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The Link Magazine • November 2003
Lydiard Park: A Historic Anniversary 1943 - 2003
Swindon Borough Council and English Heritage are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the purchase of Lydiard Park by the Corporation in 1943.
While joint exhibitions are taking shape Sarah Finch-Crisp writes about this historic anniversary and the partnership with English Heritage which
helps support Lydiard's Heritage Lottery Fund bid to restore the park today.
The fact that is co-ordinating
Lydiard House English Heritage's
stands today is a tes- involvement com-
tament to the vision mented, "Lydiard is
and determination of an outstanding ex-
Swindon's remark- ample of a site where
able Town Clerk the landscape and
David Murray John. buildings are inti-
Remembered as mately connected.
the man who set The quality of the
Swindon on the path house and church
to expansion and are easily recog-
prosperity, DMJ was nised, and we are
equally committed to adding to that an
providing the people understanding of
of Swindon with the many historical
meaningful social, features which sur-
cultural and recrea- vive in the park.
tional opportunities. "As well as our
When the landscape survey,
Bolingbroke's ances- the dry weather this
tral home at Lydiard summer means that
Tregoze appeared on from the air you can
the market during see a virtual plan of
World War II, he saw the history of the
its potential and grounds around the
jumped at the chance to acquire it. and rot, the beauty and craftsman- age and their National Monuments house. The photographs have
For £4,500 Swindon Corporation ship of the house's 18th Century Record Centre in Swindon, were given us a snapshot back through
became the proud, if somewhat be- interiors were plain to see. The prox- quickly involved in providing sur- time by showing clearly the out-
mused, owners of the nucleus of this imity of St Mary's Church with its veys and advice. The example of lines of the 800 year-old field sys-
once great estate; an exquisite but nationally significant monuments Lydiard Park proceeded to inform tems around the site and the shape
sadly neglected mansion and 147 added to the national importance national post war policy on historic of the formal gardens from the
acres of quintessential English park- of the site. buildings and the house was one of 1600s which lie underneath the
land. Much of the park was occu- Determined to restore the house the first, if not the first property of its present lawns as well as the 18th
pied by a hospital camp and park for the ben- type, to receive a government grant Century layout of the kitchen gar-
1
serving the 101 ' Ameri- efit of local people but for repair and restoration. den and the original extent of the
can Airborne Division, only too aware of the English Heritage have remained great lake."
many of whom ex- many other demands actively interested in Lydiard Park It was always David Murray
plored the grounds and on the town's finances, to this day, including sharing the John's intention to restore Lydiard
the mysteriously shut- David Murray John set costs of re-roofing the house. Most Park. In a letter to an enquirer about
tered house. about engaging the recently they have undertaken an the lost glories of the park, he wrote
Meanwhile, Swindon support of national in- archaeological survey of the park ' I have seen an old print showing the
Corporation's rescue of stitutions and govern- in support of The Lydiard Park lake and it is naturally the hope of the
Lydiard at such a diffi- ment ministries. Restoration Project, and taken the Corporation to restore it'.
cult time brought the a The Ministry of public on tours exploring and in- Today, Swindon Council has a
town increasing ac- The man of foresight Works whose succes- terpreting the humps and bumps golden opportunity to win the
claim. Despite the damp David Murray John sors are English Herit- in the landscape. Lottery money needed to complete
Dramatic aerial views captured the work which he began.
by their survey team in October • The Lydiard restoration project has
bring further exciting new evi- received significant financial help
the link Magazine dence of Lydiard's rich archaeo- from West Swindon based integrated
energy company RWE Innogy.
logical landscape. Bob Hook who
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