Keeper and Player Wants
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Site Owner Posts: 343 |
What is now known as Cottons Park was originally known as Cottons Recreational Ground and was once owned by the Cottons family as part of the famous Cottons Estate. It is believed that Cottons House (picture available) stood where the Mercedes Garage now stands at the top of Waterloo Road by the Brewery Roundabout. (This road was known as ‘Dog Lane’;).
Cottons House was owned by Nicholas Cotton who occupied a prominent position in Romford Town at the time. He died 2 years after Queen Elizabeth’s visit in 1568. He may have met her.
At some point the family fell on hard times reducing their once fine grounds and house to an overgrown wilderness and ruin.
The 15 acres of Cottons Recreational Ground was purchased by the Council in 1920 for the princely sum of £4,500. After a year of heavy negotiations with the Cottons family solicitors, several grant applications to leading banks and approval from the ‘Ministry of Health’ the Cottons Family still refused to sell the land.
The Council must have automatically purchased it under a Compulsory Purchase Order!
History of Cottons Park
After its purchase the Council wasted no time in clearing the grounds and erecting 6 tennis courts and a putting green which it hired out to clubs and individuals.
The famous Three Town Show was also held once a year which drew a large crowd to the bandstand, bees and honey exhibits, aquaria, rabbits, handicrafts and model railway — quite different to the type of exhibits we usually see at fairs today!
Most of the labour in the park was carried out by the unemployed by arrangement with the Unemployed Committee — this provided them with work and kept labour costs to a minimum.
Furthermore, much of the foliage was donated by R H Page, in particular, 53 Lime Trees in 1922.
The gates and fencing then cost £77 and 10 Shillings courtesy of Messrs Bayliss and Jones.
Cottons achieved Park status in 1927.
On the night of 16th October 1940 during the 2nd World War, a line of bombs from a German Bomber fell in Cotleigh Road across Cottons Park to Recreation Avenue. Unfortunately a bomb fell close to an air raid shelter that was in the park, as there were no ‘blast wall’ in front of the shelter entrance, six people inside were sadly killed.
The park proved to be very popular with the flower beds, bandstand and park benches. However in the 1980’s the last of the park keepers left and was not replaced under the misguided thinking of saving money and the park fell into a decline.
By the time of the new millennium the park was again in a dreadful state, frequented only by near-do-wells and burnt out cars. The local residents wrote letters to the council complaining but with no effect. A local councillor Nigel Meyer took note of these concerns and held a public meeting to discuss what we could do and perhaps how to do it.
It was on a cold dark winters evening in November 2002 that ‘The Friends of Cottons Park’ held their first meeting.
No one else took us seriously though until we held a Fun-Day in the park. After a few weeks of bedlam putting the show together we held the event on a most glorious sunny day. This pulled in the people and the Romford Recorder, Local Councillors and our MP.
This shows what a bit of publicity can do. They had their pictures in the paper and they seemed to get all the credit but never mind, the FoCP was born. | |
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Site Owner Posts: 343 |
To Contact the Friends of Cottons Park write to Friends of Cottons Park c/o The Parks and Open Spaces Service Cultural & Leisure Services London Borough of Havering Noak Hill Road Harold Hill Essex | |
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Site Owner Posts: 343 |
Want to be part of Friends of Cottons Park
Community involvement is a very important aspect of achieving and maintaining high standards within Havering’s parks and we welcome your input and involvement with Cottons Park or the Friends of Cottons Park.
If you wish to be involved in events or volunteer days please contact us on 01708 432360 | |
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Site Owner Posts: 343 |
Recent Events http://www.loveparksweek.org.uk/Whats-on-detail.aspx?EventID=3c8f1ce2-32e9-4c61-a13f-6be56e849618 | |
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Site Owner Posts: 343 |
A brand new skatepark
In Romford? Costing £70,000? Surely not!
But yes, it’s all happened in Cottons Park Romford, and it’s all thanks to a small group of young people headed by Jack Walton who were contacted by Youth worker Mark Gadsden and his team of detached workers in Summer 2006.
After a lengthy process involving meetings with the Safer Neighbourhood Teams, Ian Selby from the Friends of Cottons Park and The Romford Riders, funds were raised from the Youth Opportunity Fund, the Havering Parks Dept. and Veolia Enviromental Services to create this exciting new project.
And here’s what’s included in the new skatepark; Flat banks, quarter and half pipes, grind rail and bench, planter box and sub box. You can see the plans by logging onto the Youth Service website on www.haveringyouth.co.uk then go to the youth Engagement page.
There was a grand opening day on May 31st where pro riders from Team Extreme gave some brilliant demos, there was also live music and food stalls as well as other skateboard competitions.
Jack 17, who has led the project from the beginning, had this to say about his involvement; “This really opened my eyes about what the Youth Service does for young people in Havering.
I was given loads of encouragement and support to stick with the idea, and it’s a great feeling to see it all coming together.
It’s amazing what you can achieve if you put your mind to it and keep on it”
Jack Walton | |
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Site Owner Posts: 343 |
HOW TO CONTACT US
Friends of Cotton's Park Cotton's Park, Cotton's Approach, Romford, RM7
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