts of Kettering in Northamptonshire. It is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Wicksteed (engineer)</span> British engineer (1847–1931)

Charles Wicksteed (1847–1931) was a British engineer, businessman, and entrepreneur. He is best known as a manufacturer of playground equipment and as the founder of Wicksteed Park.

References

  1. 1 2 "Wicksteed Park". Historic England. 26 April 2001.
  2. 1 2 "Water chute at Wicksteed Park". Historic England. 29 November 2016.
  3. ↑ Peter Scott (2002) A history of the Wicksteed Park Railway, Reading, pp. 22-32.
  4. ↑ "A history of Wicksteed Park - where children learned to play". Northampton Chronicle. 15 June 2020.
  5. ↑ "Firm sorry over firework horror". BBC News. 6 November 2005.
  6. ↑ "Wicksteed Park gets £1m to restore lake". BBC News. 6 July 2012..
  7. ↑ "Wicksteed Park lake £3m revamp completed". BBC News. 27 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Historic Barton Seagrave Hall sold to fund Wicksteed Park". BBC News. 18 September 2012.
  9. ↑ "Wicksteed Park's pirate ship has final swing after 34 years". BBC News. 1 November 2016.
  10. ↑ "Witch's Hat playground ride returns to Wicksteed Park". BBC News. 27 June 2019.
  11. ↑ "Wicksteed Park: Will theme park see its 100th birthday?". BBC News. 16 July 2020.
  12. ↑ "Wicksteed Park announces plans to reopen attractions in line with easing of lockdown". ITV news. 25 February 2021.
  13. ↑ A History of the Wicksteed Park Railway - Introduction

52°23′06″N0°42′11″W / 52.385°N 0.703°W / 52.385; -0.703

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.