Seaside towns are starting to appreciate what they had - and are sprucing up their parks thanks to Lottery funding

A comment received today:

It looks as though some seaside towns are starting to appreciate what they had and to believe that such things may once again be a draw for tourists.

The Mail gives us a look at how this is happening:

Vintage photographs reveal the sad decline of Britain’s parks (but there's good news… they're being spruced up with National Lottery funding)

• Park life in Britain is about to improve, thanks to a £33m Lottery cash injection
• The Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund announced the grant
• Thirteen UK parks from Fleetwood to Brighton will be restored

By TED THORNHILL FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 00:01, 9 January 2017

Park life in Britain is about to improve, thanks to a £33million Lottery cash injection.

The Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund announced the grant to restore and revitalise 13 public parks across the UK, including those in Great Yarmouth, Scarborough, Ramsgate, Fleetwood and Brighton.

Here MailOnline Travel outlines some of the plans, with fascinating vintage photographs revealing how some of the green spaces lined up for funding have become run-down and dreary.

£1.8m for Great Yarmouth Venetian Waterways

Venetian-style water gardens on the seafront of the popular seaside resort of Great Yarmouth opened in 1928. This image was taken in the 1950s

These Venetian-style water gardens on the seafront of the popular seaside resort of Great Yarmouth opened in 1928. 

Constructed as part of an unemployment relief programme after the First World War, the waterways were known for their whimsical design and lavish planting schemes.With winding rivers for gondolas, rock gardens, picturesque bridges, thatched shelters and winter ice skating, this park was nationally famous. 

The waterways have deteriorated and have lost much of their special character since the 1980’s. A grant of £1.8million will restore the original planting and repair the thatched shelters, bridges and the boating lake walls. A new cafe will be opened and people will be able to train in gardening and traditional building skills. 

£4million for Stanmer Park, Brighton 

As part of a wider plan to rejuvenate the whole of Stanmer Park (pictured today), a grant of over £4million will restore historic features

Set inside the South Downs National Park, the Grade II listed Stanmer Park was designed in the 18th century as the setting for Stanmer House, church and estate village. Now the largest public park in Brighton and Hove, it is used by 500,000 people annually. 

As part of a wider plan to rejuvenate the whole of this large estate, a grant of over £4million will restore historic features, improve the visitor facilities and encourage more local people to use the park. 

The use of the Walled Garden and greenhouses will be extended from a council run retail nursery to include a Plumpton College training centre for horticultural courses. Students and volunteers will help deliver some of the restoration work and a Friends’ Group will be re-established.

Vintage photographs reveal the sad decline of Britain’s parks | Daily Mail Online
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