Stevens Park
The Peace Memorial and Garden, in Stevens Park
Stevens Park, Quarry Bank is located in West Midlands county
Stevens Park, Quarry Bank
LocationQuarry Bank, West Midlands
OS gridSO 926 856
Coordinates52°28′5″N 2°6′37″W / 52.46806°N 2.11028°W / 52.46806; -2.11028
Area7 hectares (17 acres)
Established1922
FounderErnest Stevens
Operated byMetropolitan Borough of Dudley
Websitewww.dudley.gov.uk/see-and-do/parks-open-spaces/the-parks-in-the-borough/stevens-park-quarry-bank/

Stevens Park is a park of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in Quarry Bank, West Midlands, England.

Description

The park was donated in 1922 by the local industrialist Ernest Stevens to the people of Quarry Bank.[1]

The area of the park is about 7 hectares (17 acres). There are many areas of managed grass, including a football pitch; there are two tennis courts, a children's play area, a skate park, a wildflower area and a bandstand.[2]

Peace Memorial

The Peace Memorial, within the park, is a memorial to the 148 members of the local community who died in the First World War. Ernest Stevens contributed most of the cost, and he designated it as a Peace Memorial. It was designed by Alfred Long, who had an architectural practice in West Bromwich, and the sculpture was created by George Edward Wade. It was unveiled and dedicated in October 1931 by the Dean of Worcester, William Moore Ede.[1][3]

After the Second World War, the names of 50 men who died were added; the name of a soldier who died in Afghanistan was later added.[3]

The monument, a more than life-sized figure of Christ, facing west, stands on a tall pylon of Portland stone; to the rear is the memorial wall. A low stone wall and railing surrounds the site. The memorial and garden are Grade II listed.[1][3]

Restoration

The bandstand

Dudley Council and Friends of Stevens Park were awarded funding from Parks for People (National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery Community Fund) towards restoration and development work, which was completed in 2021.[2][4]

Improvements included restoration of footpaths and the bandstand, and new access to the memorial within the Peace Garden. Tintern House (formerly the White House) was restored and extended to create a community café and meeting room. The Emily Jordan Foundation, a charity working to support people with learning disabilities, will operate from the building, and a range of activities and events will be delivered from the park.[2][4]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stevens Park, Quarry Bank.
  1. 1 2 3 "Quarry Bank Stevens Park" Men & Memorials of Dudley. The Black Country Society. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "Stevens Park – Quarry Bank" Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Historic England. "Quarry Bank Peace Memorial and Garden (1442310)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  4. 1 2 " Restoration of Stevens Park completes" Speller Metcalfe, 12 August 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
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