Red House Park is a public park in Great Barr,

Sandwell Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands county in England. The borough is named after the Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of the West Midlands conurbation. According to Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, t ...

, England. It is named after the

country house An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a town house. This allowed them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these peopl ...

in whose grounds it was established. The park features two lakes, and an obelisk in memory of Princess Charlotte.

The Red House

Within the park is The Red House, a

built in the 1841 for the then Liberal MP for Walsall,

Robert Wellbeloved Scott Robert Wellbeloved Scott, born Robert Wellbeloved (15 July 1803 – 21 February 1856) was the Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for Walsall, England from 1841 to 1847. He was born to the Revd Charles Wellbeloved and Ann ''née'' Kinder (d. 31 ...

, and stood in his

estate Estate or The Estate may refer to: Law * Estate (law), a term in common law for a person's property, entitlements and obligations * Estates of the realm, a broad social category in the histories of certain countries. ** The Estates, representat ...

. Since 17 June 1996 it has been a Grade II listed building, statutory list reference: 5/110011 (179). It uses red bricks in Flemish Bond with stone dressings. It has a hipped roof with

Welsh slate The existence of a slate industry in Wales is attested since the Roman period, when slate was used to roof the fort at Segontium, now Caernarfon. The slate industry grew slowly until the early 18th century, then expanded rapidly until the ...

s and brick chimneys. Previously used as a

convalescent home A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...

, the house was subsequently owned by Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and for a while was leased to the

British Trust for Conservation Volunteers The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) is a British community volunteering charity focused on environmental conservation through practical tasks undertaken by volunteers. Until 1 May 2012, it traded as BTCV – British Trust for Conservation Volun ...

. In 2015, it was sold to a developer for conversion into apartments.

Obelisk

The park includes an obelisk, in memory of Princess Charlotte. Having become badly damaged through age, it was restored in August 2009, at cost of £15,000.

Cave

The Park is also home to two small tunnel like structures known locally, and referred to on maps as, Hermit's Cave.

References

{{reflist

External links

Friends of Red House Park
Country houses in the West Midlands (county) Grade II listed buildings in the West Midlands (county) Great Barr