History of Stratford Park

Stratford Park has been known by that name since the 19th century. The name Stratford has been associated with the Stroud locality as far back as 1307. But between 1819 and 1891 the grounds and parkland surrounding Stratford House were developed and the name changed to Stratford Park. During this period the estate was owned by Joseph Watts, owner of Stroud Brewery and then, following his death in 1855, his grandson Joseph Watts Hallewell. Watts extensively redesigned the park, introducing the lake and large areas of new planting. Hallewell was interested in the discovery of new plant species and was responsible for establishing the arboretum and the avenue, including tree species newly introduced to Britain.

(Find the history of the mansion house here)

In 1935 Stroud Urban District Council successfully acquired Stratford Park for the people of Stroud. It had been designed as a pleasure ground for the few. Now it would become a space for many, for recreation and wellbeing. On a sunny May day when the flowers were in bloom and the trees in full leaf, the ornamental gates opened to the public. Much like today those first visitors wandered around the lake watching the swans or sat on chairs outside the mansion house listening to music from a band.

By the time Lady Marling opened the outdoor swimming pool in 1938, the park had an array of sports and leisure facilities. There were six tennis courts, a putting green and a bowling green with accompanying pavilions, a café and children’s play area. The lido itself offered an alternative to swimming in the canal and replaced the closed Victorian swimming baths on Bath Road. Although fed by spring water it was heated by a coal-fired boiler. World War 2 put a stop to this due to shortages of fuel and the need to contribute spare metal to the war effort. Nonetheless it had quickly become a popular meeting point and a useful facility for schools and clubs.

The park itself was a playground for the young, amongst the soft-barked redwood trees, the derelict orangery or upon the frozen lake during harsh winters such as 1940 and 1947. The park was initially maintained by the Head Groundsman – Ralph Holden – who lived on the first floor of the mansion house with his family. He laid the original bowling green, and his wife Dorothy managed the park café.

Flowers for the parkland were grown in the Walled Garden (now part of the museum). Under private ownership it had been a traditional kitchen garden, growing fruit, vegetables and flowers. By 1966 it was a nursery garden growing a wide variety of plants from seed, for Stroud’s parks, gardens and beds around the town. This practice continued until the 1980s. There were over 30 flower beds in Stratford Park, planted in late Spring and late Autumn by a team of staff.

In 1974 the leisure centre was built providing all weather sports facilities including badminton and squash. To celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee in 1977, the main entrance gates were added with pillars salvaged from Stroud Laundry Company of Ebley.

In 1988 the park as we know it today came under threat. Planning permission had been agreed to widen the road as part of the Tesco development. This would reduce the size of the parkland and 32 trees would be felled in the process. Activists commissioned a survey that confirmed the park’s significance and the health of the mature trees. Public meetings were held and letters sent, 10,000 signatures were collected. Over 700 protesters marched through the town to the park waving banners marked ‘Save Ours Trees’. After lengthy and difficult negotiations a revised plan was agreed, but 12 of the trees would still be lost. In August 1989, protesters camped out on platforms in the trees to stop them from being cut down. Security contractors were hired and police were called to try to evict the protestors. They continued to occupy the trees night and day until their fellow activists had successfully lobbied for all trees to be saved. In January 1990 a traffic-calming scheme was agreed to replace the original road-widening proposal.

In 2001 the Museum in the Park opened to the public in the mansion house of the park. Heritage Lottery Funding enabled the repair and conversion of the building and the construction of a new gallery and entrance area on the footprint of previously lost stables and outbuildings.

Stratford Park continues to be the biggest green space in Stroud and a unique area enjoyed by many visitors.