Abington Park - Abington Park History

Abington Park History

The top part of Abington Park was given to the people of Northampton by Lady Wantage in 1892, and 2012 marks the 120th anniversary of her generous gift to our town.

Council notes that earlier this year Abington Park was ranked in the top five parks in the United Kingdom by a leading travel and tourism website.

Abington Park is a jewel in Northampton’s crown, and this council reaffirms its commitment to Abington Park and all of the town’s green spaces for the enjoyment of future generations, and for the benefit of all of Northampton’s residents.

Lady Wantage was the daughter of Baron Overstone, who was the founder of the bank now known as NatWest. In 1669 failing finances obliged Sir John Bernard, who was MP for Northampton, to sell Abington Park to William Thursby. This then remained in the Thursby family until 1840 when once again faltering finances forced the sale of Abington Park and it came into the ownership of Baron Overstone. Upon the death of Baron Overstone his vast fortune, estimated at two million pounds, was left to his only surviving child, Lady Wantange. This in today’s terms equates to forty seven and a half million pounds and made her the richest heiress in England.

The land was then given to the people of this town by Lady Wantage on 28 October 1892, 28 years prior to her demise at the age of 83, when the gift of Abington Abbey and 20 acres of parkland was offered to the then Mayor, Councillor Edwin Bridgewater, for the inhabitants of the Borough forever, with the Borough Council becoming the Custodians. The park was then opened to the public in 1897. Two years later Abington Park museum was opened. In 1900 the bandstand was put in place and has held many a concert since, with it this year hosting over 40 concerts.

The Church in the Park, St Peters and St Pauls, features in the Doomsday Book. In 1981 the coffin of Elizabeth Bernard (Shakespeare’s granddaughter and the Last Direct Descendant of the Poet) was found in a vault beneath the Lady Chapel. During her life she lived in the Manor House which is adjacent to the Church and is now the Abington Park Museum.

Abington Park with its 117 acres is the oldest park within this town and has been much loved by generations of the townsfolk over the years. It is also home to 352 different species of trees which is the second largest amount than anywhere in England, with only Kew Gardens housing more.

2012 saw the refurbishment of the aviaries within the park which have greatly improved the living conditions for the birds they home. In addition, there has also been numerous species of birds donated to the aviaries this year. and I am also pleased to announce that a full refurbishment is to be carried out imminently to the Victorian toilets by the bowling green. I can assure you all that it won’t be money down the pan. I feel sure that Lady Wantage would be proud of how we, the Borough Council as Custodians, have transformed her legacy into one of the finest parks in the country.

Abington Park missed out on the green flag award this year, however with the recent improvements that have been made to the park, along with the further improvements which are scheduled, such as renovating the wooden bus shelter and painting the cast iron gates to name but a few, I am sure that next year Abington Park will be in with a great chance of winning this coveted award.

I am also pleased to announce that for the second year running the bandstand will be lit up to coincide with the Christmas lights, something which I can assure you is a sight to behold.

Parks and open spaces are integral to the cultural life of Northampton. They provide breathing space and are crucial to the successful functioning of our communities. People pass by open space, walk through it on the way to work or the shops, or stop to enjoy it. Parks offer places to relax and enjoy the natural environment away from the stresses of everyday life, for children to play, and for sport and recreation. In addition they play host to a range of events, festivals and educational activities on both a small and large scale, which attract local and regional audiences.

With 162 parks and open spaces throughout the town Northampton boasts the largest amount of parkland per acre which spans around 1888 acres which is proportionally more than any other town or city in England.

Last year saw the opening of the new marina in Becketts Park which includes 78 operational moorings and has helped to transform the area.

Plans are also well underway for the restoration of Delapre Abbey which sits within the 550 acres of Delapre Park

This summer also saw the opening of the Radlands Plaza skatepark within Midsummer Meadows, which has proved to be incredibly popular and was completed last Friday with the installation of nine new floodlights.

In recent years this town has seen many monuments and sculptures placed in various locations with very few of the residents aware of what they actually represent. There is little recognition within the park that refers to Lady Wantage, I therefore feel that is would be most fitting if we erected a traditional statue of Lady Wantage in Abington Park in memory of this kind lady for giving us the most generous gift this town has ever had bestowed on it. I hope that this could happen sooner rather than later, and certainly within my lifetime.

(Speach made by Councillor Tony Ansell on Monday 22nd October 2012 at the full council meeting at the Guildhall to commemorate the 120th Anniversary of Lady Wantage's Gift of the Ornimental side of Abington Park to the people of Northampton)