Ellington Park Regeneration Project
Ellington Park is a 126 year old late Victorian and Edwardian landscaped park across 13 acres of land in the Central Harbour Ward of Ramsgate, Thanet. Ellington Park was laid out in 1893 on land once part of the estate surrounding Ellington House. The park was designed by the Victorian landscape company Joseph Cheal and Son, known for their work at Hever Castle and Kirkstall Abbey.
Today, many of the heritage features of the park remain including over 390 trees, which dapple the rolling slopes of the park, which over 90,000 visitors per year enjoy; it is a well-used and loved feature of community life.
“Its greenery and shade provide a good antidote to the sands” – Travel Guide to Ramsgate, early 1900’s.
Development of Ellington Park
National Lottery Players have funded the Ellington Park project via the Heritage Fund, which will renovate the bandstand; restore the best features of the original 1893 Joseph Cheal landscape scheme; improve play facilities; and provide a much needed cafe and toilets, alongside 5 years of activity in the park.
Thanet District Council and Friends of Ellington Park are working closely together with newly appointed design team: Landscape Architects – Allen Scott, Architects – Clague, and Project Manager, Contract Administrator and Quantity Surveyor – Woodley Coles who have designed a park for the people and unlocked a £2m investment in Ellington Park.
You can view PDF’s of the scheme below:
Timeline for the works to the park
National Lottery Heritage Fund Parks for People funding was secured in January 2019, following an 18 month development phase, where extensive surveys, design and consultation was carried out, leading to; designs which secured planning permission, 5 year activity plan, cafe business plan and a successful application.
The project will continue over the next 5 years; 2019 Detailed design and procurement to ensure a quality development and value for money. Community digital archiving project begins.
2019 to 2021 Capital works in the park, phased to ensure public access continues and will include new build of cafe and toilet building on the terrace, bandstand restoration, new signage and interpretation and landscaping works. Community digital archiving project continues and informs interpretation, including website, app and signage.
2021 to 2024 activities in the park. 120,000 individual visits per year and increase the depth of engagement with the park and its landscape and history providing learning, skills and volunteering opportunities for over 1,700 people.
Get Involved
We are always on the lookout for new volunteers to support the project – if you have some time to give and are keen to support the park please email hayley.white@thanet.gov.uk
We will also be providing monthly park updates on the new Thanet residents e-newsletter – The Wave so please sign up here
Consultations
During 2017 and 2018 we carried out extensive consultation with over 6,000 local residents, users of the park and those who live nearby to tell us how they used it and how the park could be improved. This consultation highlighted:
- 85% of people want toilet and café facilities
- 85% of people want to see the bandstand improved
- 70% people wanted music and performance events in the park
The challenges
- Over 200 people commented on dog behaviour and fouling being a problem in the park
- 21% of people did not feel safe in the park, due to poor lighting and Anti-Social Behaviour
- More than 98% of people believed the park does, or has the possibility to; enhance people’s lives and sense of community.
Friends of Ellington Park
The Friends of Ellington Park are a committee made up of a group of local residents and park users committed to improving the facilities and environment of Ellington Park.
The Friends have been instrumental in the upkeep and development of the park, including the recent successful application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund Heritage , alongside running activities and events and fundraising to improve the park.
Related news
Last month in Ellington Park there was a focus on landscape design, in particular reviewing the planting schemes planned for the park’s regeneration project, which take into consideration the results of a consultation on public use and the historic designs.
October in Ellington Park was focused on its heritage and preserving the park’s history digitally, via the archive project.
September in Ellington Park had a focus on trees and ecology, specifically bats.
August in Ellington Park saw a continued focus on heritage as the first set of training took place for the volunteers leading the digital archive project.