Newspaper articles from 1899-1904 | Newspaper articles from 1905-1909 | Newspaper articles from 1926-1938 | Newspaper articles from 1939-present | Snapdragon
21 October, 1899 - The Norwich Mercury (page 3, columns 6,7)
WATERLOO PARK. Mr. WILD moved the adoption of the recommendation of the City Committee that the land recently acquired by the Corporation for public pleasure grounds from the Great Hospital Trustees on Angel Road, St. Clement Without, be named “Waterloo Park". He said that the land in question was now in process of being prepared for the purpose for which it was intended. No distinctive name had yet been given it. Although it was not exactly next to Waterloo Road it was in that vicinity, and it was thought that the historic name of Waterloo would be acceptable to the citizens.
4 November, 1899 - The Norwich Mercury (page 12, columns 2-3)
NORWICH PLAYING FIELDS AND OPEN SPACES SOCIETY. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the above society was held on Tuesday evening in the Guildhall Council Chamber, the MAYOR (G. H. MORSE, Esq.) presiding. ….
…. That society was now regarded as an institution in the city, and was looked upon as a medium through which various improvements might be made. Even the Corporation sometimes took advantage of the advice and experience of the excellent officers of the society. They had already been called in to advise with respect to the Jenny Lind site, and probably before next year they would have been consulted concerning the new park that was being exploited at Catton. A park - not simply a recreation ground or a playing field - but Norwich was going to have a Waterloo Park. The society did a wonderful lot of work for very little money, and this was due to the devoted services of the hon. treasurer and the hon. secretaries.
Mr. A. R. CHAMBERLIN seconded the motion, and said it was very gratifying to see how the society was trying to beautify the city. These open spaces must be a great boon to the inhabitants of the poorer districts. He was struck by the very small sum of money at the disposal of the society, and hoped it would go forth to the public that more money was required, and then the funds would be increased.
24 February, 1900 - The Norwich Mercury (page 6, column 3)
BYE LAWS FOR WATERLOO PARK
Mr. W. H. HACKBLOCK brought up a report and recommendation from the Law and Parliamentary Committee with regard to certain bye-laws which are proposed for Waterloo Park. They were practically an exact copy of those in force in Chapel Field and Castle Gardens.
Mr. WHITE thought the words "bring and impel" with reference to bicycles were too stringent, and he proposed that the bye-laws be referred back to the committee.
This was seconded by Mr. T. DUNMORE, and agreed to.
13 September, 1902 - Norwich Mercury (page 6, column 1)
ANGEL ROAD BOARD SCHOOL GARDENS.
Through the courtesy of Mr. B. Barber and the teachers the parents of the scholars attending Angel Road School were invited to inspect the school gardens in Waterloo Park during last week. The weather on Monday and Tuesday being rather unsettled prevented several from attending, but many availed themselves of the opportunity afforded on the other days. A class of boys was at work each day. Everyone who visited must have been surprised at the profusion of flowers and display of beds on a spot of land which last Christmas was an open field. Mr. Barber attended and described the plants and their characteristics, and also the many drawbacks they had during their first gardening season. These were briefly - a cold spring, a bleak spot, no water, and no fencing until the gardens were in full bloom, and many plants had to be disturbed and never recruited.
In spite of these, the teachers, Messrs. G. Blaxter and H. Pye are to be congratulated on the results of their enthusiasm and instruction. Grass forms the edges of the beds. The central portion is laid out in geometric beds, and looks very artistic. These are planted with cannas, lilium auratum, gladioli, and annuals, while the borders are planted with herbaceous plants. In the former the bed of stocks is highly commendable,ge while the pretty eryngiums, gaillardias, and heleniunis in the latter attracted the attention of everyone. The plants have chiefly been raised from seeds in handlights made by the bovs, and on the nursery beds can be seen wallflowers, Canterbury bells, pyrethrums, &c., ready for spring. Another piece of land has been added, and the artistic desigu is to be continued, when the gardens will form a great attraction to visitors to Waterloo Park.
TO THE EDITOR.
Sir, - Last week, through the kindness of the head master, Mr. B. H. Barber, I, with other parents, had the privilege of visiting the above gardens. I had no idea, like many others. that any such spot existed. You may imagine my surprise, when on entering the Waterloo Park, to find a pretty and well designed flower garden, titled with summer flowers of all shades and hues. The numerous beds were all well set out and edged with grass about lft. wide, which was well cut, and was then in process of cutting by some of the little amateurs at work. I noticed some 14 lads were at work, each at his own plot and under the care of a teacher. The spot indeed looked like an oasis in a desert. The occupation is in itself a healthy one, besides being instructive and educational, the flowers, I understood from the teacher, being used from drawing from nature, and brushwork in the school. I enjoyed the visit very much indeed, and could not help thinking that if all schools could have their own gardens there would be a little less of the hooliganism in our streets in the future, as the youths of the rising generation would have one more occupation possibly to turn their idle hands and thoughts to during the summer months, etc, as almost every house nowadays has its bit of garden.
Yours truly
A PARENT.
7 May, 1904 - Norwich Mercury (page 3, column 6)
NORWICH MUNICIPAL ENTERPRISE.
NEW PARK FOR CATTON. EXPERIMENTAL MUNICIPAL HOUSES
On Tuesday afternoon, in delightful weather, the opening ceremony in connection with Waterloo Park, Catton, and also with the block of municipal houses on Wild Road, close by, took place, and was favoured with a large attendance of members of the Corporation, the Playing Fields and Open Bpaces Society, and also of the general public.
WATERLOO PARK. The latest addition to the open spaces of the city. is situated off Angel Road, lying between the Aylsham and Magdalen Roads. Fifty years ago the whole surrounding area was in the main under cultivation. Now, street after street of comparatively modern dwellings cover the district. Almost the entire population is of the working class, and many in the older quarters are of the poorest. In the midst of this area the Corporation obtained on large fine site for a public park. It embraces in all about 11 acres, and looks on its eastern boundary upon Angel Rond, on the opposite side of which thoroughfare lies that splendid pile of buildings, the Angel Road School. There daily some 850 children assemble. On the other side of the park lies the Philadelphia School, and at no very far remove are the St. Augustine's and the Ball Close Schools. On three sides it is surrounded by iiron pallisadings, while that running parallel with Angel Road, consists of a brick wall, on the park side of which are the fine gardens cultivated by the boys of Angel Road School. By far the greater part of the park consists of fine turf, but it is bordered by strip of ground containing evergreens and flowering shrubs. Ancient tree trunks, whose hollow tops are filled with tulips, also add to the beauty of the spot. There are the usual conveniences, and the park is altogether a most valuable addition to the civic assets of Norwich. On Tuesday the gravelled approach was bordered with Venetian masts and lines of streamers, with a fine East Anglian flag over the entrance.
THE ARTISAN DWELLINGS. Within a few yards of Waterloo Park, on the other side of Angel Road, runs a cul de sac, which has been named Wild Road, in compliment to the gentleman to whom is mainly due this experiment in working class housing. Hereupon are three blocks of two-storeyed dwellings, substantially built, and attractively designed. Wild Road is part of site which has boon leased from the Ecclesiastical Commissioner for 999 years, and which, if the present experiment so far succeeds as to warrant a still further building enterprise, will accommodate some 90 other blocks, each containing four flat tenements. The architectural design has to be credited to the City Engineer. Apart from the site the scheme involves cost of about £2,000. The building material is of local brick, with kiln bottom facings to the street. The chamber floor level is relieved with Costessy ware stringcourses, and thence upwards to the eaves the front outside walls are covered with tinted rough cast. Each of the three blocks contains on the ground floor two tenements, each consisting of living room, 13ft. by 10ft. 4fin., bedroom 10ft. 9in. by 10ft. 6in. with pantry, water closet, and joint scullery.
On the first floor are two tenements. One of these contains a living room, 13ft. by 10ft. 4 in., and two bedrooms, 10ft. 6in. by 9ft. 7in, and 10ft. 6in. by 7ft. 6in., together with pantry, coal place, water closet, and joint scullery. The other tenement contains a living room, 13ft. by 10ft. 4in., a bedroom 10ft. 9in, by 10ft. 6in., and two attics, 12lt. by 10ft. each, with pantry, coal place, and joint scullery. The living rooms, bedrooms, and attics are plastered and the walls distempered. Each room has a fireplace. The living rooms are fitted up with a self-contained cooking range and a small gas cooker, gas being laid on throughout. The scallories are each fitted with copper and large sink. The painting of the woodwork is in olive green. The floors are formed of breeze concrete, covered with a thin layer of pitch composition, and boarded. Access is provided both to the back and the front of the upper tenements, the back approach being substantial wooden outer staircase. At the rear is a fairly spacious drying ground for the use of the tenants in common. Facing Wild Road there are no forecourts, the fronts of the buildings being flush with the path way. The object studied has been to economise the available space to the utmost possible extent, with a view to keeping the rents down to a price which will compete with the cottage accommodation offered by private enterprise, and thus the forecourts have been treated a non-essentials which might well be sacrificed. For the two ground floor flats the rents are 2s. week each, for the three-roomed tenements (two bedrooms and one living room) 2s. 6d. a week each, and for the four-roomed tenements (three bedrooms and one living room) 3s. a week each. Here also on Tuesday, the Corporation employees had endeavoured to impart a festive air to the locality and flags floating in the breeze.
THE OPENING CEREMONY. Among those present at the opening ceremony, which took place at half past 2 were the Mayor (Mr G F Buxton), the Sheriff (Mr Leathes Prior), both wearing their chains of office, Messrs E Wild, Russell Colman, W H Dakin, S Wainwright, R Tidman, A J Young, C E Muriel, H A Day, F G Hatch, J Willement, F J Crotch, E Boardman, M Moore, J Mason, Fred Henderson, W T Scarles, Scarles, W E Scarlett, T S Breeze, R Murrell, RG Bagshaw, R F Ladell, F H Bassingthwaighte, James Clabburn, A M Stevens, D Wills, D Cutmore, John Lincoln, T Dunmore, W G Stevens, A G Howlett, J D Smith, W Shorten, and J E H Watson. The city officials present were the Deputy Town Clerk (Mr MacIlveen), the Medical Officer of Health (Dr Cooper-Pattin), the City Engineer (Mr A E Collins), the Chief-Constable (Mr E F Winch), tho City Accountant (Mr A F Gentry), the Com. mittee Clerk (Mr J J Kestineau), and the sword and mace-bearers. The Open Spaces Society was represented by Mesers P B Hansell, W E Hansell, F Hornor, A H L Taylor, L C Miller, and W T F Jarrold. There were also present in the gathering Mrs G Radford Pym, the lady who recently gave to the city a fine breathing space at the western end of the city; the Rev W S Wright, Vicar of the parish; Mr R G Willey, and Mr B Barber, the head-master of the Angel Road School, who was accompanied by a numerous contingent of the pupils.
At three o'clock the Mayor, who was accompanied by the Sheriff, Mr. Edward Wild, and Mr. Russell Colman, ascended the platform.
Mr. E. WILD said that among the problems relating to the health and general welfare of the inhabitants of the great towns, none took a more prominent place than those connected with the allied questions of breathing spaces and the better housing of the inhabitants. A notable feature in the proceedings was the fact that by a happy coincidence the Mayor, in the quincentenary of the Charter by which he held office, was called upon to inaugurate two separate efforts made by the Corporation to supply the wants of the two several branches of the social claims to which he had alluded. Serious consideration had been given to the proposal that where large areas of open ground were exploited for building, certain portions should, by corpulsory legislation, be reserved for open spaces. Fortunately for them they had hitherto not been compelled to look in this direction for relief, but in one way or other, where new building areas had been marked out, reservations had in several instances been secured by other and more favourable means. They had recently been cheered by the noble example of a lady - (hear, hear) whom it was no empty compliment to call good - enriching her native city by the sacrifice of a valuable portion of her patrimony for the welfare of those who needed it most, and they were grateful to the generous donor, and hoped that the good example might be largely followed. One leading cause of this immunity was the existence of an unobtrusive, but not less useful society, the Playing Fields and Open Spaces Association, whose modest, but nevertheless use ful work has exercised a powerful influence. This association, of which Mr. W. Hansell was the mainspring, had been instrumental in reclaiming and beautifying waste places, and by taking time by the forelock had prevented the incursion of the rapacious builder into places which had thus been secured as air spaces for the people for ever, and it was due to the inception of this associa tion that the present space had been secured. The estate of which this park formed a portion, was the property of the charity known as the Great Hospital, and when it was proposed to be developed as a building estate the association determined to make an effort to have a part reserved, and through one of its members negotiations were opened between the Corporation and the Charity Trustees for the acquisition of as large a slice as possible. Happily, sympathetic responses came from both these high contracting parties, and after the usual obstruction on the part of the Charity Commissioner - (laugh) easy terms were arranged for its acquisition. There negotiations were commenced in February, 1897, but the lease was not signed until April, 1899. He was glad to bear testimony to the sympathetic response on the part of the Great Hospital Trustees, and the assistance rendered by then in carrying out their design. When they remembered that these trustees had Sir P. Eade as chairman, and Sir C. Gilman as vice-chairman, and Mr Francis Hornor as steward and adviser, this generous help would cause no surprise. (Applause.) He need hardly say that in dealing with agricultural land a great deal had to be done to equip it for park. That large park was not intended, and was not fit for the present for what were generally known for sports, that was for set matches of football and cricket and so on. It was intended for the good of all the inhabitants of the city. It was intended especially for tbe recreation of the children (applause) and every possible arrangement would be made so that the children, at least, would have room and opportunity for carrying out their juvenile sports. As for the other section of that day's function, he would only way that the houses were modest and honest attempt to grapple with the most serious problem connected with the social life of the poor. They were erected simply as experimental or specimen dwellings, and in any larger scheme which might follow they would be able to rectify any mistakes which might bave boon made in this small venture. Their objective has been the housing of the very poor; to take them out of alum life with its tainted physical and moral surroundings, by offering them homes instead of dwelling healthy, moral, and physical environment in lieu of worn out dilapidated living and sleeping places with their questionable accompaniments; abundance of light and pure air in exchange for darkened rooms and foetid atmosphere.
Mr. FRED HENDERSON said the scheme of artisans' dwellings, which the Mayor was present to inaugurate, owed its inception to Mr. Edward Wild's solicitude for the welfare of the poorer classes, and its realisation to his constant care in overy detail of the work that had been done. It was almost exactly four year ago that Mr. Wild, in a speech remarkable for its sympathetic insight into the housing problem, induced the Town Council to appoint a special committee to inquire into the practicability of applying the Housing Acts to Norwich. Alter deep consideration the committee laid down certain guiding principles along which at any rate the beginning of this enterprise should go. It considered that the most pressing need was better housing for the very poor, rather than for the artisan class. They felt that there was a certain supply of workmen's houses springing up in the suburbs - leaving aside the question whether such accommodation could not preferably be supplied under Municipal control - but that for the very poor, those who could only afford from two to three shillings a week, one had to seek in vain for accommodation except in the undesirable surroundings of the slum districts. The houses which had just been built in Wild Rond were the first beginning of achievement in that direction. The committee hoped that the public would not regard the experiment in any way a profit-making affair in the ordinary sense. The committee preferred its profit in life rather than in cash; and if it were true, who profoundly believed it to be, that the only real wealth was the happiness of human life, that was the best profit of all. (Hear, hear.)
The MAYOR said the opening of Waterloo Park was a source of great satisfaction to him, for the provision of open spaces in Norwich he had always had very much at heart. ln a district where the houses had either very small gardens or none at all, an open space like this was an unquestionable blessing. As for the artisan dwellings, which it was also his duty to open, he was fully convinced that the Corporation in this matter had taken quite the right step. As Mr. Henderson had very properly said, the Corporation did not want to make money out of the new tenements. The city would got i quite sufficient remuneration if it promoted the health and happiness of the poorer citizens, and especially of the children of the poor.
Mr. Wild thereupon presented the Mayor with a gold key, beautifully designed and manufactured by Messrs. Rossi, of the Market Place, Norwich. Before, however, his Worship opened the gates with it, the SHERIFY OF NORWICH proposed to him a vote of thanks. He said that thanks were also due to the Ecclesiastical Trustees, who had pursued a wise and excellent policy, and one which might even be justified from a sordid point of view - the duty of doing their best for the trust - for the existence of a lovely spot like this in the centre of the estate must enhance the value of the property around.
Mr. A. G. HOWLETT having seconded the motion, the MAYOR briefly acknowledged it. He added that he should value the presentation key as a reminder of one of the happiest functions of his Mayoralty.
The Mayor and members of the Corporation then inspected the park and gardens maintained by the scholars of the Angel Road Corporation School, the headmaster (Mr. Barber) being presented to the Mayor. Messrs. G. Blaxter and H. Pye were in charge of the gardening squad, and the beautiful display of tulips and other spring flowers was greatly admired by the visitors, whe subsequently inspected the artizans' dwellings.
5 May, 1904 - Eastern Daily Press (page 4, column 7)
CORRESPONDENCE.
OPENING OF WATERLOO PARK AND THE CORPORATION HOUSES.
To the Editor. Sir - I extremely regret my enforced absence from the most interesting ceremony of yesterday, and I can only humbly support the eloquent and appropriate words of the Mayor and other speakers as to the value and importance to Norwich of the two schemes so successfully launched yesterday. May I venture also to express my sense of the appropriateness and value of your editorial remarks respecting them and the principles contained in them.
With the opening of another local" open space" in Norwich, perhaps a few words of retrospect upon the first part of the conjoined movement may not be out of place or uninteresting.
In the year 1876 I ventured to call the attention of the Norwich public to the great need which existed for securing for the city small open spaces or recreation grounds, as well as public parks in the various districts of the city. This I did in a letter to the "Norwich Mercury" of February 23rd in that year, to which many cordial letters of approval followed. And as a first tangible result I received an offer of £1000 from that far-seeing and patriotic gentleman, the late Mr. John Gurney, towards any scheme which should include the laying out of Mousehold Heath for public park purposes.
Soon after the Town Council granted a committee to endeavour to secure some much open space as were desired. But we soon found that the exorbitant prices asked for small vacant tracts of land rendered (in the then temper of the Town Council) any systematic purchase of these impossible.
Some three or four of us did, however, as a beginning purchase for the city the noble row of trees abutting upon the Wingfield estates in St. Augustine's. And Mr. Gurney Buxton also soon after purchased the land outside these and between them and the road. And this, though a small one, was, I believe, the first open space provided for the citizens.
Soon after this, after much negotiation, I obtained the offer from the Wingfield Charity Trustees of a long lease to the Corporation of the Wingfield property of several acres, which was then almost vacant, and which embraced a most noble view of the winding of the river Wensum in the valley beneath. But although this was splendidly suited for a small public park, yet the Town Council of that day rejected the offer, sad soon after this magnificent with was built over and lost to the city forever.
After this, for time, the matter remained quiescent, but the spirit of the movement mained alive, and before long the question of the acquisition and development of Mousehold Heath and the laying out of Chapel Field were taken actively in hand and carried to a satisfactory conclusion. And since then, partly by the Town Council and partly through the splendid benevolence of some of our citizens, various smaller areas have been added to the "Open Spaces" of Norwich.
We have now:
1. The small but valuable strip of land on St. Augustine's Road, mentioned above.
2. Mousehold Heath, which combines public park and recreation ground, in addition to an unequalled expanse of rural scenery and of health-giving air.
3. Chapel Field, which, besides its beautiful gardens, possesses a children's playground (provided by the late Mr. H. Birkbeck).
4. The Gildencroft Grounds, with their valuable appendix of the large St. Augustine's Churchyard.
5. The old "Jenny Lind" Hospital Grounds (presented and converted into children's playground by the late Mr. J. J. Colman).
6. The South Heigham Children's Playground (obtained by subscription through the energetic initiation of the Rev. J. Callis).
7. The Waterloo Park, opened yesterday (for obtaining which the city is mainly indebted to Mr. Edward Wild).
8. Mrs. Pym's Wood. possessing a beautiful view of the river beyond (recently so liberally presented by this lady). And in addition to all this we have the numerous smaller spots and the beautified churchyards, which continuously testity to the devoted and successful efforts of Mr. Walter E. Hansell with his "Playing Fields and Open Spaces" Committee to add to the charm and well-being of this, our old city. With regard to these beautified churchyards it must never be forgotten how beyond the ordinary mass of public gardens, they are often spoken of as resting places for the elderly, And, doubtless, they are so. A sunny rest in one of those quiet and flowery spots would often naturally induce meditation of a serious kind - the adjacency of the Church, and "the sacred calm that breathes around," naturally tending to lift the thoughts to those approaching things, which "are seen by the spirit and not by the sight". It is but right to mention the yards or playgrounds attached to the various public schools of the city, the value of which is self-evident. And, of course, I do not forget the existence of at least three large private recreation grounds. These are of great value for large public occasions. But as they are private properties and cannot be utilized without special permission, and usually some payment, that cannot be included in the above list of the city's park possessions.
This is a pleasant and satisfactory list of our breathing and beauty spaces, and it shows at least that Norwich has not been forgetful of her public duties. But, with the rapidly growing population ofthe city, there are still some larger requirements. For example, a large public park at the extreme west of Norwich, where some thirty thousand inhabitants have in recent years settled, is already a very great desideration, and before long it would seem that the Lakenham district would be feeling the same need. I say need, because more pure air, with better household surroundings, would seem to be the only means of checking the physical deterioation of crowded town populations which appears to be going on. The stated fact that 35 per cent, or more, of our soldier recruits are obliged to be rejected on account of inferior physique, has startled the national consciousness as to its vital importance to the very life of the nation. And nothing could be more striking to me, coming many years ago fresh from the country, where strength and vigour and good stature were the rule, indeed there were almost giants then in those days, to attend upon city patients of the Norwich Dispensary - a thousand or more a year - than the striking physical inferiority and stamina of the latter. The question has now passed from the hands of philanthropists into those of responsible statesmen.
As to the new artisan dwellings opened yesterday in Wild Road, i can only agree with the praises of those present. But i venture to think that the addition of even a hundred such houses would only be a very partial relief to the hopelessly insanitary condition of several districts of our city. The very large infantile death rate shows the continuance of some plague spots. Whilst it must be remembered that it is almost certainly from the weakly infants in those localities, who just escape dying, that many of the imperfect adults of the future are recruited. And I am still of the same opinion as I publically expressed in the Council a few years ago, that the best and radical cure for those conditions was, and is, to pull down and rebuild some of our worst streets, or portions of streets, and do at once that which neither our very valuable Courts and Yards Committee nor the sanitary Authorities can do in many cases by their partial improvements.
PETER EADE, M.D.
May 4th, 1904
12 May, 1904 - Eastern Daily Press (page 8, column 6)
THE NEW WATERLOO PARK.
To the Editor
Sir - I have spoken to several Cattonites on the subject, and they all agree with me that a gateway or footpath lending on to the Aylsham Road would be a great improvement, as the present and only gateway to a great distance from the Aylsham Road. - Your truly,
CATTONITE.
Norwich.