Abbey Park

Abbey Park lies in Leicester beside the River Soar. The city council owns the land, which was once marshy ground between the river and the canal. In 1882 the park opened with bandstands, rustic bridges and planted gardens designed by William Barron. The Prince and Princess of Wales attended the opening ceremony that year. Over 33,000 trees were planted and an artificial lake created. Excavations during the work uncovered bones of animals such as elephants and rhinoceros. The park now includes the medieval St Mary’s Abbey site west of the river. The abbey’s boundary walls date from the 15th and 16th centuries and are Grade I listed. Archaeologists uncovered the buried foundations of the abbey church and monastic buildings in the 1920s and 1930s. Low stone walls mark the foundations and a stone bridge links the two parts of the park. A memorial slab and statue honour Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who died nearby in 1530. Visitors find formal gardens, a sensory garden and two lakes for boating and model boats. A miniature railway runs since 1949 and a visitor centre with a cafe stands near the play area. Tennis courts, a bowling green and a bandstand provide recreation. The park also has a pets corner and a memorial to the radio station that once occupied a gatehouse lodge. Paths wind through the gardens and beside the river, leading to the abbey ruins and the charred remains of Cavendish House.