Friends of Greaves Park
Friends of Greaves Park
The Greaves Park Tree Trail
The Friends of Greaves Park have devised the Greaves Park Tree Trail to show you some of the lovely trees in our park. Many of them have labels with their name and country of origin. The trail gives you a bit more detail - for example about which insects or birds live in them, what the timber was used for, where their names came from.
About the park
Greaves Park is situated on the A6 road on the southern approach to Lancaster, not far from the city centre. There is a children’s play park with a variety of swings and equipment, extensive lawn areas where children play football, frisbee and other games, and winding paths through grass and woodland with lovely views to the castle and across Morecambe Bay. It is lovely all year round but especially striking in Spring when the flowers on Crocus Hill are blooming. There are also two attractive Victorian houses in the park, one now a pub and restaurant.
History
The park was formed from the grounds and gardens of two grand Victorian houses dating from the early 1840s. The two large lawns and magnificent trees date from that time, as well as some of the spring bulbs. The Community Garden is in what was once the kitchen garden for Greaves House.
Park development
The Friends of Greaves Park have been working in partnership with Lancaster City Council since 2004. In that year the Friends raised funds to establish a play park which has proved extremely popular. They also began to restore the Community Garden and Wildlife Area which had become neglected. The Friends and the city council work together to improve the park.
In 2015 we agreed a plan for the future of the park, based on the views of local residents. This guides the friends’ activities and helps us to secure funding to carry out improvements to the park.
We hope to enhance the park for all the people who use it, and encourage other people to visit. The plan includes developing the community garden to make it a peaceful and attractive place where people can enjoy nature; planting and managing the park to encourage wildlife; and enhancing areas for children to play.
The Friends of Greaves Park have started a wildflower meadow in the community garden, looked after the fruit trees and managed the area to keep brambles and nettles down. We have also wood-chipped the grass paths in Autumn to make them easier to walk on. We have cleared ground and planted spring bulbs in different areas of the park.
Do you want to help?
If you live near or use the park, or have memories or stories about it, and you care about its future, we want to hear from you. The Friends of Greaves Park are always pleased to welcome new volunteers. We hold a monthly work session of 2 hours on a weekend afternoon, regular litter picks and several special events each year (eg a dawn chorus walk, a bat walk, and bulb planting).
Contact us
For further information, you can contact us through the Friends of Greaves Park Facebook page or email friendsofgreavespark@gmail.com or directly through the council.
Map location
Last updated: 17 August 2023