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Oak Hill Park

Introduction

Oak Hill Park is well-known for its rockeries. There is also a War Memorial located in the park.

Oak Hill Park is the main park serving both the town of Accrington and the Borough of Hyndburn. Oak Hill is 8.7 hectares which makes it one of the largest parks in the Borough and has a range of features and facilities. As the name suggests it is a sloping site with a large war memorial at one of the highest points within the park.

Visitor Access, Directions & Contacts
History

18th Century

The Oak Hill estate dates back to the middle of the eighteenth century and belonged to the Woodward Family.

19th Century

In 1815 the land was leased and then purchased by Thomas Hargreaves who was head of the Broad Oak Print Works. Thomas had the current mansion built soon after he purchased the land. Thomas died in 1822 and the house was inherited by his youngest son, Jonathan, who enlarged the mansion, by addition of a further wing.

Jonathan Hargreaves left the area in the 1850’s and Oak Hill was let to a number of tenants over the following three decades. In 1889 the estate belonged to Jonathan’s son Reginald Gervis Hargreaves, who was married to Alice Liddell, the model for Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

In 1892 the estate was prepared to be opened as a park and in May 1893 the park was opened to the public.

Features & Designations

Features

  • War Memorial
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  • Rockery
  • Description: There is a Japanese rockery with water feature.
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  • Mansion House (featured building)
  • Description: The mansion has been restored.
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  • Bowling Green
  • Description: There are two bowling greens.
  • Pond
  • Description: Duck pond.
  • Pagoda
  • Fountain
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  • Bandstand
  • Description: The bandstand is due to be re-built following vandalism.
  • Bowling Green Pavilion
  • Pavilion
  • Description: Tennis pavilion.
Key Information

Type

Park

Purpose

Recreational/sport

Principal Building

Parks, Gardens And Urban Spaces

Survival

Extant

References

Contributors

  • E. Bennis and J. Dyke