Ashton Park - Izeria

Ashton Park is situated in Ashton-on-Ribble to the west of Preston, Lancashire, England. It has one bowling green, two play areas, with swings, roundabouts and climbing frames, several football pitches within a large, main field, and contains within it a magnificent country house. It is the headquarters of the Armed Forces Group, Dig in North West and Let's Grow Preston. These are all situated within the walled garden that also contains the Peace garden the fruit garden and Ashton Community Garden. It also has a beautiful woodland area, ornamental gardens and many flower beds. Ashton House, the large country house within the park, has recently undergone extensive repair and restoration and is particularly well used as a children's nursery school. Extensive parking facilities are provided in the park which is located immediately to the south of Blackpool Road, which proceeds westwards to Cottam. Nearby on the southern side are the docks, and Riversway complex, containing many offices and shops including Morrisons, McDonald's, and Pets at Home. To the west are the Larches and Savick estates and Lea.

1. History

Ashton Park has a colourful history started by the Pedders family, who had made their fortune by founding the Old Preston Bank (located on Church St), built the Ashton Estate and Mansion in 1810 and lived there until 1861. Nearby Pedders Street and Pedders Lane are testimony to the importance of the family. When Edward Pedder died in 1861, it became apparent that there were not sufficient funds to pay all the demands on the bank and so the estate and its contents had to be sold. The park was then purchase by Edmund Robert Harris, who became Preston's greatest public benefactor and left the mansion to the governors of Queen Anne's Bounty for the benefit of poor clergy, which evolved into the Church Commissioners. After the death of Harris in 1877 the estate was sold again. After many changes of ownership, the Calverts, mill owners, sold the mansion to English Electric at the end of World War I, who used it as a social club and for sporting activities. The best known from this period was Dick, Kerr's Ladies football team. In 1937, Preston Town Council finally bought Ashton Park for the sum of £27.00 and the mansion, Ashton House was sold to Lancashire County Council who turned it into a care home for the elderly. In the 1990s the house was sold to its present owners of the pre-school.

1. Ashton Park Ranger

Ashton Park has its own dedicated Park Ranger who carries out daily patrols and inspections, to makes sure with the grounds maintenance staff, the park is tidy and safe. In addition the Ranger organises Environmental, Historical and Creative events for schools, community groups and general public.

1. Friends of Ashton Park

Established in 2002, the Friends of Ashton Park work in partnership with the Park Ranger and the Councils Parks Development Team. The Friends play a major role in the organisation of community events and contribute to management decisions, they also help raise funding for improvements and new facilities.

1. External links

visitPreston – Preston Parks

Nearby Places View Menu

Ashton Community Science College

Ashton Community Science College is a coeducational secondary school located in the Ashton-on-Ribble area of Preston in the English county of Lancashire. It is a community school administered by Lancashire County Council. The school also has a specialism in science. Feeder primary schools include Ashton Primary School and St Andrews CE Primary School in Ashton-on-Ribble, Lea Community Primary School and Lea Endowed CE Primary School in Lea, and Cottam Primary School in Cottam. Ashton Community Science College offers GCSEs, BTECs and OCR Nationals as programmes of study for pupils. The school also offers The Duke of Edinburgh's Award programme. The school was originally called Ashton-on-Ribble High School.

Community Centre School

Riversway

Riversway was an electoral ward in Preston, Lancashire, England. The ward was named for its location close to the River Ribble, and the historical links to the former Port of Preston. The ward comprised three distinct areas; the former Docklands, now a shopping area and residential community, with new build apartments and housing overlooking the dock; Broadgate, the residential area built during the Industrial Revolution; and Christ Church, a community of traditional terraced housing. The ward contained the administrative headquarters of Lancashire County Council. Riversway returned three members to Preston City Council, elected 'in thirds' in first past the post elections each year. The ward formed part of the Lancashire County Council electoral division of Preston City. The ward was abolished for the 2019 Preston City Council election. The Docklands area was transferred to Ashton ward; areas east of the A582 Strand Road/Guild Way became part of the new City Centre ward.

Government Neighbourhood

St Andrew's Church, Ashton-on-Ribble

St Andrew's Church is in Blackpool Road, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Preston, the archdeaconry of Lancaster, and the diocese of Blackburn. The Church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building, and is the burial site of Edmund Robert Harris (c.1804 - 1877), the principal benefactor of a range of local institutions, from the Harris Museum to the Harris Technical School (now known as the University of Lancashire). He is buried in a triple coffin in the Church vault.

Church Landmark

Larches, Preston

Larches is one of the districts of Preston, Lancashire, England. The area, north-west of Preston city centre, is a mix of social and private housing, although both components of the ward – Larches, and Savick – are largely post-war council estates. Ashton Park is in the middle of the current ward, which borders Riversway and the civil parish of Lea. The area of Larches is part of Ashton-on-Ribble, which was part of the former hundred of Amounderness. With small businesses and shops in the area, the population are largely commute-to-work families and retirees. The citywide Preston Bus service runs through both sides of the Larches ward, and routes operated by Stagecoach between Preston and Blackpool also serve the area. Three members of Preston City Council, elected 'in thirds' in first past the post elections each year, are returned from the ward. The ward and neighbouring Ashton forms part of the Lancashire County Council electoral division of Preston North West.

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