War Memorial #1481 ~ Denton
Photograph taken on 2021-04-21 by Mindez
Welcome to Victoria Park
Victoria Park is a small 2-hectare area of greenery in the heart of Denton, situated right by the town hall. It contains a war memorial, a Grade II-listed Edwardian bandstand, a Millenium sundial, a mural, two crown bowling greens, a playground and a multi-sports area. It's also home to the largest flower bed in Tameside.
Some original bylaws are still in effect that restrict the activities in the park - here are a couple from the Tameside council website:-
- Cattle, sheep, goats or pigs, or any beast of draught or burden are not allowed in the park unless authorised.
- A person shall not in the pleasure ground hang, spread, or deposit any linen or other fabric for drying or bleaching.
Victoria Park: A Timeline
- 1886 - The site is purchased at a cost of £6750
- 1889 - On Whit Friday, 4th June, the site opens as a recreation ground
- 1907 to 1913 - The band stand is built by ironfounders Hill & Smith Ltd at a cost of £172 10s and the site is upgraded to a park
- 1921 - The Denton War Memorial is erected in honor of the fallen of World War I
- 1942 - A defused bomb is put on display for a month in order to raise money for the National Air-Raid Distress Fund
- 1987 - On 14 July, the band stand acquires Grade II listing status
- 2000 - A Millennium Sundial is constructed in the entrance of the park to celebrate the millennium
- 2007 - The band stand undergoes a 3 month restoration to fix some missing ironwork, rotting wood and a brand new roof thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Tameside MBC's Preservation of Historic Buildings Fund. A celebratory event is held on June 16 to re-open the band stand.
The War Memorial
The war memorial, clearly visible from the entrance of the park, is erected in loving memory of the men and women of Denton that lost their lives in World War I. Lists of names are displayed on all four sides of the monument as well as the dates "1914" and "1918". Two plaques read:
In Grateful
And
Undying
Remembrance Of
Those Who Gave
Their Lives In
The Great War
1914-1918
This Memorial Has
Been Erected By
Their Fellow
Townsmen
July 1921
In Proud Memory Of
The Men And Women Of This Town
Who Gave Their Lives At
The Call Of Their Country
In The Years Since 1945
We Will Remember Them
War Memorial Cache Series
A Note from the CO
This is my first hide, and I'm excited for the opportunity to start my journey as a cache owner as well as a cache finder! I've lived near Victoria Park since the start of 2018, and in that time I've walked through it many times - usually playing Pokemon Go or heading to the nearby chippy, and having gotten into geocaching recently I decided that it needed one! I actually got permission to put two caches in the park, but unfortunately with the distance requirement I could only get this one in here.
This can easily be done as a quick park and grab (tweezers recommended!), but consider staying to take in the beautiful well maintained flowers of the park.
Massive thanks to Tameside Council for providing me with permission to put this geocache here as well as Just-us-Two for the War Memorial Series.
Milestones
First to Find: Hydeseeker
Second to Find: Dottie23
Third to Find: NTBS2013
Sources