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Frazer Amiss Memorial Trust |
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UNDERWATER SEARCH UNIT
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If you would like to make a donation please make it payable to : Frazer Amiss Memorial Trust and thank you for your support Co Morris Horton 45 Whitehouse Common Rd, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, B75 6HA Tel: 0121 378 5087
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| Sutton Park has been described as 'a park for all people'
and this is true from its origins in 1528 to modern times.
Most of the ancient parks were created for the conservation and hunting of deer. One such forest, the forest of Kank (Cannock) extended from the River Tame to the Trent. In 1125, King Henry gave part of this forest to the Earls of Warwick. The area, from Spaghetti Junction to Shenstone and from Barr Beacon to Kinbgsbury was known as Sutton Chase; part of this was to become Sutton Park. Wyndley Pool and Keepers Pool were probably constructed soon after the deer park was created in 1126. Bracebridge Pool is thought to have been constructed by Sir Ralph Bracebridge, a ranger during the reign of Henry V (1413 - 1422). Bracebridge Pool was granted to the ranger on condition he supplied the Earls of Warwick with either £10 rent or 120 bream at 1/8d. Late in the 1520s, Sutton Park, as we know it today, came into being. Sutton Coldfield and its hunting grounds came into the possession of Henry VIII. In 1528 John Harman, a Sutton native who became Bishop of Exeter, persuaded the King to grant a charter placing the administration of the town in the control of a warden and society. It also allowed the Bishop to enclose a section of the Chase as a park for the benefit of the inhabitants. The Charter laid down that the inhabitants might 'freely hunt fish and fowl there, with dogs, bows and arrows, and with other engines for deer, stags, hares, foxes and other wild beasts.' The Royal Charter also allowed the townspeople to use the park to graze their animals. In Bishop Vesey's time, there was no Town Gate. The original main road into the park went from the manor house on Manor Hill to Wyndley. Sutton people treasured their heritage and fought against encroachments in 1581 and 1617. In 1778, Sir Gilbert Scott of Great Barr set up a scheme to share all the 'waste', including the park, among the principal landowners. The townspeople successfully opposed the plan and the park was left untouched. In 1756, Simon Luttrell of Four Oaks Hall Estrate obtained an Act of Parliament enabling him to extend his park by annexing 48 acres of Sutton Park which adjoined his land, thus changing the shape of the park for ever. In 1827, Sir Edmund Hartop, who owned Four Oaks Hall, exchanged land with the Warden and Society, receiving 57 acres from the park and gave up just over 93 acres. The main advantage to the residents of Sutton Coldfield was that Sir Edmund agreed to construct Park Road and a new main entrance to the park. Another exchange in 1937 saw the trustees of the Somerville Estate convey land to the corporation bringing Powells Pool into the park. The recreational use of Sutton Park began in the 19th century. There were two horse racing courses in the park. The first course was situated between Holly Knoll and the present day railway. A second, much larger, course was constructed near Westwood Coppice. Golf was introduced into Sutton Park by the Rector of Sutton Coldfield, the Rev W K Riland Bedford. The first nine hole golf course was built in 1880 around Meadow Platt and Holly Knoll. The 18 hole course on the Streetly side was established in 1889. When the railway to Sutton Coldfield opened in 1862, special excursion trains for trippers to the park ran practically every day. Activities for the daytrippers included boating on the pools, donkey rides, refreshment rooms and swimming facilities. In 1868, Job Cole laid out some pleasure gardens near Wyndley Gate which were extended with refreshment rooms and overnight accommodation. In 1878, Cole set up the Crystal Palace company which could accommodate up to 2000 people for exhibitions and events: the fun fair proved particularly popular. The park was used for military training in the 19th century. There was a volunteer camp near Streetly and a firing range was established near Westwood Coppice. In the First World War, huts were built, first for the Birmingham City Battalion and then as convalescent camps for the Australian and New Zealand wounded. There was also a prisoner of war camp near Longmoor Pool. In the Second World War, the park was used as a training ground for the regular troops and the Home Guard, for testing tanks and as an internee camp for Italians and Germans. In 1957 over 35,000 scouts from 37 different countries set up camp in the park for two weeks to celebrate the World Jubilee Jamboree. A stone to commemorate this event is still within the park.
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