Heritage gates restored to former glory
The entrance gates to a borough park have been restored to their former glory.
Dudley Council has used Brierley Hill High Street Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) funding to repair and restore the gates which have stood at the Seager’s Lane and Church Street entrances to Marsh Park for more than 100 years.
Marsh Park was given to the people of Brierley Hill by Messrs. Marsh and Baxter Ltd “to recognise it was only right for the children to have a playground in the district” and provide open space for them to be ‘free, safe and to enjoy themselves’.
It was opened in September 1921 in a grand ceremony led by Mrs Elsie Marsh, wife of Ernest Marsh of Marsh and Baxter Ltd where the Church Street gate was unlocked with a golden key.
Marsh Park is in the south-west of the Brierley Hill High Street Conservation Area and is an Archaeological Priority Area (APA).
The council has been working in partnership with the Friends of Marsh Park on the project.
Councillor Paul Bradley, deputy leader of Dudley Council, said:
“Marsh Park is one of a number of heritage projects being supported in Brierley Hill though the Brierley Hill High Street Heritage Action Zone, along with the restoration of the war memorial and improvements to the civic hall green.
“The park provides an important area of green open space for residents, but its landscape also acts as a visible reminder of the former industry of the town, where the extraction of clay was used to supply fire bricks to the local glass and metal working industries.
“I encourage people to come and visit Brierley Hill in order to see the park and all of the other heritage projects we are delivering.
Frank Chamberlain, chair of the Friends of Marsh Park, said:
“The Friends of Marsh Park & Lawyers Field would like to thank all those involved in making this project possible. The gates are an important and long-lived feature of our landscape and we hope they will welcome thousands more visitors to the park for the next 100 years.”
For more information on the regeneration projects in Brierley Hill go to https://www.regeneratingdudley.org.uk/brierley-hill-projects and https://www.dudley.gov.uk/brierley-hill-haz
For more information about the Friends of Marsh Park https://www.facebook.com/groups/friendsmarsh/
Contact Information
Dudley Council
Notes to editors
Picture caption:
From left to right: Councillor Paul Bradley, deputy leader of the council and Frank Chamberlain, chair of the Friends of Marsh Park
Notes to editors:
About High Streets Heritage Action Zones
Historic England is working with local people and partners through grant funding and sharing skills to help breathe new life into high streets that are rich in heritage and full of promise - unlocking their potential and making them more attractive to residents, businesses, tourists and investors. The High Streets Heritage Action Zones https://historicengland.org.uk/services-skills/heritage-action-zones/regenerating-historic-high-streets/ scheme, backed by government funding, aims to help with the recovery of local high streets from regenerating historic buildings to helping to engage local communities through art and cultural projects .
About Historic England
Historic England is the public body that helps people care for, enjoy and celebrate England’s spectacular historic environment, from beaches and battlefields to parks and pie shops. It protects, champions and saves the places that define who we are and where we’ve come from as a nation. It cares passionately about the stories these places tell, the ideas they represent and the people who live, work and play among them. Working with communities and specialists it shares its passion, knowledge and skills to inspire interest, care and conservation, so everyone can keep enjoying and looking after the history that surrounds them.