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• Historical site is brought to life by local and student community

• Date:

  11th June 2008

• Contact:

  Sarah Egerton

• Organisation:

  The Civic Trust

Recently a star feature of the BBC’s Springwatch, Leicester’s Green Flag Award winning Abbey Park was very nearly not created at all.

The site was opened on 29th May 1882 by the Prince and Princess of Wales – it was a very grand occasion for the whole city. The Princess planted an Oak tree to celebrate the occasion which still stands in the park today.

The park cost a total of £60,000 to construct. There was public uproar at the time as it was constructed out of reclaimed floodplain. Locals described it as a dark, dank swamp and criticised plans, saying the money could be better spent on 10 neighbourhood parks.

The land which forms the Abbey grounds side of the park was donated in Trust to the people of Leicester by the Earl of Dysart in 1925. The more recreational area which complimented the formal park side was opened during the Leicester Pageant in 1932.

Excavations were undertaken between these years on the foundations of Leicester Abbey which was founded in 1143. Reconstructed walls now stand above the ground to depict the layout of the Abbey.

The wall remains of Cavendish House still stand next to the Abbey site. Cavendish House was constructed in 1613 out of the remains of the Abbey after it was destroyed following the dissolution of the Abbey after its closure in 1538. Cavendish House was used by Charles 1 after the siege of Leicester in 1645 and when he left his soldiers set fire to it. Abbey house

2008 is the 8th year of an on site archaeological dig carried out by Leicester University archaeology students. The main finds have been tiles, bits of pottery and one of the areas of research is the drainage system to search for bone and seed fragments from the food that was eaten.

Abbey Park and Grounds are the main city park in Leicester and one where people hold many memories throughout their lives, many remembering the old City of Leicester shows which were held for around a hundred years. The park is a whole day out for the family.

In 2007, a two day event was held to mark the 125th Anniversary of the park. Up to 50,000 people a day were expected. The event fell on the mainly reliable may bank holiday 27/28th May. Most of the input was through goodwill contributions, coordinated into a huge event that featured a huge funfair, huge stage with many well known local bands and sponsored by Radio Leicester, a smaller stage, a ‘world food village’, craft stalls and animal marquees, live radio broadcasts, two parachute displays (one of the Red Devils), a working army village, Viking village, classic cars and many many more. Unfortunately, it rained for most of the two days and one turned out to be the coldest may day on record with most other big events in the region being cancelled! Despite this, around 12,500 people still turned up to enjoy the day.