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Sutton Park History

  • Thread starter Thread starter O.C.
  • Start date Start date
Cromwell - Do you by any chance have any further information on this, from an earlier posting of yours?

The 6th Warwickshire Home Guard (Sutton) did demonstration exercises in the park showing what they were capable of doing.

(Fascinating thread, by the way, and thanks for all your historical information. I think that much of the miniature railway, mentioned in one or two postings, ended up in Rhyl and still operates there - can find out more if anyone's interested).

Chris
 
Chris I have put lots of snippets here and there but dont want the go off topic so saving material for Home Guard Post on the Main Site ..when I get round to it as other things going on at the moment.

John I must say the photo of the kids in the paddling pool bought back a few memories Great photo.
 
Sutton Park and the Home Guard

Thanks, Cromwell, quite understood. Will look forward to more, as and when.

Chris
 
I came across a story sometime ago about a chap who had learnt to row on the lake in Sutton Park and really enjoyed it, 25 years later he decided to row single handed across the Atlantic Ocean the chaps name stuck in my mind as it was Sid Genders and he was about 50 years old, he took his rowing boat to Cornwall put it into the sea and the next time he got out of the boat on land it was in Antigua in the Caribbean and as far as I know never returned to the so called rat race he left behind. He made a fair bit of money in publishing his story as the first man to row from Britain to the Americas 1969-1970s
 
What a great story Cromwell. I am now racking my brain to remember the name, I wonder if I knew him. I worked on the boats at Bracebridge about 1968/69 in the summer holidays. I was taught to row and can still do it!
 
If I remember right it was serialized in one of the papers and he learned to row just after the war
 
blackroot paddle boats

When I was filming in blackroot saw mills not so long ago
in one of the buildings there was quite a few of the old paddle boats
most in very good condition and still painted up and was told there
where more in the other buidlings as well. Pity we cannot see them
back on the lakes again.
 
What a vast place it is. We went there a few times many years ago but this year I went back for the first time and it was just as beautiful as I remembered it to be. I took the grandkids and they ran their little legs off; so good for children when there's nowhere else to run around like that these days.

Does anyone know which is the nearest gate to Walsall?

Cromwell your knowledge is endless, thanks for all these snippets of history about the place.

ChrisB
 
suttonpark

the nearest gate i know is by the road that come down from kingstanding and that's by walsall is it called ruff road or something like that iv only been back once in the last 40 years sorry
 
Harborne it depends which way you are coming from Walsall....the 3 busiest gates I would say are..... The main gate off Park Road, Boldmere gate, and Banners gate which was properly the gate you would use, its located on the corner of Chester Road and Momouth Drive....facing Rough Road....But there are many gates located around the park.....
 
opposite the pub

the nearest road to walsall is nearly opposite the old parson and clerk
now the beefeater down the path to the butts think if I remember right its called sir harrys ride as it used to be his regular ride on his horse.
 
Proper name is Lord Donagal's Ride which leads down to the Old Targets (the Butts) Gate was known as the Brandy Gate which was near the Royal Oak Inn (Parson & Clark)
 
Thanks for your replies. When I went in summer (April!) I went in via Banners Gate but it took ages on the bus so I was wondering if there was an entrance at Streetly but apparently not. I'll see if I can find the one at Kingstanding.


ChrisB
 
Years ago there were 9 Gates I only use 3 now soon I dont know if the others are still open or not
Palace Gate
Windley Gate
Boldmere Gate
Banners Gate
Royal Oak Gate
Streetley Gate
Four Oaks Gate
Hartopp Road Gate
Midland Gate
 
And I don't suppose you remember the R.A.C. Rally that was held in Sutton Park which was watched by over 20.000 people that took place in 1972 but "Friends of the Park" put paid to future events but nothing was ruined and no one was injured and Sutton made a few bob
 
Rac Rally

still got some film of it will have a look and see if I can get some still images off it
 
Cromwell.....I think the last Rally was in the late 1970's or earlier 80's....two reasons why I know it was later than 72 is because I took my son to one of them, and he wasn't born until 1977....and I had one rally drive who got completly lost drive across my front lawn when I was living in Great Barr...again this was after 1977.....I don't know if it a RAC Rally or not...but it was a Rally Stage....
 
Harborne,There is a pedestrian entrance on Streetly Lane. If you get off the bus to Sutton on the Walsall Road near to Edge Hill Road. Go across the road and go down Park View Road this will take you strait to a small gate entrance. This is just a suggestion there may be better ones.
 
It might be worth noting you cannot drive from gate to gate anymore, the roads are controlled by locked gates,
 
MomaP that sounds really handy, I'll do that next time. Thanks for that.

Chris
 
Just at the top of Kingstanding Wood there is Donegal Rd and just up a bit it, on an old map it continues into the Park as Lord Donegal's Ride
What connection did Lord Donegal have with Sutton or the park ? anyone got any idea ?
 
Entrance Gates To Sutton Park

The gates in to Sutton Park from the main town are :
+TOWN GATE: MAIN ENTRANCE. Cars & Pedestrians
WYNDLY GATE: Old Main Gate now PEDESTRIAN ONLY.
BOLDMERE GATE: Cars & Pedestrians
BANNERS GATE :Cars & Pedestrians
one pedestrian entrance on Chester Road North.
*ROYAL OAK GATE: pedestian & fire access.
2 pedestrian entrances on Thornhill Road.
*STREETLY GATE: Cars & Pedestrians.
4 pedestrian entrances on Streetly Lane.
FOUR OAKS GATE: Cars & Pedestrians.
HARTOPP GATE: Cars & Pedestrians.

* Bus to Walsall passes these Gates.
+ Sutton /Walsall Bus stops Sutton Parade, this Gate is in walking distance down Park Road.
 
Thanks for your replies. Have cut and pasted them so I can take them with me next time I go. No idea re Donegal, Crom.

Chris
 
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