Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
were able to enjoy recreation in the surrounding rural areas (Clarke 1981). Urban
industrial growth in the industrial revolution transformed the spatial form of towns and
cities, as open land was consumed for economic and residential development. Two
specific legislative changes during Victorian Britain contributed to the development of
large parks, namely the Select Committee on Public Walks (1833) and the Health of
Towns (1840), in a period of concern for the health and social well-being of the labouring
classes. As Strachan and Bowler (1976) acknowledged, early park development was
prompted by donations from industrialists and landowners, and four pieces of legislation
enabled local authorities to purchase land for park development, notably:
• Towns Improvement Act 1847
• Public Health Act 1848
• Public Parks, Schools and Museums Act 1871
• Public Improvements Act 1860
While Edwardian and subsequent legislation enhanced park development, including
the Housing and Town Planning Act 1909 and Town and Country Planning Acts of 1932
and 1947, the Victorian era was important in terms of the development of large scale
parks and open space.
PARK DEVELOPMENT IN VICTORIAN LEICESTER
Leicester expanded as a Victorian city: its population grew from 18,445 in 1801 to
64,829 in 1851, 174,624 in 1891 and 211, 579 in 1901. While Pritchard (1976) and Page
(1988) examine the spatial development of the city (Figure 5.1), and constraints and
opportunities for urban development, the city retained a medieval pattern of land
development up until the 1800s. The poorly drained River Soar constrained development
to the west of the river and also by owners of estates who refused to sell land for
development. Most early urban growth in the 1800s occurred to the east and north-east.
Prior to 1850, two open spaces existed: St Margaret's Pasture, a 13-acre (5.2 ha) meadow
to the north of the urban area and at Southfield race course established in 1806 (Figure
5.2). In 1838, the city council provided 40 acres (16 ha) of land at Southfield at Welford
to form the first public recreation ground, although only 8 acres (3.2 ha) now remain.
This was complimented by a series of private gardens and squares laid out from 1785 at
the town council's request along New Walk, which forms the sole surviving urban
pedestrian way in England (Strachan and Bowler 1976:279).
With the growth in population by 1851 urban development occurred to the west of the
Soar and the city council developed four parks and recreation grounds (Figure 5.2) in the
period 1880-1900. Victoria Park (27.6 ha), established in 1882 on city-owned land, was
made possible by the relocation of the city's race course from Southfield to Oadby.
Abbey Meadows (22.8 ha) purchased in 1877, which fulfilled the purpose of draining a
marsh area unsuitable for building, resulted in an ornamental park. The third park, aimed
at providing open space access for the fast growing suburb of Highfields, led to the
development of 13.6 ha at Spinney Hill with a formal park in 1885. The fourth major
park, established in the western suburbs, saw the establishment of the new parks estate
(71.2 ha) in 1899. Each park developed in the tradition of Victorian formal use with
fountains band stands gardens and open stretches of grass In the case of Abbey Park
