Home » Travel » Leicestershire » Abbey Park - A Brief History.

Abbey Park - A Brief History.

© Elizabeth Batt

During the Medieval ages, religion was a dominant element of life in Leicestershire. This element created Abbey Park and helped to shape it's future into the park we know today. Of all the local religious chapters, the Augustinian order of the Abbey of Leicester was by far the most wealthiest, and their estates eventually became the second largest holding in all of England.

The Abbey was founded in 1132 by Robert le Bosu, Earl of Leicester and today, remnants of the Abbey can be seen within it's grounds, along with a memorial to Cardinal Wolsey who died at the Abbey in 1530, whilst on his way to London to answer a charge of treason.

Also unique to Abbey Park are some of the walls enclosing it. The wall which runs along St. Margarets Way and the walls which border the Abbey Park Road, date back to medieval times and still stand today.

In 1538, King Henry VIII caused the Abbey's closure and the park became the possession of the crown. In 1562, it was passed down to the Hastings family and eventually to the Cavendishes. William Cavendish, first Earl of Devonshire, built Cavendish House, around 1600 from the remains of the Abbey. The house, of which the ruins still remain, was burnt down in 1645 by Royalist troops during the Civil War.

During the 1800's, designs were invited for the development of the park, a park which when completed, would provide Victorian Leicester with a little piece of countryside. The design was won by Barron and Sons of Derby, work began and on May 29th 1882, the park was opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Barron and Sons design still dominates the park which we know today and the main entrance, which was built to allow the passing of horse drawn carriages can still be seen. Wrought iron gates bearing crests were established, bordered on both sides by Tudor houses built by architect James Tait. These houses still welcome the visitor into Abbey Park and unlike Cavendish House, they remain in excellent condition.

In 1925, the Earl of Dysart offered the Town Council Leicester Abbey grounds as a gift, and these were incorporated into the existing public grounds. Today, not far form the park itself, runs the busy road of 'Dysart Way,' no doubt named with gratitude to the very Earl himself.

In 1939 and opened by the Mayor, the aviary was added to Abbey Park. Large collections of foreign and domestic birds were added and the park accomplished one more step in realising it's goal of becoming a true 'People's Park.'

The copyright of the article Abbey Park - A Brief History. in Leicestershire is owned by . Permission to republish Abbey Park - A Brief History. in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.