Werneth Park

[Rosemary]

As we've got an ongoing thread on Alexandra Park, I thought it would be nice to have a similar one for Werneth Park. Living on the Coppice I spent far more time in Werneth Park than I ever did in Alexandra Park.

A very distant memory, back in the days of sweet rationing, was going to Werneth Park with my grandfather when he and my grandmother were up staying with us (a 3 month stay and one minute suitcase between them!!!). As sweets were hard to come by, my grandfather would pinch a few carrots from the vegetable basket and we'd happily chomp away on these. He was forever in trouble with my mother, my grandmother, or worse still, both of them for sneaking off with the carrots.

Later on I used to play putting with my father and suffer the embarrassment of always being soundly beaten by someone who was unsteady on his feet on a good day and revising for O and A levels beside the bowling green to the accompaniment of father's mutterings of "They don't play proper bowls round here" - his brother played bowls for Herefordshire and a brother-in-law and nephew in law played crown green bowls for Lancashire.

Even later, I worked in the museum building after local government reorganisation when part of it was taken over by the library service.

Any other reminiscences?

Rosemary

[Jenny]

Hi Rosemary
There don't seem to be many old postcards of Werneth Park, but I have found this one.

WERNETH PARK OLDHAM 1905

I seem to remember that there was a paddling pool in Werneth Park.
If there was then my older sister, who was about 11 or 12 at the time, managed to slip on the slippy bottom and completely submerge herself, unfortunately she hadn't changed into a swimming costume and was fully clothed.
It was a very soggy journey home from Werneth Park back to Glodwick.
As I was only about 6 or 7 at the time I found it all very funny much to the annoyance of my sister.
Only her shoes and socks were dry.
Jenny

[Rosemary]

You're right Jenny, there was a paddling pool in Werneth Park, probably long gone on 'Elf and Safety grounds.

Me, my father, Auntie May and Auntie Alice

I found the above picture in a box of old photos. It was taken outside the museum in Werneth Park. Auntie Alice (L) and Auntie May (R) were my mother's cousins and lived in Brewerton Road. My parents lived with them when they moved to Oldham and stayed until I was 9 months old when we moved to St Thomas St North. (Love Auntie May's hat )

Rosemary

[StuVaud]

Hi Rosemary

I have lived on Frederick Street for about 25 years and in all that time I have only been in Werneth Park twice, the first time was 4 weeks ago on a recuperative walk and the second time was last week to take these photos for your thread.

Carol and I had our wedding reception in the Music Rooms in 1970. Some time later the Music Rooms burnt down. I don't think these two events are linked but if they are the second one wasn't my fault!

I must confess that the condition and maintenance of the park is very good and it is well used. Below are some of the photos I took a week ago. I will write, in a later posting, a brief history as printed on a display board situated in the park. I will also add some more pictures in the next posting.

Best wishes

Stuart

Werneth Park entrance from Frederick Street

Study Rooms

Commerative plaque on the Study Rooms building

Restoration notice

Ruins of the Music Rooms

View towards Manchester Road

[Ken]

Carol and I had our wedding reception in the Music Rooms in 1970. Some time later the Music Rooms burnt down. I don't think these two events are linked but if they are the second one wasn't my fault!

Hi Stuart -

You are clearly a very discerning couple - that's where Pam and I had our reception some 5 years earlier

Excellent photographs (as always, from you), but may I butt in to point out something of which people are perhaps unaware:-

These photographs (as with several others in these threads) have been restricted in size by our system settings.
Stuart actually put them up considerably larger.

Try this:-

• Simply left-click on one of Stuart's photos.
  Instead of 400 Pixels wide, you will see it 600 pixels wide!
• Alternatively, do a Ctrl+click (hold the Ctrl key down while left-clicking).
  Now, in a new window/tab, it goes to full size (777x583 - which I have no doubt will become an International Standard Size? )

Whichever, nice photos Stuart, and thanks

[StuVaud]

These photographs (as with several others in these threads) have been restricted in size by our system settings.
Stuart actually put them up considerably larger.

Hi Ken

I realised that some (most) of my photos had file sizes 3 to 4 times larger than what one would consider to be reasonable so I'm glad that the site system settings limit them . I don't feel quite as guilty now. The simple viewing 'enlarging' tip works really well. I have put up some more photos below.

Memorial to Dame Sarah Lees

Memorial text

Explanation of the design symbolism of the memorial

View towards Frederick Street

One of the park's Life Trail stations

In a seperate posting I'll write the 'potted' history of the park.

Stuart

[StuVaud]

In a seperate posting I'll write the 'potted' history of the park.

The 'potted' history of Werneth Park, as displayed on the display boards in the park, is written below

Werneth Park was originally part of the estate of Werneth Hall. The original Hall burnt down in 1456 and was rebuilt by subsequent generations. The rebuilt Hall is located in Frederick Street across the road from Werneth Park.

In the late 1840's Werneth Hall and the estate were taken over by a consortium representing three of Oldham's most prominent industrial families, Eli Lees, Samuel Radcliffe and John Platt. They built a series of mansion houses along the northern edge of the park and enclosed the park as private parkland for the families.

The present Music Rooms was constructed as part of the Platt family mansion. It was first built around 1848 for John Platt and Sons, which by the 1850's was the world's largest manufacturer of textile machinery. From 1872 until his death in 1902, the house was the residence of John Platt's son Samuel, who encouraged musical activities in the Music Rooms for private and community use. In doing so, local bands and choirs were allowed to practise and perform there.

The date that the Conservatory was built is unknown, but it could well have been in the 1860's when conservatories became very fashionable. The structure is clearly shown on the 1879 Ordnance Survey map. After 1902, the Platt mansion was aquired by Sarah Lees, the suffragist and social campaigner. Sarah demolished the residential part of the house, retaining the conservatoryand auditorium, and a reception suite was built shortly after 1907.

After Sarah Lees's death in 1935, her daughter Majory Lees gave the parkland and its buildings to the town of Oldham for use as a public park. Following its public opening in 1936, Oldham Council have since maintained the Park.



If anyone wants any photos of the symbolistic tableaux around the base of the memorial depicted in the photos I'll go back with the camera and photograph them and send the results in a private email.

Stuart

[Jenny]

.
I found this postcard amongst my collection and thought that it would fit in on this thread.

Werneth Brow , posted to Willenhall on 29th Aug 1945

Is that the Dame Lees Memorial in the background?

Jenny
.

[Jeremy Sutcliffe]

Yes that is the Lees Memorial. The designation Werneth Brow is interesting. I've never come across that before.

My Werneth Park photos are scattered around my "Werneth or thereabouts" flickr set http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmts/sets/72157603213672964/ if anyone wants to visit them.

[Rosemary]

What a fascinating collection of photos Jeremy. I really enjoyed looking through them all.

Rosemary

[Jeremy Sutcliffe]

Ah! So it was you was it?

I wondered who had put my daily hit rate on flickr up from a norm of about 30 or 40 to just short of 300!

Thanks

[Rosemary]

Guilty as charged

Rosemary