War Memorial Park

The War Memorial Park is a large park of about 48.5 hectares situated in southern Coventry. The park was opened in July 1921 as a tribute to the 2,587 Coventrians who died between 1914 and 1918 fighting in the First World War. Coventry Council bought the land from the Lords of Styvechale Manor, the Gregory-Hood family, when it was little more than a large grassed area that once formed Styvechale common.The landscaped gardens and sports areas were originally created in the late-1920s and 1930s, and the most prominent construction in the park is the Coventry war memorial monument, built in 1927.The park's features include football pitches, bowling greens, a small golf course, tennis courts, a splash and play area, an aviary for small birds, and a skate board area, but it mainly comprises large open green areas with many trees and shrubberies. A perimeter path lies just inside the park's boundaries, and now encircles the entire park following completion of groundwork on the south-western segment in the summer of 2006. Visitors may park their cars in the park's main car park, which is also used by visitors to Coventry city centre who use the park and ride scheme. The park is the venue for a number of annual events including the Godiva Festival, Donkey Derby, Caribbean Festival and the Vaisakhi Mela. The park also holds weekly parkruns – free, timed 5km runs – that attract over 300 people to the park every Saturday. In July 2013 the park gained green flag status, retaining it in 2017.On 16 July 2014 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge visited the park to formally launch the Centenary Fields programme of the Fields in Trust by granting the first designation under the scheme to the park.
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