Working together with Lancaster City Council they have created a masterplan for the future of the park. This has so far involved successfully receiving funding to develop a new play area which has significantly improved the appearance of the park and increased usage. Projects the group have completed include:
Friends' Garden - redevelopment of one of the old rose beds to turn it into a sensory flower area in which people can sit and enjoy some peace and quiet, offering another area in the park to cater for different age groups and preferences.
A new walking football team on one of the old bowling greens in the park.
The old play area at the Osbourne Road end of the park has been marked out for basketball use.
The group is always looking for new members to attend meetings and contribute, and volunteers to help out on work days around the park to the various improvements. We have a monthly volunteer day on the first Thursday of each month. Meeting at the Friends Garden at 10am.
In 1878 this magnificent site was opened, covering 30 acres with delightful gardens, ornamental walks, flower beds, terraces and conservatories. It housed a boating lake, a ballroom, a bowling green, racecourse, football field / areas for other sports such as lawn tennis and croquet.
The pavilion, one of the first buildings in the world to be lit by electricity, held a massive 10,000 people, quite a feat for the late 1800s.
In 1905 part of the grounds were sold off and remained derelict until 1924 when the land was bought by the corporation and work began to convert it into Regent Park. It was opened 17th July 1926 by the Lord Mayor of Bradford, which seems appropriate for a town that was known as Bradford by the Sea because of the large numbers of Bradford holiday makers that came to Morecambe.
