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This site is owned and maintained by the Corporation Park Supporters Group. (C) CPSG 2025
1600's Corporation Park was originally a quarry for millstone grit and was called Park Delph.
1771 The Big Can (a reservoir) was constructed on Pemberton Clough to provide water to Blackburns residents.
1845 A sum of £4701 19s 7d was raised towards the purchase and implementation of the park by the sale of land on the Town's Moor.
1855 Purchase of Corporation Park by the then Mayor, Mr. Thomas Dugdale, for the Corporation, from Mr. Joseph Feilden. Fifty acres at £65 per acre.
1855 Work commences on the Preston New Road entrance by Messrs Roberts and Walmsley, awarded the contract to build the arch and lodge at a cost of £789. The East and West lodges were constructed at this time."
1857 Three of the four fountains in the park built and paid for by Mayor William Pilkington, including the largest at the main entrance built by Varley's of Blackburn.
1857 Two Russian cannons captured from Sebastopol during the Crimean War presented to the town as a Trophy by Lord Panmure, the Secretary of War. Mounted on a stone-faced battery at the top of the park.
1857 The Grand Opening of Corporation Park performed by Mayor William Pilkington, with an estimated 60,000 people in attendance within the grounds.
1863-4 The Broad Walk, and the adjoining paths leading to the upper slopes, are constructed providing work for hundreds of cotton operatives during the Lancashire Cotton
Famine (1861-1865) causing a depression and loss of jobs. The paths were paved with stones from the quarries on the upperslope."
1867 The land of the Red Rake Farm on Revidge Road was purchased by the Council with the aim of adding it to the enclosure of the park at some future date. The land cost £1,200, and was intended for sporting use including tennis courts and bowling greens."
1869 Two lime trees planted in front of the 1908 Preston New Road entrance.
1871 The statue of 'Flora', the Roman Goddess of flowers and spring were presented. The statue was the work of Thomas Allen of Liverpool.
1880 The first park bandstand is constructed west of the large lake.
1882 The Italian Gardens are laid out adjacent to the Broad Walk
1898 The conservatory in Corporation Park, Blackburn, was commissioned by Blackburn Corporation. It was designed by Lockerbie and Wilkinson of Birmingham.
1900 The original bandstand is demolished and a larger one built on the same site at a cost of £2,000."
1900 The new conservatory official opening to the public took place on May 16, 1900
1905 Report in the Northern Daily Telegraph of a plan to fill the basin of the large fountain with flowers, and the basins of the other fountains with weeping plants. The large fountain at the main entrance was causing a nuisance to park users due to drift from the water jet and was probably turned off shortly afterwards."
1906 New bowling green to provide work for unemployed of Blackburn, to be constructed on the 'Red Rake' site, recently added to the park as a playground. Money to be provided by the Distress Committee, utilising £307 received from the Queen's Unemployed Fund."
1908 Gramophone concert held in the park with an attendance of 20,000."
1909 The second bandstand is officially opened by Counsellor J Higginson, Vice Chairman of the Parks Committee, with seating available for over two thousand people."
1922 Four tennis courts laid below the eastern end of the Broad Walk.
1922 The War Memorial and Garden of Remembrance are laid out.
1923 First two bowling greens laid below the eastern end of the Broadwalk.
1924 The land near Revidge that the Corporation had purchased from the Red Rake Farm was converted into ten hard tennis courts and ornamental gardens. The work was carried out by the unemployed as part of a £17,000 scheme which included widening the Revidge Road."
1937 It was recommended by the Parks Committee that the four German field guns installed in the park after World War I be sold for scrap. The Russian cannons were to be kept for the time being.
1938 Russian guns to be re-conditioned and have their oak carriages replaced by concrete.
1941 The bandstand, gates and railings are dismantled for salvage towards the war effort.
1950 A timber aviary is constructed close to the conservatory.
1953 Two oaks planted in the middle of the Italian gardens, one on each side of the central path leading up to the Broadwalk, to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
1958 Mr. Stanley Walsh opens the new aviary, replacing the existing timber one with a more permanent structure. Mr. Walsh, a well known ornithologist from Beardwood, provided the funds."
1974 Corporation Park and adjacent residential areas designated a conservation area.
1988 Ammunition found in the Big Can in the park due to low water level.
1989 Corporation Park Supporters Group constituted
1996 The second Corporation Park Conservation Area is designated, extending the original designation of 1974 to the south. Corporation Park given a grade II listing by English Heritage on the register of Parks and Gardens."
1999 Historical Restoration Management Plan submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund. Improvements introduced through the œ3.8m landscaping and restoration project include restoration of boundary walls, new gates and the reintroduction of 75% metal railings to the park borders, which were originally removed as strategically valuable metal during World War II"
Early 2021 CPSG took over the third unused bowling green from the Corporation Park Bowling Club to develop it into a Community Garden.
2022 Duck feeder installed near the big lake. Maintained by CPSG.
Early 2023 BwD council and CPSG start work to look at how the Conservatory can be restored and what would be needed.
Oct 2023 BwD council and CPSG start work for a bid for funding from Historic England to restore the Conservatory. To commission work to produce a bid for to Heritage Lottery Fund to look at how the Conservatory can be restored and what would be needed.
2024 £750,000 Levelling up funding provided for Corporation Park as part of £20 Million levelling up provided by Central Government. Used for new benches/bins, drainage work, new aviary fencing, replacement lighting using LED, disabled ramp at Remembrance Garden, refurbishment of West Park Lodge, build Pickle ball courts.
2024 Work on new tennis courts funded by LTA started.
Jan 2025 Tender companies assessed to write bid for HLF. Work started looking at
May 2025 Work underway to refurbish West Park Lodge.
June 2025 Tennis courts and new Pickle ball courts finished.
1771 The Big Can (a reservoir) was constructed on Pemberton Clough to provide water to Blackburns residents.
1845 A sum of £4701 19s 7d was raised towards the purchase and implementation of the park by the sale of land on the Town's Moor.
1855 Purchase of Corporation Park by the then Mayor, Mr. Thomas Dugdale, for the Corporation, from Mr. Joseph Feilden. Fifty acres at £65 per acre.
1855 Work commences on the Preston New Road entrance by Messrs Roberts and Walmsley, awarded the contract to build the arch and lodge at a cost of £789. The East and West lodges were constructed at this time."
1857 Three of the four fountains in the park built and paid for by Mayor William Pilkington, including the largest at the main entrance built by Varley's of Blackburn.
1857 Two Russian cannons captured from Sebastopol during the Crimean War presented to the town as a Trophy by Lord Panmure, the Secretary of War. Mounted on a stone-faced battery at the top of the park.
1857 The Grand Opening of Corporation Park performed by Mayor William Pilkington, with an estimated 60,000 people in attendance within the grounds.
1863-4 The Broad Walk, and the adjoining paths leading to the upper slopes, are constructed providing work for hundreds of cotton operatives during the Lancashire Cotton
Famine (1861-1865) causing a depression and loss of jobs. The paths were paved with stones from the quarries on the upperslope."
1867 The land of the Red Rake Farm on Revidge Road was purchased by the Council with the aim of adding it to the enclosure of the park at some future date. The land cost £1,200, and was intended for sporting use including tennis courts and bowling greens."
1869 Two lime trees planted in front of the 1908 Preston New Road entrance.
1871 The statue of 'Flora', the Roman Goddess of flowers and spring were presented. The statue was the work of Thomas Allen of Liverpool.
1880 The first park bandstand is constructed west of the large lake.
1882 The Italian Gardens are laid out adjacent to the Broad Walk
1898 The conservatory in Corporation Park, Blackburn, was commissioned by Blackburn Corporation. It was designed by Lockerbie and Wilkinson of Birmingham.
1900 The original bandstand is demolished and a larger one built on the same site at a cost of £2,000."
1900 The new conservatory official opening to the public took place on May 16, 1900
1905 Report in the Northern Daily Telegraph of a plan to fill the basin of the large fountain with flowers, and the basins of the other fountains with weeping plants. The large fountain at the main entrance was causing a nuisance to park users due to drift from the water jet and was probably turned off shortly afterwards."
1906 New bowling green to provide work for unemployed of Blackburn, to be constructed on the 'Red Rake' site, recently added to the park as a playground. Money to be provided by the Distress Committee, utilising £307 received from the Queen's Unemployed Fund."
1908 Gramophone concert held in the park with an attendance of 20,000."
1909 The second bandstand is officially opened by Counsellor J Higginson, Vice Chairman of the Parks Committee, with seating available for over two thousand people."
1922 Four tennis courts laid below the eastern end of the Broad Walk.
1922 The War Memorial and Garden of Remembrance are laid out.
1923 First two bowling greens laid below the eastern end of the Broadwalk.
1924 The land near Revidge that the Corporation had purchased from the Red Rake Farm was converted into ten hard tennis courts and ornamental gardens. The work was carried out by the unemployed as part of a £17,000 scheme which included widening the Revidge Road."
1937 It was recommended by the Parks Committee that the four German field guns installed in the park after World War I be sold for scrap. The Russian cannons were to be kept for the time being.
1938 Russian guns to be re-conditioned and have their oak carriages replaced by concrete.
1941 The bandstand, gates and railings are dismantled for salvage towards the war effort.
1950 A timber aviary is constructed close to the conservatory.
1953 Two oaks planted in the middle of the Italian gardens, one on each side of the central path leading up to the Broadwalk, to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
1958 Mr. Stanley Walsh opens the new aviary, replacing the existing timber one with a more permanent structure. Mr. Walsh, a well known ornithologist from Beardwood, provided the funds."
1974 Corporation Park and adjacent residential areas designated a conservation area.
1988 Ammunition found in the Big Can in the park due to low water level.
1989 Corporation Park Supporters Group constituted
1996 The second Corporation Park Conservation Area is designated, extending the original designation of 1974 to the south. Corporation Park given a grade II listing by English Heritage on the register of Parks and Gardens."
1999 Historical Restoration Management Plan submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund. Improvements introduced through the œ3.8m landscaping and restoration project include restoration of boundary walls, new gates and the reintroduction of 75% metal railings to the park borders, which were originally removed as strategically valuable metal during World War II"
Early 2021 CPSG took over the third unused bowling green from the Corporation Park Bowling Club to develop it into a Community Garden.
2022 Duck feeder installed near the big lake. Maintained by CPSG.
Early 2023 BwD council and CPSG start work to look at how the Conservatory can be restored and what would be needed.
Oct 2023 BwD council and CPSG start work for a bid for funding from Historic England to restore the Conservatory. To commission work to produce a bid for to Heritage Lottery Fund to look at how the Conservatory can be restored and what would be needed.
2024 £750,000 Levelling up funding provided for Corporation Park as part of £20 Million levelling up provided by Central Government. Used for new benches/bins, drainage work, new aviary fencing, replacement lighting using LED, disabled ramp at Remembrance Garden, refurbishment of West Park Lodge, build Pickle ball courts.
2024 Work on new tennis courts funded by LTA started.
Jan 2025 Tender companies assessed to write bid for HLF. Work started looking at
May 2025 Work underway to refurbish West Park Lodge.
June 2025 Tennis courts and new Pickle ball courts finished.
Credits - Information below has been obtained from numerous sources including:-
Local press
Cotton Town website
BwD publications and website
Local press
Cotton Town website
BwD publications and website
Chronological history of Corporation Park