Rothamsted Park is a

public park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to r ...

in Harpenden, Hertfordshire.

History

The park was formerly part of the

Manor of Rothamsted Rothamsted Manor is a former Manorialism, manor and current manor house, situated in Harpenden Rural in the England, English county of Hertfordshire. A Grade I listed building, dating in part from the 17th century, it is now an events venue, while ...

, later Rothamsted estate, owned by Sir John Lawes. He initiated agricultural experiments in 1843, which led to the founding of the nearby

Rothamsted Experimental Station Rothamsted Research, previously known as the Rothamsted Experimental Station and then the Institute of Arable Crops Research, is one of the oldest agricultural research institutions in the world, having been founded in 1843. It is located at Har ...

. He also created the formal entrance from Leyton Road to what is now the Park and planted the avenue of Lime trees. In 1931, the family decided to sell the estate, and after a successful public appeal, the Experimental Station was able to finance its purchase of the estate in 1934. In 1938 the Harpenden Urban District Council purchased the land now known as Rothamsted park from the Experimental Station, in order to provide playing fields and to preserve an important open space. Rothamsted Park is also home to Harpenden Town FC. The Park's main entrance gates were removed for salvage during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, and after the war the restoration of the entrance was paid for by the Friends Provident Insurance Company.

References

St Albans City Council site
Parks and open spaces in Hertfordshire Harpenden {{commons category, Rothamsted Park