Page 23 - link magazine

Swinon
Lydiard BOROUGH councIL
Park

® The
Countryside
Beauty, recreation & re eneration Innog 1!
Agency
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Following her exclusive article in the May Link about the bold initiatives taking shape at Lydiard Park,
Sarah Finch-Crisp, Keeper of Lydiard House, provides more details of a £5.5 million project to restore the
park for local people, true to the spirit of David Murray John.

n 1943 Swindon Corporation led Rescue and revival of a unique legacy
by the dynamic town clerk, David
I Murray John, purchased Lydiard Park for Lydiard Park, once a medieval deer park and later providing an early Georgian
£4,500. A world war, an impending national landscape of gardens, lawns and lakes as the setting to the Palladian house, is
housing crisis and post war rationing of supplies Swindon's foremost historic park. The state of the historic landscape, which once
did not weaken the council's resolve to acquire boasted ten acres of water, a huge castellated dam wall and an ornamental fruit and
a site of immense quality, beauty and rich
history for the benefit of local people. flower garden, is now a major cause of concern and action is needed if this unique
Swindon's rescue of Lydiard Park is now the piece of nationally significant local heritage is to be saved from further decline.
stuff of history. Virtually single handed and
with great resourcefulness, the corporation's The aim of the £5.5 million Lydiard
Park Plan is to preserve and enhance
Direct Labour Organisation provided the
manpower and skills to restore Lydiard House in the historic landscape whilst upgrading
the 1950s. visitor facilities and improving access,
And whilst the leisure and educational opportunities on
house benefited the site.
from the countless Community involvement will be a
individual efforts of key part of the project from the outset
local labour, the and there will be a wide variety of
park became home opportunities for participation as well as
to hundreds of associated events and activities.
young Swindon The project will take approximately
families in the post seven years to complete and major
war years. The
Lydiard Estate funding will be sought from the Heritage
occupied what is Lottery Fund to achieve the full
David Murray John now the events field restoration.
and for many young West Swindon based energy supplier
couples it provided their first marital home and Innogy have generously matched
is remembered with fondness. Swindon Council's initial commitment
The rapid growth of West Swindon in the of £70,000 towards the development Lydiard's lawns, a place for picnics and games
late 1970s and the opening of the visitor centre stage of the project. Together this
in 1985 created a huge rise in the numbers of represents the twenty-five per cent including archaeological investigations with
people visiting Lydiard Park. contribution required to make an initial opportunities for volunteers.
Today around 250,000 people choose to come application to the Heritage Lottery Fund This is a project worthy of any city and no less
to the park each year. Meeting their needs and If successful this will enable a series of than Swindon deserves.
the needs of future visitors is part and parcel of detailed surveys to begin in the Spring, The plan overleaf illustrates proposals for the park
the Lydiard Restoration and Development Plan
which has been funded by the Countryside
Agency.
Public consultation programme
Sheila Malden returning home to the
Lydiard Estate in the early 1950s
A chance to discover what is proposed

31 August - 22 September: West Swindon Library, Link Centre
Exhibition of restoration & development proposals

Sunday 15 September, 2.30pm
Tour of Lydiard Park and discussion of landscape proposals with
landscape historian and adviser, Dr Stewart Harding. Meet in front of
the house. A Heritage Open Weekend event.
Monday 16 September, 7pm: West Swindon Library
Public presentation of restoration and development proposals.

Local groups who would like an illustrated talk on the Lydiard project should
contact Sarah Finch-Crisp at Lydiard House, Lydiard Park. Swindon. Tel: 770401