Central Park is a

Green Flag Green Flag Limited is a British roadside assistance and vehicle recovery provider, which is part of the Direct Line Group. Formed in 1971, as the National Breakdown Recovery Club, as an alternative to the AA and RAC, it used a network of ...

-awarded public park in

Peterborough Peterborough ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The city is north of London, on the River Nene. A ...

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfor ...

, north of the city centre. Attractions include a paddling pool, sandpit, tennis courts, formal gardens, an

aviary An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds, although bats may also be considered for display. Unlike birdcages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where Bird flight, they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flig ...

, bowling greens, a croquet lawn and a café. Various shows are held throughout the year, including dog shows and a Viking heritage day.

History

The Peterborough Land Company sought investors to purchase 333 acres (134.8 hectares) of land to the north of the city in 1875. The land was to be developed for model housing, with a park planned at the centre. When the partially complete park was opened at Easter 1877, admittance was by subscription only. It remained relatively unchanged until 1908, when Peterborough City Council took over responsibility for the site on a 999 year lease. The stone archway entrance from Broadway was presented to the City Council by the Great Northern Railway in 1913. It was formerly situated at the Crescent, a row of Georgian houses near the

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

that were demolished to make way for the Crescent Bridge. The Park conservation area was designated in 1988. The conservation area is principally housing but also includes commercial uses, shops, and churches.

References

{{Peterborough Parks and open spaces in Cambridgeshire Peterborough