Ward Jackson Park was opened in 1883 to the memory of Ralph Ward Jackson, the founder of West Hartlepool who had died in 1881. It was built by public subscription,the 17 acres of land being purchased from Mr Wooler of Sadberge Hall who donated 2 of the acres himself.
The lodge house was also built in 1883, the current bandstand in 1901(although there had been another one prior to this) and the drinking fountain, presented by Alderman Rickinson to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, was also opened in 1901.
The clock tower which faces Grange Road was built in 1925.
A young Keith Bloomfield on his tricycle in Ward Jackson Park, Whitsuntide 1935.
More detail »A group of men play bowls at Ward Jackson Park.
More detail »Ther mayor of Hartlepool, Cllr. Ray Waller, his wife Jean in white, with members of the Battle Creek, Michigan, USA, orchestra, walking through Ward Jackson Park in 1975.
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More detail »Aerial Shot of West Park area of Hartlepool with Park Drive Cricket Club In the foreground. To the left, the pavilion, still there today, can be seen. Elwick Road run horizontally on the image and on the other side of this is Ward Jackson Park and the houses in Park Avenue behind this.
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More detail »Possibly taken at the time when Hartlepool were successful in Britain in Bloom, the image shows a group of people and Councillor Barbara Mann (second left) looking at a bed of flowers.
More detail »The statue, in Ward Jackson Park, Hartlepool, was made to commemorate The Boer War 1899-1902 in South Africa and was designed and made by local sculptor F.W. Doyle Jones. It was unveiled on 19th July by Mrs Lauder, wife of Col. Lauder and was a bronze figure of a soldier on a granite plinth. In early 1968, the rifle was stolen from the statue and in March 1968 the whole statue was taken leaving only a trace of its boots. The plinth which still stands, is to honour the 320 men from the Hartlepool area who fought in South Africa and the 23 who died in battle are listed on it.
More detail »The statue to commemorate The Boer War 1899-1902 in South Africa was designed and made by locall sculptor FW Doyle Jones.
It was unveiled on 19th July by Mrs Lauder, wife of Col. Lauder and was a bronze figure of a soldier on a granite plinth.
In early 1968, the rifle was stolen from the statue and in March 1968 the whole statue was taken leaving only a trace of its boots.
The plinth which still stands, is to honour the 320 men from the Hartlepool area who fought in South Africa and the 23 who died in battle are listed on it.
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Boer War memorial Ward Jackson Park, Hartlepool taken at some point after the statue itself had been stolen in 1968.
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More detail »The raised flower bed in the centre background was themed with a different design and display relevant to a town event every year. This photo was in 1964 and shows Britain in Bloom in flowers.
The park clock can just be seen behind the trees on the right.
More detail »Built in the 1960s to replace an older cafe, this building is also now demolished and 'The Place in the Park' has replaced it.
More detail »Crowd of people watching model boats on lake.
More detail »Fountain at Ward Jackson Park, Hartlepool with Tunstall Manor in the background.
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More detail »Taken on May 5th 1980, the Salvation Army were the first band to play in the beautifully refurbished bandstand in Ward Jackson Park.
More detail »The first town show was held in Ward Jackson Park to celebrate the Coronation. There were numerous displays in marquees including tropical fish, a small gauge railway, the amateur radio club, a pottery demonstration, 750 horticultural entries and 130 rabbit entries.
Displays included Durham police dogs, the Boys' Brigade, Scottish and country dancing and the boys' Coronation Cup Race.
The town show was held in the park for many years and was later held at Grayfields before being abandoned altogether as too costly.
More detail »Formal gardens and the 1901 bandstand at Ward Jackson Park, Hartlepool. On the far right, the Boer War statue stands, dating the image after 1905.
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More detail »The ornamental flower beds at Ward Jackson Park in 1901.
More detail »Gardens and the 1901 Bandstand Ward Jackson Park, Hartlepool with Park Avenue in the background.
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More detail »Taken in the mid 1960s when there were many beautiful floral displays. Note the sign pointing to Elwick on the fence and the red surface on the road which was apparently something Mr Wooler, who originally owned the land, insisted upon being kept up. Sadly this does no longer seem to happen.
The gatehouse, after being derelict for a number of years, is now private office premises.
More detail »Model boat enthusiasts about to "launch" one of their craft at Ward Jackson Park.
More detail »1947 was a particularly cold winter and in February for the first time in over 12 months, skating was allowed on Ward Jackson Park Lake. Hartlepool Mail reported that the park was open late until 11 p.m. and that the lake area was lit. It cost 6 old pence to skate on the lake.
This image is of two ladies, obviously in the daytime, skating on the frozen lake. On the right is Sheila Johnson and the two ladies actually did not know each other. The photographer asked them to appear as friends.
More detail »Ward Jackson Park had illuminations to celebrate West Hartlepool Jubilee and the coronation of George V1.
More detail »John Richard Chappell, next to the rose beds in Ward Jackson Park, with 'Four Winds' in the background.
More detail »Lake and gardens at Ward Jackson Park, Hartlepool. On the left, the first bandstand can be seen so the image is prior to 1901.
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More detail »Alderman Thomas Clarkson with Mayor J.B. Magee & the Mayoress at Ward Jackson Park Jubilee in 1933
More detail »For many years there has been an active model boating club at Ward Jackson Park and as this image shows, the boats are extremely precise in detail.
More detail »Taken by the late Doris Wilson in the mid 1960s, the view is along Park Avenue towards Elwick Road with Ward Jackson Park on the right. The road is its traditional red colour which was supposedly agreed in the 1880s when the land was sold by Mr Wooler. Park Avenue, parts of Elwick Road near the park and the nearby Parade had red coloured tarmac.
Today that appears to have been forgotten and the road surface are black.
More detail »A young Sylvia Thompson on her prized silver and blue tricycle.
More detail »South African War Memorial, Ward Jackson Park, Hartlepool taken from a postcard which is postmarked just after it was unveiled in July 1905.
FW Doyle Jones mentioned on the picture was the West Hartlepool sculptor. There is more detail on another image of the statue.
More detail »An image taken from one of a number of glass plate negatives found in Frank Wright's shop in York Road, in the 1960s. The plates are believed to originate from the 1890s.
More detail »The Terrace, Ward Jackson Park, Hartlepool taken from a postcard around 100 years old.
More detail »The bandstand Ward Jackson Park, Hartlepool. This is most likely the first bandstand and not the one built in 1901 as it appears to be a different design.
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More detail »A Victorian lady takes a stroll around the lake in Ward Jackson Park in about 1890. The bandstand is not the current one which was built in 1901 and is of a different design. This older bandstand is referred to in a letter to the Northern Daily Mail in August 1894.
More detail »A Victorian lady with her parasol looks over the lake at Ward Jackson Park in about 1890.
More detail »The lake at Ward Jackson Park in 1901.
More detail »The Mayoress of Hartlepool putting the finishing touches to a tre planting ceremony, in Ward Jackson Park, whilst the Mayor looks on.
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More detail »An image taken from one of a number of glass plate negatives found in Frank Wright's shop in York Road, in the 1960s. The plates are believed to originate from the 1890s although this image shows the 1901 bandstand.
More detail »An image taken from one of a number of glass plate negatives found in Frank Wright's shop in York Road, in the 1960s. The plates are believed to originate from the 1890s, although the statue to commemorate the Boer War which was erected in 1905 is clearly visible on this picture.
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More detail »The gatehouse at Ward Jackson Park
More detail »Looking across the park lake, Tunstall Manor which was demolished in the 1920s can be seen.
More detail »Ward Jackson Park, Hartlepool overlooking the flower beds
More detail »Ward Jackson Park, Hartlepool showing the bandstand
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