History
The Park's beginnings can be traced back to 1913 when Charles Wicksteed purchased a tract of Northamptonshire meadowland near Kettering with the intention of developing a model village. He wanted to create an open space and safe parkland for local families. Charles Wicksteed also owned an engineering company (Wicksteed Park Leisure) and started to supply park seats and playground equipment to public parks far and wide. This company today still provides this equipment and can be found in many such parks across Europe with some of the products in Wicksteed Park.
The Park's fame spread far and wide and special trains and "Charabancs" brought visitors from an ever-widening area. Wicksteed Park was the first Leisure Park in the UK and has been copied many times since. Upon the death of Charles Wicksteed, the Board of Trustees were determined to continue his good work.
Open all year round, the children's playground is the largest free playground in Europe.
Of historical interest is the Water Chute, which was built in 1926 and, having undergone major renovation (in 2002), it is the oldest working ride in the UK. It has a narrow gauge railway which runs around the lake.
The park is owned by the Wicksteed Trust, a registered charity set up by Charles Wicksteed in 1916 and run by Wicksteed Park Ltd, a company wholly owned by the Trust.
Read more about this topic: Wicksteed Park
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