History of Buffery Park

The park was built on old mine shafts around 1900. At the time there were flower show events and open air band stand concerts being held regularly. The present park started to take shape in the 40 and 50’s. Like its sister - Grange Park, the park was aimed at working class families. People could come and forget their troubles, play ball games, relax alongside beautiful flower beds and shrubs. The premises were maintained by their own garden staff too. The park had 4 tennis courts, a cricket pitch, toilets and changing rooms and even a putting green in its heyday. Buffery Park's main feature was the glass greenhouse situated at the top end of the park opposite the greenhouses and sheds, where the staff were based. Sadly today none of these fantastic features exist anymore. In the late 1970’s the greenhouse was left to go into disrepair and was knocked down.

The Sons Of Rest Building was opened in 1950 and was used mainly be the bowling club. The building was given a re launch in 1969 but sadly with falling numbers using the building it became a victim of vandalism. Unlike the greenhouse the sons of Rest Building still stands today, a former shadow of itself.

In the 1980s the park budgets were cut dramatically and Buffery Park was down graded to a neighborhood park. The tennis courts and nets were left to go into disrepair, leaving only the surface remaining. Changing rooms were demolished in 1987. The park maintenance was cut to the minimum with only basic grass and hedge maintenance carried out. There are still relics from the past if you walk around the park today, such as the circle where the old Bandstand used to be situated all those years ago.

There are still pictures of many old park keepers and the older generations have fond memories of how the park was all those years ago, especially with the green house in its full glory and when the circus visited the park in the 70s - people will never forget the sight of seeing an elephant on the football pitch! In 1977 when it was the silver jubilee year, parties were held in the Sons of Rest building. I was there! Local Comedian Lenny Henry who was a local lad himself, still loves to talk about his childhood roots and growing up on Buffery Park.