Travel Report: Williamson Park, Lancaster.

Williamson Park, Lancaster.

May 2019.

When the sun shines in England you’ve gotta capitalise and get outside. Carpe diem and all that. After my double dose of history at Lancaster Castle and its neighbouring priory, it was definitely time to switch off my brain for a bit and unwind for a few hours in Williamson Park.

It was a Tuesday afternoon, hence I was very much hoping for a bit of peace and quiet. It took me about half an hour to reach the park’s grand entrance gates from the city centre. “1880″ announced the gold letters on one of the stone arches. Hm, looks like there’s plenty of history here too, I thought.

Williamson Park, Lancaster.

Passing through the gates, I made my way up the ascending stone path. Within just a few minutes I’d found that serenity I’d been hoping for. In fact, the background buzz of traffic had faded away altogether. In its place came the sporadic sound of birdsong and the communal panting of an army of dogs as they dragged their owner along. The poor guy was trying to control his canines with one hand, while in the other he held a mobile phone to his ear. “I’m on my way home darling, they’re too much today!”

Williamson Park, Lancaster.

Just a quick glance at my phone told me that the park takes its name from the man who founded it, the English businessman, philanthropist and politician James Williamson, the 1st Baron of Ashton. Intrigued, I dropped onto a bench to find out more. However, this peaceful scene lasted just a few minutes as a maintenance man arrived with a cacophonous lawnmower. Oh well, at least they’re taking care of the place.

Williamson Park, Lancaster.

Nothing breaks silence quite like a lawnmower.

Nevertheless, I was able to get a general overview before making my escape. The elegant park we see today started out as wild moorlands and marshes. Later, in the 19th century, it served as a public gallows and then as a quarry. In the 1870s a local businessman, James Williamson, began developing a part of the land as a public garden. But when he died in 1879 it was his son, the aforementioned Lord Ashton, who went all out to transform the area into a grand city park.

James Williamson, 1st Baron Ashton (1842-1930).

Williamson Junior certainly had the funds for such an undertaking. Indeed he inherited the family fortune, amassed from exporting oilcloth and linoleum around the world. He also served as a member of parliament for Leicester before becoming a peer. Eventually, Lord Ashton had to retire from public life because of ongoing accusations that he had in fact purchased his title through a friend in the government.

Williamson Park, Lancaster.

Photo courtesy of Geni. 

Under Lord Ashton’s stewardship, Williamson Park grew and grew with the addition of fountains, ponds, woodland trails, statues and a bandstand. When his second wife Jessy passed away in 1904, he unveiled plans to build a giant Edwardian, baroque memorial in her honour.

John Belcher: “You want me to build The Taj Mahal of the North?”

He hired none other than John Belcher, the President of the Royal Institute of British Architects, to design the memorial. Construction of the domed building began in 1907 and took around two years to complete. And what a striking structure it is, perched dramatically atop a hill overlooking the city of Lancaster.

The Ashton Memorial.

Williamson Park, Lancaster.

Belcher made Ashton Memorial predominantly out of Portland Stone. Moreover, he used Cornish granite for the external staircase and copper for the dome. According to historians, the bill came in at around £87.000, which translates as something like £8.5 million today. No wonder some people cheekily refer to it as “The Taj Mahal of The North”. 

Williamson Park, Lancaster.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t enter Ashton Memorial that day. Not that there’s much to see inside, it is after all just a fancy folly. Still, it would have been nice to climb up to the top balcony for some impressive views across Lancashire. On a good day, they say, one can see all the way to Morecambe Bay.

Williamson Park, Lancaster.

Rather, I made do with a random wander that took in some of the park’s various sculptures. Among these, I particularly enjoyed The Raku Mosaic Sculpture, pictured above. Unveiled in 1992, a group of staff and patients at Lancaster’s Royal Albert Hospital created the installation during a six week art project.

The hospital, which focused on children and adults with learning disabilities, was in the process of closing. Thus the group wanted to make a goodbye piece that showcased their love of the local region. The sculptures, which include a money tree, a squirrel and a dragon, depict various places across Lancashire, such as Glasson Dock, Morecambe Bay and even Williamson Park itself.

Williamson Park, Lancaster.

Williamson Park, Lancaster.

A short while later I stumbled upon the quirky Lancaster Sundial. Designed by the pupils of Ripley St. Thomas School, the sundial invites visitors to stand on the centre of the plinth with their heads above the date on the scale. You then look to see which hour plaque your shadow ends up on.

The sundial has been adjusted to show British Summer Time and the longitude. Therefore you’ll need to do a little adjustment to match the time on your phone or watch. It’s all very complicated for a simpleton like me, so it’s probably best I direct you to this complete (and very wordy) explanation from Lancaster City Museum.

Williamson Park, Lancaster.

It was also cool to learn that the sundial stands on the site of the park’s former bandstand. After a bit of digging, I managed to discover an old photograph of the bandstand dating back to 1908. Yup, that’s The Ashton Memorial still under construction in the background.

Williamson Park, Lancaster.

Today one of the park’s most popular spots is its charming mini zoo complex and garden. Here, one can see terrapins, yellow and red eared turtles, tarantulas, scorpions, stick insects and snakes. For the fainthearted, you might prefer the free-flying bird house with Java Sparrows, Zebra Finches and Cockatiels.

Williamson Park, Lancaster.

Williamson Park, Lancaster.

Most charming of all is the wonderful Butterfly House, where a varied range of exotic breeds float about all around you. With ponds, waterfalls, twisting trees and tropical temperatures, I imagine it’s an especially fun place to visit in the winter. A spot where, for an hour at least, one can escape the drudgery of the English weather.

Williamson Park, Lancaster.

That afternoon the park’s fluttery residents were feasting on fruit left out on the wooden tables peppered around the main greenhouse. That browny butterfly pictured above that kinda blends into the wood is the Camouflaged Owl Butterfly.

Williamson Park, Lancaster.

The sticky temps are also perfect for the rare frogs housed here. Take, for example, the Golden Mantella Frog, typically found in Central Madagascar. Apparently there are several breeding programs across England for this endangered red-listed amphibian.

Williamson Park, Lancaster.

Williamson Park also stands as one of Lancaster’s finest live performance venues. Uncle D excitedly told me about the epic theatre performances over the years. How I would’ve loved to have seen A Midsummer Night’s Dream unfold here. The audience walking from one scene to the next as fairies flit around in the trees. And the park hosts the annual Highest Point Festival, where household British and international music acts come to play.

Finally, with my legs getting weary, I decided to take a load off at Pavilion Cafe. Established within the shell of an old palmhouse, it’s a lovely spot to rest your feet and enjoy some artisan coffee with traditional British dishes, snacks and desserts.

Pavilion Cafe.

Williamson Park, Lancaster. 

Grabbing a Flat White and a delectable Cream Slice, I sat in the garden soaking up more of that rare phenomenon, the English sunshine. It was here that I finished reading up on Lord Ashton, who died in 1930 at 87 years old.

Williamson Park, Lancaster.

Say what you like about the suspicions surrounding his peerage, but there’s no doubting Lord Ashton’s dedication to Lancaster. In fact, he made many more contributions to the city in his lifetime. More on that, dear readers, in my upcoming roundup article Cool Spots Around Lancaster.

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