Caldecott Park

Caldecott Park is an urban park located in the centre of Rugby, England. Most of the land was purchased by the Rugby Urban District Council in 1903 from Thomas Caldecott, the last lord of the manor. There was additional land purchased to the north of the original park in 1911, bringing the park to its current size of convert|10.6|acre|m2.

In other respects though the park has changed a lot. There used to be an ornamental lake in the centre of the park, but that was filled in 1922. The Second World War saw the removal of a floral staircase as well as the original iron park railings which were taken away as part of the war effort. The 1970s saw the loss of many of the trees in the park to Dutch Elm Disease.

However in the 1990s there has been a programme of tree replanting. Also in 1996 a series of entertainment events were organised over the summer months. These have continued since and there are also craft fairs, art exhibitions and musical performances on the bandstand. Other attractions include a children's play area, tennis courts, a bowling green and a small kiosk which sells refreshments.

In 2006 the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded Rugby Borough Council just under £1,000,000 to restore the park. As of November 2007 the final plans have been drawn up and are awaiting final permission to proceed. Plans include: replacing the current fencing with old style fencing like the ones removed in WWII; to relay the footpaths; to modernise the play areas; to build a cafe; to develop formal sports pitches and to re-create the floral steps. For the latest news on the redevelopment click [http://www.rugby.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=57&pageNumber=5 here]