Calthorpe Park is a

public 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 r ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

, England, created in 1857 and managed by

Birmingham City Council Birmingham City Council is the local government body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local council area in the United Kingdom ...

Geography

The park lies in the Sparkbrook Ward of

Edgbaston Edgbaston () is an affluent suburban area of central Birmingham, England, historically in Warwickshire, and curved around the southwest of the city centre. In the 19th century, the area was under the control of the Gough-Calthorpe family a ...

, England. It lies adjacent to and east of the A441 Pershore Road and a short distance south of Five Ways junction and north of Edgbaston Cricket Ground. The

River Rea The River Rea (pronounced "ray") is a small river which passes through Birmingham, England. It is the river on which Birmingham was founded by the Beorma tribe in the 7th century. Since 2012, TA Media had obtained the rights and access to th ...

bisects the park, following south-west to north-east and crossed by two bridges.

History

The park takes its name from the Calthorpe family, whose

Frederick Gough, 4th Baron Calthorpe Frederick Gough, 4th Baron Calthorpe (14 June 1790 – 2 May 1868), known as Hon. Frederick Gough-Calthorpe until 1851, of Elvetham Hall, Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, was a British peer and Member of Parliament. He was born the 4th son of Henry Go ...

provided the land for its creation in 1857, from the Calthorpe Estate. The

freehold Freehold may refer to: In real estate *Freehold (law), the tenure of property in fee simple * Customary freehold, a form of feudal tenure of land in England * Parson's freehold, where a Church of England rector or vicar of holds title to benefice ...

was signed over by his son, Augustus Gough-Calthorpe, 6th Baron Calthorpe, in 1894. The park was formally opened on 1 June 1857, by Prince George, Duke of Cambridge. The opening ceremony, which featured a

triumphal arch A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, cro ...

, was recorded in a painting by Samuel Lines Snr. After a lunch at the Town Hall, and arriving via a procession through the streets, the Duke, Lord Calthorpe, and the Mayor, John Ratcliffe, each planted a

Cedar Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae *Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona * ...

tree. The event was followed by a dinner for the dignitaries and 250 guests at Bee's Royal Hotel, as well as a free concert "for artisans" at the Town Hall, a free ball at a music hall in Coleshill Street and a free meal for 700 soldiers and pensioners at

Bingley Hall Bingley Hall in Birmingham was the first purpose-built exhibition hall in Great Britain. It was built in 1850 and burned down in 1984. The International Convention Centre now stands on the site. Precursor The precursor of Bingley Hall was an " ...

. These events were funded by John Ratcliffe.

Features

A lodge-house sits at the north-western corner of the park. A bandstand formerly stood near to it. An 1855 statue of Robert Peel by Peter Hollins, which formerly stood in the park, is now outside the nearby ''Tally Ho!'' police training centre, although the original plinth is still in the park.

References

{{Birmingham parks Parks and open spaces in Birmingham, West Midlands Edgbaston Gough-Calthorpe family 1857 establishments in England