Mewsbrook Park is a

urban park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to resi ...

located in the

seaside resort A seaside resort is a resort town, town, village, or hotel that serves as a Resort, vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, suc ...

Littlehampton Littlehampton is a town, seaside resort, and pleasure harbour, and the most populous civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It lies on the English Channel on the eastern bank of the mouth of the River Arun. It is south sout ...

West Sussex West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ar ...

, England. The park is located a few minutes’ walk from the beach and boasts a number of attractions including a boating lake, miniature railway, café, original

art deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

shelters and children's playarea.

Description

Mewsbrook Park is owned and managed by Arun District Council in partnership with principal contractors Tivoli Group Limited. The park was first opened to the public in 1939, and sets a high horticultural benchmark (evidenced by its award-winning status) for public parks and open spaces. Large shrub and long herbaceous borders together with bee and butterfly gardens provide colour and interest throughout the year. The lake serves as an excellent local amenity, and is regularly used by visitors for boating. The Arun Youth Aqua Centre often used the lake for training. The lake and island are also a haven for wildlife. Wildlife conservation is undertaken in Ruby Gardens (named in celebration of Queen Elizabeth's Ruby Jubilee in 1992); an informal woodland area where activities such as

hedge laying Hedgelaying (or hedge laying) is a countryside skill that has been practised for centuries, mainly in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with many regional variations in style and technique. Hedgelaying is the process of partially cutting throug ...

and

coppicing Coppicing is a traditional method of woodland management Forest management is a branch of forestry concerned with overall administrative, legal, economic, and social aspects, as well as scientific and technical aspects, such as silviculture, pro ...

have taken place in the past with the assistance of local volunteer groups. In 2017 the construction of a new leisure centre began within Mewsbrook Park, a replacement for the ageing Littlehampton Swimming and Sports Centre. In March 2019 The Littlehampton Wave opened its doors. Following demolition of the former leisure centre substantial re-landscaping is being undertaken which will add to the existing park. There is a positive sense of community in the park, supported by the Friends of Mewsbrook Park, Mewsbrook Park Café, Mewsbrook Park Pedalo and Boat Hire and Littlehampton Miniature Railway. There is further engagement with the wider community too including the Littlehampton Swimming and Sports Centre, Littlehampton Town Council and local schools and youth organisations. Mewsbrook Park has been promoted as a Green Flag Park in the local area for 13 years. Interpretation boards, a children's trail, tree trail and notice boards are provided to engage and inform visitors.

Gallery

File:Echium.jpg, ''

Echium ''Echium'' is a genus of approximately 70 species and several subspecies of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae. Species of ''Echium'' are native to North Africa, mainland Europe to Central Asia, and the Macaronesian islands where ...

'' located along east side of park. File:Mewsbrook Park entrance.jpg, Entrance to Mewsbrook Park from the south File:Mewsbrook Lake Aerator.jpg, An aerator oxygenating the lake at Mewsbrook File:Green Flag flying.jpg, The Green Flag - for excellent Parks

References

External links

Trip Advisor
Mewsbrook Park on Trip Advisor
Friends of Mewsbrook ParkMewsbrook Park
at Visit South East England
Mewsbrook Park History
{{Commons category-inline Parks and open spaces in West Sussex Littlehampton 1939 establishments in England