Regency Style Prospect Park In Reading

 

 

Prospect Park is a public park in the western suburbs of Reading arranged north of the Bath Road in the English county of Berkshire. It is the biggest and most famous park in Reading, and incorporates an enormous regency style house, presently known as Prospect Park Mansion House and earlier as Prospect House. There are additionally sporting facilities and a miniature railroad inside the 50 hectares of parkland, and a café in the Mansion House. The recreation center is recorded as Grade II in the English Heritage Register of Historic Parks and Gardens while the Mansion House is a Grade II recorded structure. With the extensive history and vast area covered by the green and wildlife makes it a great tourist attraction with the added bonus of the grand mansion with beautiful architectural features. You can get food and drinks at the restaurant located in the park and the large landscape is great for kids to explore and play. Enjoy a day strolling in the park or admiring the nature vibes and a must visit place if you are in the town which can be easily accessed by reading cab services.

Origin History     

                                                                                                            

Initially the site of Dirle's Farm, the land was part of the Calcot Park domain. By the mid-eighteenth century, Calcot Park was the home of Frances Kendrick and her better half Benjamin Child, yet after Frances' passing Benjamin sold the heft of the estate to John Blagrave, keeping just the eastern part that is currently Prospect Park. During the 1760s, Benjamin transformed the farmhouse of Dirle's Farm into a beautiful mansion. He named the park after its perspectives over Reading; it was earlier known as Prospecthill Park.

 

The current regency style house, known as The Mansion House (and initially named Prospect House), was built by John Liebenrood in the late eighteenth century. After one year of him getting married; John authorized James Wright Sanderson, a student of James Wyatt to considerably redesign and develop a smaller existing building. The papers show that he and his significant other Lucy were living in their new home by 1797. John passed away in 1821 and Lucy kept on living at Prospect House until her demise in 1829. They are both buried at St Mary's Church Purley. Their child George and little girl Lucy acquired the property however they didn't live there. Rather it was leased for a long time to William Stephens (1783-1856) who at one time was the Mayor of Reading. He passed on in 1856 and it was then leased by William Banbury (1813-1893) who was an investor in the firm Fuller Banbury and Co of London. He was additionally an art collector and when he moved from Prospect Park in 1880 an offer of a portion of his paintings was held by Christie's at the House. The Prospect Park was acquired by the Reading Borough Council in 1902.

 Landscape

The territory surrounding the Mansion House has wide ranges of short cut grass, with territories of meadow grasslands. A lake is at the south of the house and attracts in a variety of wildlife, while 'The Rookery' can be found toward the north - a mature oak forest and Wildlife Heritage Site. In the south-eastern corner of the park, the Reading Society of Model Engineers runs a miniature railroad, which is available to general public on specific days.

 

The park has facilities for various games, including rugby, tennis, bowls, b-ball, and table tennis. It likewise has a week by week parkrun, held over a distance of 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) each Saturday at 9:00 am. The first race in the Hampshire League Cross Country series was held in this park in 2013. Different races in the recreation park have incorporated The Color Run and Cancer Research UK's Race for Life.