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History Of Cowling
Recreation Ground & War Memorial
Based on
Cowling Recreation Ground Covenant of
1923
At the Annual
Parish Council Meeting
on 17th March 1919 the
subject of providing a
War Memorial was on the
agenda.
The members wanted it to
be a worthy tribute to
those who had lost their
lives in the recent
Great War of 1914-18.
The sacrifice they had
made must be honoured
and always remembered.
The proposal was to
build a Memorial Shelter
and make a recreation
ground to provide
facilities for healthy
outdoor activities,
games, sports and a
children's play area.
Since 1890 Cowling
Cricket Club had rented
a field which was used
for grazing cattle.
Cowling Temperance Band
had a hut on the site
for their practices too.
This field had good
access to the main road
and was in the centre of
the village.
In 1923 Mr. Everett
Binns, a local mill
owner, purchased a field
lower down the village,
and as a certain amount
of work had to be done
to the ground it was
1925 when the first
match was played there
(the current cricket and
football field).
IT WAS THEREFORE
UNANIMOUSLY DECIDED THAT
THE OLD CRICKET FIELD
WAS THE IDEAL SITE FOR
THE MEMORIAL AND
RECREATION GROUND.
The land was now owned
by six sisters - Dorothy
Pickles, Elizabeth
Smith, Hannah Cowgill,
Janey Smith, Millicent
Brigg and Penninah
Smith, all but one
having had sons serving
in the war, they were
anxious to safeguard the
value and importance of
this land. They agreed
to sell, but only if its
status and uses were
protected forever.
Therefore a Covenant was
set up and the deeds
clearly state and demand
that "THE LAND SHOULD BE
SET APART AND FOR EVER
USED AND MAINTAINED AS A
RECREATION GROUND FOR
THE INHABITANTS OF
COWLING, AND PART
THEREOF AS A PERMANENT
MEMORIAL TO THE OFFICERS
AND MEN OF COWLING WHO
FELL IN THE GREAT WAR'".
Instructions as to its
management are noted in
the Covenant and the
limitations to its use.
It clearly states that
it can never be sold nor
any part thereof. One
could look on it as
Cowling's Village Green!
It was agreed that the
land be purchased with
money raised by public
subscription. Over £700
was donated which more
than covered the cost.
The building work,
landscaping, levelling,
walling and other costs
would be raised by
efforts. A three day
Bazaar held in the
Methodist Chapel
Schoolroom was expected
to raise £1,200.
Everyone worked hard to
get things moving.
The Memorial was to be
in the form of a
handsome dressed stone
Shelter with oak seating
and a glass partition.
This was set in a
landscaped Rose Garden
looking across to
Cowling Hill. The Plaque
was placed on the wall
of the shelter facing
the road. It had the 27
names of men who gave
their lives in the Great
War 1914-18 and later 7
men who died in the
1939-45 War were added.
Another Memorial in the
Holy Trinity Church Yard
lists 54 names from the
1914-18 War and 8 names
from the 1939-45 War.
Tennis Courts were laid
out and a Putting Green
too. Swings, slide,
see-saw and sandpit were
in place and seats all
around the field. The
seats along the west
facing wall were very
popular as you faced the
sun and were out of the
wind!
In 1937 a former
resident Mr. Stephen
Hartley made a generous
gift of a pavilion for
the use of the tennis
players and spectators.
The tennis courts were
very well used for many
years. The putting green
was turned into
allotments during the
second war as there was
a campaign to "Dig for
Victory". It was used
until the early 1950's
and then grassed over.
John Binns & Sons of
Croft Mill gave money to
landscape and plant rose
beds and borders on the
occasion of their
centenary.
The Annual Gala is
always held on the
field, this is always a
popular event with all
the usual attractions
including a fair, also
Gala Queen, sports, fell
race and clay pigeon
shoot. The proceeds
always going to local
groups.
Sadly, patterns of
behaviour have declined
-the Tennis Pavilion was
vandalised in the
1980's, and then burned
down. The War Memorial
Shelter suffered too -
that was taken down as
it was being made unsafe
and a simple stone
structure was erected in
its place and the former
Plaque placed on it.
The Remembrance Service
is held there each
alternate year with the
Parish Church Memorial. |
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