‘Town has fertile territory to indulge my wanderlust’
North Staffordshire historian MERVYN EDWARDS talks of the joys of exploring the many green spaces around the county, with the parks in the town of Stone a particular attraction...
ISPEND much of my leisure time exploring green spaces in North Staffordshire and beyond. Parks and gardens, woodland areas, reclaimed spoil tips, cemeteries and churchyards – nothing is off-limits.
You never know what you’ll discover that somehow connects with your own neck of the woods, so I’m always in recording mode whilst on these jaunts.
However, the health benefits of exploring the great outdoors are a cogent reason to indulge my wanderlust.
If we are looking for good walking and open spaces, Stone must be considered fertile territory. The canal towpaths offer interesting terrain but there is plenty of greenery to explore elsewhere.
Westbridge Park opened in 1951 and may be seen as Stone’s contribution to the Festival of Britain celebrations of that year. To mark the occasion, a local blacksmith crafted a pair of wrought iron gates.
It is an open space with a pronounced backstory, for it occupies the site of the former Westbridge House, which was the base of the Trent and Mersey Canal Company.
According to Philip Leason, of Stone Historical Society, the property incorporated shelves made of slate to reduce the risk of losing valuable documents as a result of fire.
This being the erstwhile headquarters of the canal company, it is not what we would think of as a traditional park – and how many of our green spaces are overlooked by a Marks and Spencer’s store?
It incorporates a football pitch and Stone Leisure Centre, and borders a stretch of the Trent and Mersey Canal.
It’s a large, flat park that offers much events space – and as we know, Stone always puts on a good event, with the annual Food and Drink Festival being a stand-out.
The park has also played host to the Stone Steeplechase and Dog Derby, a flamboyant fun run in which participants run alongside their dogs. It embraces a splash through the River Trent, and in terms of quirkiness, you could call it Stone’s answer to Gloucester’s cheeserolling, Penzance’s hobby horse festival or the Dorset nettle eating competition.
Neither is Stone Common Plott (or Plot), off Old Road, an everyday park – though I was introduced to it by a friend who is a keen walker, and I can guarantee that it offers a great place to exercise and, of course, to consider local history.
On-site interpretation tells us that Stone Common Plott was established in 1801, hard on the heels of the Enclosure Act of 1798, allowing local people to graze animals and set up allotments.
The land is presently grazed by farmers under the auspices of a board of elected trustees, originally set up by the Charity Commission in 1920.
Visitors can traverse this yawning graminaceous expanse – it occupies 75 acres – via its footpaths, whilst hopefully acknowledging the conservation work that makes it an invigorating place to walk.
By the way, for the foot-sore I would recommend the convenient pub nearby – the Pheasant Inn, on the corner of Old Road and Mount Street.
However, an open space that rather charmed Radio Stoke’s Terry Walsh and yours truly when we broadcast from it earlier this year is Stonefield Park, which is only ten minutes’ walk from Stone town centre.
Notwithstanding this, it seems a little hidden, which heightens the visitor’s sense of pleasant surprise upon finding it.
For your information, there’s a pocket history of the park on the noticeboard just outside the park, though I chose to read about its opening in the Staffordshire Advertiser newspaper of 1928.
There are three columns of reportage, snuggling beside an advert for Joule’s Stone Ale – which seems entirely germane, considering that the arrival of a new park certainly gave Stone something to celebrate.
The park was officially opened on March 24 by Sir Ernest Johnson of Johnson Brothers pottery manufacturers in Hanley, and there was a great gathering of civic bigwigs and townsfolk.
No sooner had Johnson opened the gates with a ceremonial gold key than there was a considerable downpour of rain, prompting visitors to put up their umbrellas as they endeavoured to enjoy the occasion regardless.
A tennis exhibition was cut short with only a few serves being made on account of the pluvial conditions. Nevertheless, Stone could be proud of this smart addition to its civic amenities.
The location was described as having previously been a dingy spot known as the Wakes Field, which the press report disparaged as being ‘always something of an eyesore’.
Plans for Stonefield Park first materialised in 1921 when Mr Bagot was chairman of the urban council. A council deputation interviewed prominent brewers Messrs John Joule and Sons, the owners of the Wakes Field, with a view to buying it.
Following some haggling between the two parties, a district valuer was consulted and the fee of £1,000 was eventually agreed upon in 1923. 2.46 acres of land was purchased and the council laid plans to create a new park and recreation ground, a new road and 14 houses.
It was felt that the council’s expenditure had been relatively modest, considering what was ultimately achieved.
The new park could boast of a pavilion, a bowling green, two tennis
courts, flower beds and a bandstand – which was immediately put to use as proceedings were closed by the Stone Town Band, who played the National Anthem with gusto in spite of the elements.
There was plenty of opportunity to sit and watch the world go by, as 30 seats were also provided in the park.
The present noticeboard’s pocket history, by the way, informs us that this was originally designed as an adults-only park, hence the large number of hard-service paths for adult promenading and the lack of facilities for minors.
It seems that no-one had told Stone that the Victorian Age had long passed.
Nowadays there is a tucked-away kiddies’ play area with some high-quality equipment, whilst no child could ignore another presentday attraction.
Like Victoria Park in Stafford and
Brampton Park in Newcastle, this one may boast of a lovely aviary and has, at various times, housed pheasants, canaries and cockatiels.
The park gives the impression of being hemmed in on account of the proximity of terraced housing, and reminds me of the little squares that you can walk through in London – tucked away, but on your walking route as you conduct your business and but a short distance from entrance to exit.
To my mind, this is what gives Stonefield Park its point of difference, whilst the contiguity of dignified-looking houses must surely ensure a keen sense of ownership over the park, which probably accounts for there being no visible graffiti or vandalism.
The volunteers and rangers who clean the park also take huge credit here, and are very protective about this little jewel of an open space.
The park has also been well to the fore in recognising the sterling work done by the health service and British Legion, as its beautiful floral displays have shown. No wonder it has held Green Flag status from 2016.
As I mentioned at the top of this article, churchyards – many of them now designated gardens of rest – also provide the opportunity for a relaxed stroll and a fascinating look-back at our local history, and in this respect, Stone is not wanting. Another story for another time.
■ Mervyn will present a Green Door talk entitled, Dead Interesting: The Story of North Staffordshire Churchyards, on Monday at Unit Z, near the 21st Century Gym, off Brownhills Road in Tunstall. Admission is £3, just turn up on the day.