Multi-million pound makeover for St Annes park

More than £2 million is to be lavished on St Annes’ historic gardens.

Ashton Gardens will get a major restoration following the award of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £1,436,000.

The long-awaited scheme for the Grade II-listed gardens was set to start at any time as Fylde Life went to press.

The massive plans include the re-siting of Ashton Institute and the creation of a new entrance in St George’s Road.  The colonial-style pavilion will be moved so it is situated between the lodge buildings in St George’s Road, on the site of a theatre which was originally part of the park. This will be used as a community facility/café.

All of the gardens’ individual areas – rock and water garden, rose garden, sunken garden and war memorial – will all be spruced up.

The war memorial will get special attention with the installation of special lighting to highlight its presence in the 20-acre parkland.

Landscape work will include improvements to the play area, drainage, paving, tree works and the replanting of each of the various display gardens.
Experienced landscape architects Bertram Hyde and historic architects Donald Insall Associates are both part of the team responsible for envisaging and delivering the project.

Ashton Gardens were originally established as a garden by the Land and Building Company in 1874, and were originally called St George’s Gardens. The park was placed to provide attractive recreational areas for residents and visitors as part of the town’s design.

The improvement of the gardens was mooted as long as 10 years ago when Safeway first announced its interest in the town.

However, the supermarket firm’s plans to buy part of the gardens - and donate cash for the restoration of the rest – met universal disapproval. Feelings ran so high, a massive protest march was held and campaigner Barbara Pagett was elected to Fylde Borough Council over the issue after she made an impassioned plea to save the facility.

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