Whitehall Park

My two visits to the cemetery so far in Darwen have produced some photos for the competition that I'm reasonably happy with, but wandering around an old cemetery isn't particularly inspiring. Just alongside the old cemetery though is Whitehall Park, one of three areas of parkland in Darwen, and just like the others, planned and laid out in the late Victorian period.

Despite living in the area all my life, this was another place I'd never explored, so with a 'free' afternoon (Carole was at the hairdressers and then shopping with her mum so it could have been much worse - I could have been shopping with her) I packed all my gear and parked up near the back of the park, next to where footpaths stretch out onto the moors.




Perhaps the moors on this side of town will be explored another day; today's plan was to take a leisurely stroll through the park, with a secondary mission to look for some new pictures that were distinctively of Darwen in some way.

This was a little challenge I'd set all the camera club members when I launched our new website last month, with the aim of putting the best on the website as part of the main heading on each page, but refreshing them each month just to keep the site interesting.

The 16 acre park was created in phases, the first 14 acres being opened in 1879 with several smaller additions taking the park up to 16 acres by 1902. From what I can gather, the steeper end of the park bordering the moors beyond is the older part, one clue being the cast iron Lighbown Fountain presented by the town's mayoress in 1886.

Close by the fountain is another Victorian structure, the Catlow drinking fountain. Looking at some photos on the web this was in a sorry state only three to four years ago, however since then it has been restored and is now very impressive and a great subject to photograph.

Sadly the fountain itself no longer works, but as a Victorian iron canopy you'd struggle to find a better example.

Further down towards the main road and the park isn't as interesting, but without many people about it was easy to find some of the resident wildlife in the trees. A few minutes resting on a bench and they soon lost their shyness.

As for the photo for the website (which has to be strictly in 'letterbox' format), this was my effort - I need to give the other members a chance too, but I'm sure it will be on the site at some point later this year.


(Since taking this picture, I found a shot from Francis Frith's website dated 1955 taken from almost the same spot)