As part of our ‘Design and Technology’ unit (Making Playgrounds) and in the interest of ‘Cultural Capital’ – Year 6 visited the historic ‘Birkenhead Park’. 

 

 

A Brief History of Birkenhead Park

1847

Print representing a crowd from the Victorian period in front of the Grand Entrance

On Easter Monday, Birkenhead Park was officially opened by Lord Morpeth and thousands of people attended the ceremony. On the same day, the new Birkenhead docks were also inaugurated.

1850

Frederick Law Olmsted reading a paper

Frederick Law Olmsted, an agricultural engineer and landscape architect from America – visited the park and was impressed by its democratic ideals. He coined the term ‘the People’s Garden’ and would eventually go on to design Central Park in New York, based on the social and economic models of Birkenhead Park.

1858 - 1859

Plans of Central Park New York from 1860

Work began on Central Park in New York in 1858. In the following year, at the height of the Central Park project, the commissioners voted to send Olmsted off to England, where he visited Birkenhead Park for the second time.

 

Y6 Birkenhead Park