Friends of Edgar's Field Park

Edgar's Field is a public park in Chester's southern suburb of Handbridge immediately south of the River Dee near the Old Dee Bridge. On the sandstone outcrop towards the centre of the park is the Roman shrine to the goddess Minerva. It is now the only monument of its kind in Western Europe that remains in its original location.

The field takes its name from King Edgar, the great-grandson of Alfred the Great. After his coronation he brought his fleet to Chester. It is thought that he was rowed up the River Dee from the field to attend a service in St John's Church.

Edgar's Field was laid out as a public park by the first Duke of Westminster, Hugh Lupus Grosvenor who presented it to the City of Chester in 1892 as one of the family's many philanthropic activities.

Friends of Edgar's Field Park is a group of local residents and other park users whose aims include working with the Council to:

Promote the heritage, education, safe use and enjoyment of the Park for all users of all ages
Act as a voice for local people, residents and visitors to the Park regarding its upkeep and its amenities
Encourage and to help resource new facilities, activities and events, which are in keeping with the Park's history and traditions

Snowdrops - January 2012

snowdrops1

Five, four, three, two, one - Lights On !

edgars field christmas tree 2

Locals, Friends of Edgar's Field Park, Cllr. Daniels, Cllr. Sullivan, Stephen Mosley MP got the Christmas season off to a sparkly start with the switch on of the Edgar's Field Christmas tree lights.

Planning Application affecting the Park

The Friends have been faced with the enormous responsibility of publicising a planning application by the Ship Inn to build an extension on land belonging to the park.

With limited resources volunteers are working hard to ensure that as many of the people of Handbridge and of the wider community, have a chance to see the plans and hear the many reasons why we think the plans should be refused by the planning department and by the council.

So far, not only have hundreds of Handbridge residents submitted objections to the plans, so too have the following:

The Chester Civic Trust has objected to the Ship Inn plans saying "this proposal would be detrimental to the character of Edgar's Field."
Design and Conservation Officer, Cheshire West & Chester Council concludes his submission on the proposal with: "it would affect seriously and negatively the character and appearance of the area, especially in this exposed and sensitive location. Therefore I can only strongly recommend the refusal of this application."
Queens Park High School
St. Mary's Community Nursery School
Overleigh Day Nursery
Overleigh St. Mary's CE Primary School

The Friends have submitted their own objection to the recently Amended Plans. You can read it here (pdf).

Covenants on Edgar's Field Park

When the Duke of Westminster, Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, gifted Edgar's Field Park to the community in 1892 a number of covenants were attached to the land to safeguard it as a public park for future generations.

These covenants include the following:

THAT no intoxicating liquor of any kind shall be allowed to be sold or vended within the boundaries of the Park by any person or persons whomsoever.
THAT no building shall be erected in the Park without the previous consent of the said Duke of Westminster his heirs and successors in title owner for the time being of the Grosvenor Family Estates and that the Corporation or their successors shall not without such consent as aforesaid make any alteration in the laying out of the said Park or in the buildings ornamental plantation roads or pathways therein or thereon.
...nor shall the Park be in anywise used or employed for the pecuniary benefit of any private person or persons or of any Corporate or Public body whatsoever...
AND in consideration of the Gift and conveyance hereinbefore contained the Mayor Aldermen and Citizens for themselves and their successors Do hereby covenant promise and agree with and to the said Hugh Lupus Duke of Westminster his heirs and assigns in manner following that is to say that they and their successors will abide by and observe the several provisions and restrictions herein contained and so that the park may be held by the Corporation and their successors in trust and for the use and enjoyment of the inhabitants of the said City and County Borough of Chester and in particular of the Inhabitants of Handbridge aforesaid for ever according to the true intent and meaning of these presents

These covenants were placed to prevent precisely the type of commercial exploitation of the park proposed by the Ship Inn. The Friends strongly believe that the Council has a legal duty to ensure that these covenants are upheld.

Read the full document (pdf).