Post by Woody on Jan 19, 2012 17:40:22 GMT
The Ashton under Lyne Official Centenary Yearbook (1847-1947) published on 12th July, 1947 has the first information I found in the literature about King George V Playing Fields at Ashton.
“In 1936 the Corporation purchased 19 acres of land between Henrietta Street and Ladbroke Road, This was laid out with two bowling greens and bowling house, and three tennis courts. These playing fields provide very popular entertainment for the centre of the town, and it is the intention of the Committee to lay additional bowling greens and tennis courts on this land together with further shelter accommodation.”
There’s more information in subsequent Yearbooks. The extended facilities were evidently not yet provided in 1949, but by 1961, the Ashton Handbook reports the addition of “....two more tennis courts, a Peter Pan area, football and cricket pitches, a veterans pavilion and a ladies’ pavilion.”
As to previous use of the land, I checked back to 1852 and it seems that there were never any buildings, either commercial or residential, on the site.
“In 1936 the Corporation purchased 19 acres of land between Henrietta Street and Ladbroke Road, This was laid out with two bowling greens and bowling house, and three tennis courts. These playing fields provide very popular entertainment for the centre of the town, and it is the intention of the Committee to lay additional bowling greens and tennis courts on this land together with further shelter accommodation.”
There’s more information in subsequent Yearbooks. The extended facilities were evidently not yet provided in 1949, but by 1961, the Ashton Handbook reports the addition of “....two more tennis courts, a Peter Pan area, football and cricket pitches, a veterans pavilion and a ladies’ pavilion.”
As to previous use of the land, I checked back to 1852 and it seems that there were never any buildings, either commercial or residential, on the site.