About King George's Playing Fields
History
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King George’s Playing Fields are dedicated to the memory of King George V (3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) with the aim: 'To promote and to assist in the establishment throughout the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland of playing fields for the use and enjoyment of the people'.
Each of the playing fields was to be styled 'King George's Field' and to be distinguished by heraldic panels or other appropriate tablet medallion or inscription commemorative of His Late Majesty and of a design approved by the Administrative Council.
Each scheme was to have an entrance to the field designed to provide a sufficiently dignified setting for the heraldic panels that distinguish a field as a 'King George’s Field'. While no particular style was adopted by the Foundation, it discouraged indulgence in ornate or very expensive entrance gates. In the first instance, it recommended the use of local materials.
Money was raised locally to buy the land, with a grant made by the foundation. After purchase the land was passed to the National Playing Fields Association, to "preserve and safeguard the land for the public benefit".
The trust deed defined a 'Playing Field' as "any open space used for the purpose of outdoor games, sports and pastimes." The project was to be a flexible one, focusing on urban areas, but not exclusively so, and carried out in each locality according to its requirements. It would enlist local interest and support, gratefully accepting gifts in the form of monies or land. Each field would have a distinctive uniform tablet as an appropriate visible commemoration of George V.
This was considered to be as the King would have wished, particularly in the service rendered to youth through providing for them an environment and opportunity for open air exercise, for the benefit of individual well-being and the general welfare of the nation.
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Thomas Mawson
Thomas Hayton Mawson is often described as the leading landscape architect of the Edwardian era. His work ranged from landscaped garden plans through to much larger projects such as civic parks and city plans. The majority of his work dates from 1890 to 1920.
Following Mawson’s death in 1933 the design practice continued in operation until 1978. During the 1960s Thornton Urban District Council commissioned designs for the layout of the playing fields including gates and a pavilion.
The proposals included:
- Drainage and levelling of the site
- Terrace Area and Playground north of the bowling greens
- Pavilion with car park to the west
- Toilets and entrance gate to the south
- Viewing platform, Cricket Square, High Jump, Long Jump, Football Pitch and grass running track
- Tree planting and ornamental planting to the roadside boundary and access routes
- Royles Brook bridges and car parking at Church Road
The drawings held in the Cumbria County Archive Centre in Kendal suggest that the drainage, grading and entrance gates were implemented.
Designs for the pavilion and toilets were developed with different options for their location and layout, but it’s unclear whether these were constructed.
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Information courtesy of Mark Fenton.
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Mark Fenton is a Chartered Landscape Architect employed at Wyre Council as their Parks & Open Spaces Manager. The team develop parks and open spaces – covering a variety of things from grant applications, overseeing projects and putting on activities for residents to keeping an eye on trees and checking play areas are safe.
In 2017 Wyre Council announced its plans to carry out improvements to the fields and in early 2018 the application for a grant of £30,000 for improvements to King George’s playing field was approved.
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For further information follow the links below:​
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http://www.wyre.gov.uk/news/article/1505/30000_grant_awarded_for_king_george_s_playing_field
http://www.wyre.gov.uk/news/article/1565/improvements_begin_at_king_george_s_playing_field
