Clemsons Park

In May 2020 it was noticed that the 50th anniversary of the opening of Clemson's Park was approaching. Littleover Historical Society and others were asked to research the origin of this park and the opening of this, one of Littleover’s parks. The opening ceremony took place on the 10th June 1970. The park is situated between the King George V Playing Fields and the back of the houses on Burton Road.

The fields that became Clemson's Park at the time of the Littleover Inclosure Act of 1768 were named Great Cow Close owned by Samuel Heathcote, Burtonway Close owned by John Dugmore and part of the Brookfield one of Littleover’s open fields also owned by Samuel Heathcote. By the time of The Tithe Commutation Act of 1863 in Littleover, the part of Brookfield had merged with Burtonway Close and Cow Close had lost the prefix Great, and both fields were now owned by Cockshutt Heathcote of Littleover Old Hall. The land was sold off in July 1886, what happened to the fields after the sale is unknown, until March 1954, when Mr. A. H. Clemson gifted the 22 acres of land to Littleover Parish Council. It took a decade and a half before the Council finally decided what to do with this land, culminating in the establishment of the park that took the name of the benefactor in 1970. In the 1960’s, local farmer Wilfred Charles (Charlie) Pegg and his sister Dorothy Elsie were still farming the fields, using them for meadow hay and pasture.

The gift by Mr. Clemson was reported in the Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal on the 26th March 1954 as follows:

GIFT OF LAND To Littleover Council – It was reported to Littleover Parish Council meeting at the Grange Hall on Wednesday that Mr. A. H. Clemson had offered 22 acres of land situated between King George V Playing Fields and the back of his house on Burton-road for the use of the Council. The Council will complete arrangements for the transfer of the land. It [w]as suggested that as they had accepted Mr. Clemson’s generous gift they should pass over six acres of land at the “Old Gunsight” to Shardlow R.D.C. for the nominal sum of £12, subject to confirmation at the parish meeting today (Friday).

The old gun-site given up by the Council, was possibly the field on which the St George's Primary and Ridgeway Infant Schools are now situated. This was the site of one of the HAA (Heavy Anti-aircraft) Battery’s that surrounded Derby during World War II. This battery had a large bore naval gun set in a deep gun-pit.

Littleover Parish Council correspondence from around 1960, suggests that a chartered surveyor should be employed to make recommendations on what to do with the land. The parish council, at that time, intended to lease both of the fields on a 99-year lease to Derby High School for Girls, who had acquired the house called Hilltop on Hillsway to be the site for the school in 1955. The school moved to Hillsway in 1957 and part of the original 22 acres are occupied by the school and its playing fields, this is approximately half of the field Cow Close. By 1968 the Parish of Littleover had been subsumed into the Borough of Derby and they became responsible for the land. The park was then to be only 8.17 acres and extensions to the school playing fields were made ahead of the landscaping work to the park. Derby High School for Girls contributed £364 towards the cost of that landscaping and the remainder of the total costs of £2,213 were covered by a Government loan. The landscaping was carried out by Derby Borough Parks Department.

We have been unable to establish how the full extent of the original gift of land has been utilised whilst the Derbyshire Record Office is closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Who were the Clemson’s?

Harold Arthur Clemson (1884-1965) and his wife Dorothy Alice (nee Newman) (1887-1976) married in 1932. They lived in Southlands House, 15 Burton Road, Littleover, which was next to Hilltop. This house was later to become the infant building at Derby High Primary School. Harold’s grandfather, William Clemson (c1832-1901), was a boot and shoe manufacturer with a factory on Burton Road, Derby, he was also member of Derby Town Council. His father, Arthur William Clemson (1860-1919), lived in Whitaker Road, Derby, he was to become the proprietor of the boot and shoe company as well as proprietor of a cardboard box manufacturing company at Kensington Works, Foreman Street, Derby. The cardboard box company by 1952 had been established for over 70 years. Harold succeeded his father to these companies. Southlands House was demolished in 2016 and a new outdoor play area was created along with a new state of the art building for the infant and nursery pupils.

The Opening of Clemson’s Park

On Friday the 12th of June 1970, the Derby Evening Telegraph carried a news article regarding the opening of Clemson’s Park as follows:

Donor of land opens new park at Littleover – Clemson’s Park which adjoins the playing fields at the back of Derby High School for Girls, Littleover was officially opened by Mrs. D. A. Clemson, who donated the land. Mrs Clemson unveiled a commemorative plaque and planted a cut leafed beech tree.

Mayor Present – Councillor L. L, Macdonald, chairman of Parks Committee thanked the Clemson family on behalf of Derby Corporation and the people of Littleover for their generosity. A vote of thanks was proposed by the Mayor of Derby Miss M. E. Grimwood-Taylor and it was seconded by Alderman A. D. C. Betts, deputy chairman of the Parks Committee: [also present was] Mr. F. Constable (Director of Parks). Miss Angela Betts presented bouquets to the Mayor and Mrs. Clemson. Many people gathered for the opening, including pupils from the high school and Carlisle Infants’ School.

School’s £364 – The governors of Derby High School gave £364 towards the cost of developing the 8.17-acre park. Loan sanction for a further £1,848 was granted by the Government in 1968. Total cost of landscaping and developing the park – the work was almost entirely carried out by the staff of the Parks Department under the supervision of Mr. Constable – was £2,213. Work on the site was delayed until the autumn of last year while extensions were going ahead to the playing fields at the Girls High School. Shrubs and trees planted at the park include 400 conifers on the bank adjoining the Girls High School, 900 deciduous trees in informal groupings, 350 shrubs and ornamental conifers.

Clemson’s Park Today

The beech tree planted by Mrs. Clemson, back in 1970, no longer exists, but an Italian Alder now stands near to the site to replace the original beech tree. The park has since been planted with more than 50 different species of trees, including oak, maple, rowan, whitebeam, poplar, birch and beech, making the park an attractive arboretum.

A walking route has been established around the park by The Friends of Littleover Parks, who look after Clemson’s Park. Along this route a number of the trees can be identified. The volunteers are planning to plant more trees in the future.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the parks’ opening, The Friends have launched a campaign to raise funds to provide a bench or some more specimen trees.

Chris Drury