Curwen Park and the Workington Hall Parklands
The Workington Hall Parklands are the
grounds of Workington Hall, including Curwen Park and Mill
Field.
Situated near the centre of Workington the
parklands contain pleasant woodland and riverside walks, a cycle
path and a skate park for all to enjoy. Popular with dog walkers,
cyclists and the local community, the park is also rich in history
- Mary Queen of Scots stayed with the Curwens in the impressive
Border Fortress on her last night of freedom in 1568 and the
Curwens themselves were a very prominent family throughout the
history of Cumberland.
When visiting the park keep your eyes peeled - the park is home
to lots of wildlife including butterflies, red squirrels and
woodpeckers during the day; and bats, tawny owls and otter at
night.
Facilities
The Workington Hall Parklands contains several distinct types of
landscape including Curwen Park, Hall Park, Mill Field and
woodland areas. As well as a number of woodland and river-side
walks, facilities available include:
- The Curwen Centre near the Hall, used by the Allerdale
Disability Association (ADA)
- Curwen Park football pitches
- A cycle track
- Miniature Railway
- Horse Close Skate Park
- The historic Workington Hall
- The walled garden, formerly the kitchen garden for the
Hall
- Curwen Lodge (currently not in use)
Just outside the Park, across the road from
Horse Close Car Park, is Park End House, which was home to the
Curwen's estate factor, and is now the Helena Thompson Museum. The
museum includes collections on the Curwens and Workington.
Tree planting in the parklands and improvements to the
football pitches were carried out in 2010, with further
improvements planned over the next 5 years.
How do I get there?
From the east/M6 follow directions to Workington. After you pass
through the roundabouts coming into Workington on the
A66 Horse Close car park is on your right hand side at
the top of the rise, just across from the Helena Thomson
Museum. The park is also only a short stroll from the Workington
town centre and car parks.
From the north-west follow the A596 to Workington. The park can
be seen from Workington Bridge. Turn left immediately over the
bridge for the Mill Field riverside area or carry on to the traffic
lights on Washington Street and turn left onto A66. Horse Close Car
Park will be on the left hand side, just across from the Helena
Thomson Museum.
From the south-west follow the A595 and then the A596 into
Workington and turn right onto the A66 at the lights on Washington
Street. Horse Close Car Park will be on the left hand side, just
across from the Helena Thomson Museum.
Buses also regularly run through Workington towards Seaton and
Stainburn. There are bus stops near the parks on these routes.
The main pedestrian access to the park
is from Bridge St, beside the Courts, and only 100m from the main
town centre shops.
Buses towards Seaton stop on Bridge St, and
towards Cockermouth stop next to Horse Close.
Who's involved?
Allerdale Borough Council
Allerdale Borough Council, in partnership with their grounds
maintenance team ISS Facility Services and their refuse, recycling
and street cleaning team FOCSA Services (UK) maintain Curwen Park
and its surrounds.
The Friends of Workington Hall Parklands
In 2010 a new friends group emerged called the Friends of
Workington Hall Parklands. This friends group assists Allerdale
Borough Council in improving the parklands for the
community to enjoy.
To date volunteers have helped with conservation tasks such
as tree planting and habitat improvement, balsam control and
litter picks, as well as inputting into the action plan for the
park and assisting with the production of signage, interpretive
media and information.
If you are interested in helping, please contact us at parks.development@allerdale.gov.uk
or phone 01900 702800 and ask to be put through to the Parks and
Open Spaces Team for further information.
The West Cumbria Guild of Model Engineers (WCGME)
The WCGME exists to provide for and further interest in all
aspects of Model Engineering, both manufacture and operation.
Currently there are around 30 members with a wide range of
occupations, backgrounds and ages. Interests include steam engines
for track, road and stationary use, IC and hot air engines together
with clocks and tool making.
Members take part in Rallies, Galas, Exhibitions and social
functions.
The WCGME have a raised permanent track incorporating 3.5" and 5"
gauges in Curwen Hall Park, Workington for use by members at any
time, also a portable 5" gauge track, loco and passenger carrying
trucks available for use at public events for fund raising.
The Annual membership Fee is currently £22 for adults and £16 for
children above 16yrs and and retired members and £1 for those down
to 8 yrs, but please come along as a visitor first to see if
you enjoy it. The Fee covers boiler testing and insurance cover for
running model locos in public
If you have any comments, compliments, complaints or
suggestions regarding the park please let us know
contacting us on 01900 702800 or by emailing parks.development@allerdale.gov.uk.
The History of the Park
Workington Hall was home to the Curwen family from the 12th
century until 1929. It was originally a coastal fortress commanding
the crossing of the River Derwent and was also where Mary Queen of
Scots spent her last night of freedom in 1568.
At the direction of the great agricultural and industrial
pioneer John Christian Curwen in the 1780s, the fortress (now
the Hall) was rebuilt as a Mansion by the architect John Carr
and the parklands were laid out by the renowned landscaper Thomas
White. Workington Hall Parklands and Belle Isle in Windermere
(also for the Curwens) were White's last notable works in England,
making these sites of historical horticultural interest for 18th
Century landscape design. As with the parks of many wealthy
famililies the design for the Workington Hall Parklands included
formal gardens, a walled garden, woodland
and farmland (including a deer park) to serve
for leisure and entertainment, home life, business and
impact.
Today the park still consists of a formally kept leisure area,
naturalised woodland and agricultural grazing land. It also
contains a walled garden, formerly the kitchen garden for the
Hall.
The park is a Grade 2 listed historic landscaped garden, and the
Hall itself became a Grade I listed building in 1946 due
to its historic importance.
The grounds and Hall were given to the Corporation of
Workington in the 1940s, to hold for the benefit of the people of
Workington. Mill Field was acquired from the Lowther estates at the
same time. In 1974 the estate passed to Allerdale
District Council (now Allerdale Borough Council) due to local
government reorganisation.
The Hall was in use in the 1940s but by 1957 had been declared
as "effectively derelict" by the Society for
the Protection of Ancient Buildings. It was turned into a
ruin in the 1970s after further decline. There are plans to restore
the Hall, or conserve whats left of it as part of a community
cultural facility, but they cannot be implemented unless a lot of
funding can be found and allocated.
The Wildlife of the Park
The stream through Mill Field is man made and sheep are a common
site within Curwen Park and Mill Field due to links with the nearby
Schoose Farm (also once associated with the Curwen
Family), but what some visitors don't know is that
there is a lot of other wildlife in and around the Workington
Hall Parklands, particularly in the early morning and late
afternoons/evenings. If you would like to help us keep a track of
the wildlife in the park you can help us by reporting the time,
date, location and the species you spotted to parks.development@allerdale.gov.uk.
The stream, called Mill Stream, supports a multitude
of wildlife including mute swan, ducks and the occasional
kingfisher. Otters have also been sited along the adjacent River
Derwent and the within stream which is wonderful as they are a
protected species and a Priority Species on the UK Biodiversity
Action Plan.
The fields and surrounding rough grass are a haven for insects
including several species of butterfly and a
few different species of bee. Deer have been spotted in
the fields on occasion and owls are known to be present
in the woodland on Mill Field.
Within the woodland leading from the fields up to Horse Close
Car Park a variety of birds can be seen, including woodpecker, wren
and woodpigeon. Woodpeckers can also be spotted near the Hall and
in the woodland near Mill Field. Both the Green and the Great
Spotted Woodpeckers have been sighted in the park.
As you reach the woodland closest to Horse Close Car Park you
may be lucky enough to see another protected Priority Species - the
Red Squirrel. Red squirrels are more commonly spotted between
the lodge on Washington Street and the Curwen Centre in
the middle of the park but are also present in the woodland
area near Horse Close Car Park.
Within the formal area surrounding Workington Hall Red
Squirrels, various birds (including owls) and bats are present,
mainly in the early hours of the morning and at dusk. During the
day at certain times of year the bats have been found to roost
within the bark of some of the older trees in the park. For this
reason you may see some trees that have been pollarded rather than
removed altogether as they are providing vital habitat for these
creatures.
Park updates, events and activities
The Friends of Workington Hall Parklands
All are free to attend meetings of the Friends of Workington
Hall Parklands. The next general meeting of this group is to be
advised.
Paint the Town Red
Paint the Town Red took place across Workington on the 19
May 2012 from 10am - 4pm. Many activities were held within
Curwen Park including talent competitions, healthy lifestyle
activities and cooking demonstrations.
Tree planting for the Queen's Jubilee
Allerdale Borough Council and the Workington branch of the West
Cumberland Lions Club joined forces to plant 420 trees in the
Workington Hall Parklands to help celebrate the Queen's Diamond
Jubilee. West House and Probation Services also participated in
this activity, helping to improve the future tree stock of the
park. Amongst the trees is the Jubilee Oak, grown from an acorn
collected from Royal stock. This project has helped the Woodland
Trust in their goal to plant 6 million trees in honour of the
Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
The Friends Group complemented this project by planting donated
trees around Mill Field and in other places around the park as
specified by the tree donors.
Queen Elizabeth II Fields
The Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge is an exciting new
programme to mark Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and is
led by its patron Prince William. It is a landmark project to
create a permanent, tangible and relevant legacy from the two major
events scheduled to occur in the UK in 2012; Queen Elizabeth II’s
Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympics.
Part of the Workington Hall Parklands has been successful in its
nomination to become a QEII protected field. The area covered
incorporates Horse Close Wood and the lower fields of the park.