Eirias Heritage Trail
PORTH
EIRIAS
1
A55
3
2
A55
4
5
19
18
6
16
17
20
7
YSGOL EIRIAS
EIRIAS SCHOOL
8
14
15
HEDDLU
POLICE
CANOLFAN HAMDDEN
LEISURE CENTRE
9
10
11
Ffordd Abergele
12
13
ad
ele Ro
Aberg
© Hawlfraint y Goron a hawliau cronfa ddata 2014 Arolwg Ordnans 100023408
© Crown copyright and database rights 2014 Ordnance Survey 100023408
Walk Information
A circular walk around eirias Park starting from Porth Eirias.
Terrain: Gradual climb on pavement and paths with steps
Distance: 2.7 kilometres, 1.7 miles.
Time: About 90 minutes
Paths: Pavement and grass.
Kissing gates. None
Dogs: Please keep dogs under close control at all times.
Map: Explorer OL17.
Start and finish grid reference: SH856789, Porth Eirias.
Refreshments: Leisure Centre
Parking: Porth Eirias
Eirias Park Heritage Trail
1 The Promenade
The promenade we recognise today was built in sections
over many years, beginning around 1872 when the Colwyn
Bay Hotel (now the site of Princess Court) was also being
built. There followed many years of building, in 1895 plans
were made for a promenade nearly a mile long from the
railway station, which was officially opened on June 22nd,
1897.
The building of the Victoria Pier and Pavilion began on
June 1st, 1899 and the pier opened with a concert on June
1st, 1900. By 1901 further plans were being made to extend
the promenade in the directions of Old Colwyn and Rhoson-Sea and in 1905 the promenade extension opened.
Porth Eirias and the Waterfront Development
Officially opened by Carwyn Jones, First Minister of Wales,
on September 9th, 2013, the construction of the 3.7 million
pound Porth Eirias complex began in March 2012. Providing a children’s play area, sailing classes with Colwyn Bay
Watersports, changing facilities and a venue for events and
meetings. Porth Eirias forms part of Colwyn Bay’s Waterfront Development which combines coastal protection and
seafront regeneration. The
promenade and beach has undergone (2014) extensive work
as part of the Waterfront Project which combines essential
sea defence work and the renewal of the levels and quality
of sand on the beach.
Miniature Railway
June 29th, 1953 saw the official opening of the miniature
railway which ran along the seafront from the pier to the
entrance to Eirias Park – for children of all ages.
Mechanical Elephant
Fondly remembered by many during the late 1950s and the
1960s were the rides on the Mechanical Elephant along the
promenade for a few pennies a ride.
Beach Chalets
The present day picnic area near the entrance to Eirias Park,
opposite Porth Eirias, used to be the site of beach chalets
available during the day to further enjoy a visit to the
seaside. By 1978 they cost from £6.50 for a week. Later
falling into disrepair, they were demolished and replaced
with the picnic area.
Rock Garden
On the road up to (or down from) the park have a look at
the area on the opposite side of the road to the pavement.
On July 5th, 1930 a rock garden and model yacht pond were
opened.
The 1934 Official Guide to Colwyn Bay describes the rock
garden: “No description of Eirias Park would be complete without a
reference to the famous Rock Gardens. Here may be seen some 30,000
Alpine Plants in 1,500 varieties, labelled with their common and
botanical names and the country of their origin. A series of natural
cascades and rocky pools add greatly to the beauty and interest of these
gardens“.
The model yacht pond with its own pavilion, thatched with
Norfolk reeds, and much of the rock garden were lost when
the Expressway was built. However, many of the plants
described in the 1934 Guide can still be seen. A replacement
model yacht pond was provided behind the Civic Offices
(Glan-y-Don Hall, point 14 on this trail).
2 The Dingle
Known during its early history as Dingle Dell, the Dingle
Path runs through a woodland glade along a stream, starting
at the viaduct and ending at the centre of Colwyn Bay town
on the main thoroughfare, Abergele Road. The rustic bridge
crosses over the stream into the entrance of what was once
the Dinglewood School.
“A short walk from the central pier…brings one to the celebrated
Dingle, with its murmuring stream and shady trees” (Hotel and
Apartment Housekeepers Association of Colwyn Bay c. 1930/40).
Opposite the top of the Dingle used to be the Dingle Café,
established circa 1880. “The Café fascinates all patrons….who
always recommend to their friends our prompt service and civility.”
Across Abergele Road, opposite Eirias Park is Nant y Groes
(Upper Dingle), a half mile circular trail providing an animal
themed hunt for children.
3 The Wireless College
Gordon Scott Whale opened the North Wales Wireless
College in Caernarfon in 1918, having trained with the
Direct Spanish Telegraph Company and worked for
Marconi’s Wireless Telegraph Company.
In 1920 the college was relocated to Upper Colwyn Bay and
then to its more familiar home on East Parade during the
summer of 1923. By 1930 continued growth in numbers of
students led to Harry Nelson being employed as a second
trainer, joining Charles Oliver who had been a tutor at the
college since 1926.
Gordon Whale retired in 1935 leaving the college in the able
hands of Messrs. Nelson and Oliver but would return in
1940 when the college became the major training establishment during the war and was responsible for turning out a
significant number of Radio Operators, many of who sadly
lost their lives at sea. He was responsible for the Morse
training of countless Radio Officers across the years. Harry
Nelson retired in July 1966 after thirty-seven years of
dedicated service to the college, affectionately nicknamed by
the college students as “Tubby”.
Neville Whale, son of the founder, was principal of the
college from 1966. Closing in 1970, the building was
eventually demolished when the A55 Expressway was built.
The Wireless College website
www.wirelesscollege.freeserve.org.uk has, over recent years,
reunited many former students, culminating in very well
attended annual reunions being held since 2002. Former
students have been discovered living in France, Ireland,
USA, New Zealand, Australia, Kathmandu, Alaska, Canada,
Trinidad, Nigeria, Nepal, Peru, Austria and Spain, and
contact with other students is still being sought. The
Wireless College website also has a large collection of
photographs of the college, staff and students. In March
2007 the plaque was unveiled to mark the site of the
Wireless College.
4
Eirias Park Heritage Trail continued
Commemorative Tree 1934
The growth and success of Colwyn Bay led to its being
granted Borough status by Royal Charter in 1934. The
Charter Celebrations took place in Eirias Park on September
20th and included the planting of this oak tree by the
Charter Mayor, Lord Colwyn.
The College of Arms designed and granted a coat of arms,
incorporating the oak tree which dominated the seal of the
old Council. (The coat of arms can be seen on the QR
points marking the route of the Eirias Park Heritage Trail).
Up until the mid-1880’s, Colwyn Bay was a rural community
consisting of Welsh speaking villages with a population of
1500. It was then that business men from Manchester began
investing in the area as a potential seaside resort. The sale of
the Pwllycrochran estate by Sir John Pender to the
Manchester syndicate, known as the Colwyn Bay and
Pwllycrochran Estate Company, saw the beginning of a
development boom. With no town planning laws and no
building restrictions Colwyn Bay was soon a busy town with
houses, apartment buildings and palatial houses.
5 James Alexander Barr Tennis Centre
The origins of the Eirias Park we recognise today begin in
1921 with the purchase of the first 27 acres of land. By
1933 among Eirias Park’s attractions were eight grey shale
tennis courts.
In June 1986 futuristic-looking white dome-covered tennis
courts opened at a cost £70,000 which was mainly funded
by the Sports Council.
Calls for an indoor tennis centre grew after high winds
damaged the dome beyond repair in February 1997. Traffic
on the nearby A55 Expressway was halted when the tennis
dome looked in danger of being torn from its base.
The James Alexander Barr Tennis Centre was officially
opened in October 2003 by Welsh Assembly member Alun
Pugh.
Recognised as a “state of the art” facility and a centre of
excellence, the Tennis Centre received the Tennis Club Mark
in November 2010 having been recognised by the Lawn
Tennis Association for best practice.
The centre has two full size indoor tennis courts, recognised
as tournament standard courts, lit by internal floodlights and
sunlight. There are also four outdoor floodlit courts.
6 Bowling Greens
Eirias Park began with a single bowling green but by
February 1933 the council was making plans, with the
sanction of the Ministry of Health, to add the second green
at a cost of £850.
In May 1934 the Ministry of Health also sanctioned the
spending of £597 for the building of the Bowls Pavilion.
The ever popular Colwyn Bowling Festival takes place every
summer with the Eirias Park bowling greens at the centre of
the competitions.
The George Davies Trophy has been competed for since
1931. Having had many local winners over the years. This
year’s winner (2014), Kerry Morris, had travelled from
Stoke-on-Trent to compete.
Among other competitions during the Festival are those for
the Colwyn Rose Bowl, the Bill Hughes Trophy and the
Alun Jones Memorial Trophy.
This location near the bowling greens also provides an
excellent vantage point for seeing the layout and facilities of
Eirias Park.
The chidren’s play area now stands behind the boating lake.
For earlier generations the play area with swings, a slide and
a roundabout was on the ground between the footpath and
the school fence.
7
The Leisure Centre
The official opening of Colwyn Leisure Centre took place
on May 12th, 1981 when Princess Margaret attended,
arriving by helicopter, to unveil a plaque and take a tour of
the centre.
The Mayor’s Chaplain, the Reverend Richard Jones gave a
dedication prayer in English and Welsh and then Princess
Margaret declared the Centre open. She was presented with
a posy of pink rosebuds by the Mayor’s grand-daughter,
Emma.
Accompanied by the Mayor, Councillor R. G. Williams,
Princess Margaret was shown the centre built to
accommodate as wide a variety of sports as possible,
including archery, badminton, bowls, boxing, cricket,
fencing, five-a-side football, gymnastics, basketball, hockey,
judo, karate, kendo, lacrosse, lawn tennis, netball, table
tennis, trampolining, tug of war, volleyball, wrestling and
roller skating along with a swimming pool, lounge and snack
bar and facilities to accommodate conferences and meetings.
Despite fierce opposition from some councillors, the
decision to build the Leisure Centre had been made in July
1978. The £1.8 million centre was designed and built by
Norwest Holst Ltd, beginning early in 1980 and completed
on April 16th, 1981.
A new £140,000 “state of the art” fitness suite was added in
1993. The pool was redesigned and re-opened on July 18th,
1996. The main pool is 25 metres long and includes a slide,
several water features and a teaching pool area for those
who are learning to swim.
8
Eirias School
The building of the first school on the Eirias site began in
1903 for the Higher Grade School. In 1919 a decision was
made to change the school to a Secondary School, which
opened in 1920. It later became the Grammar School.
The school was refused permission for sole use of a field in
the park in February 1935. However, by May of the same
year the Council’s Parks Committee had agreed to provide a
public recreation area in the park for the provision of a joint
football and hockey pitch suitable for children. The Central
School was allowed the use of this area on Mondays,
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays during term time, from
11.00-12.00 and 3.00-4.00. The Council also agreed to
provide goalposts at a cost of 30 shillings and the Central
School would be responsible for the markings on the pitch.
The building is now part of Eirias High School.
9
Eirias Park Heritage Trail continued
Dan’s Den
Dan’s Den Cafe, near the skate park, was officially opened
on October 23rd, 2012 by Rupert Moon, former Welsh
international rugby player.
The Dan’s Den charity was founded after the death of
Daniel and a friend in a fire in a shed in the park.
10 Ornamental Gates
The beautiful ornamental gates at the Abergele Road
entrance to Eirias Park were a gift to the town from the
profits of the very successful Royal National Eisteddfod of
1947 which took place in the park.
The gates, weighing two tons and made of wrought iron,
cost nearly £500 and were made by D. J. Williams of
Caernarfon. Above the central red dragon design, the new
gates had plaques bearing the borough coat of arms, as
there were on the original gates. An information plaque was
also included.
The gates were received for the town by the Mayor, Alderman Gordon Kerry in August, 1951.
During World War II the park’s original gates had been
removed as part of the scrap metal drive which also saw the
removal of the railings around St. Paul’s Church.
Having been at risk of being removed for a time, the gates
were moved to their present fixed location when the
entrance to the park was widened.
Further information about the Royal National Eisteddfod
of 1947 can be discovered at point 18 on this trail – the
Gorsedd Stone Circle.
11 Events Centre and Arena
As part of the local celebrations for the Festival of Britain
in 1951, the Council developed land used as allotments
during World War II into Eirias Park’s sports arena and
running track.
The first athletics event in Eirias Park’s new sports arena was
the North Wales Amateur Athletics meeting which included
the official opening of the arena by the Lord Lieutenant,
Colonel J. C. Wynne Finch, in June, 1955.
A special feature of the first North Wales District Athletic
Championship at the new sports stadium was the visit of
four British Olympic athletes – John Disley (Olympic
bronze medallist in Helsinki 1952 for the 3000 metre
steeplechase), Mark Pharaoh (qualified for the Olympics in
Helsinki 1952 and later came 4th in the discus in the
Melbourne Olympics 1956), Heather Armitage (Olympic
bronze medallist in the 4 x 100 metres in Helsinki 1952 and
Olympic silver medallist in Melbourne 1956) and Sylvia
Cheeseman (Olympic bronze medallist with Heather
Armitage in the 4 x 100 metres in Helsinki 1952).
A “good wishes” message was received from the Duke of
Edinburgh for the opening of the arena.
As well as the floodlit 400 metre, 8-lane all-weather synthetic
athletics track, the facilities here also include a long jump pit,
rugby and javelin pitches and a discus enclosure.
The Parc Eirias Events Centre was officially opened on
November 11th, 2011 by Carwyn Jones, A.M. the First
Minister for Wales.
The arena offers seating for up to 2580 people, as well as
terracing for a further 3500 along with a number of
hospitality boxes.
Eirias Park has also become the home of Rygbi Gogledd
Cymru (North Wales Rugby).
In 2012 Eirias Park hosted a concert to mark the opening of
the London Olympic Games. 2012 also marked the first
time the arena area was transformed into a live music venue
for Access All Eirias concerts featuring popular national
artists…Olly Murs, Pixie Lott, Rhydian Roberts, The
Overtones and in 2014 Sir Tom Jones and Jessie J.
12 Llety’r Dryw Cottage
This disused 17th century farmhouse building called “The
Cottage” was known as Llety’r Dryw Cottage and was home
to the gardener at the nearby Llety’r Dryw Hall (point 13 on
this trail) for many years.
The farm’s barn was converted into a house now called
Meadow Lodge.
13 Llety’r Dryw Hall
Bearing the date 1893 over the front door, Llety’r Dryw Hall
was built by John Eden, having been designed by architects
Douglas and Fordham of Chester, inspired, it is believed, by
17th century buildings in northern England.
John Douglas is described in Edward Hubbard’s “Buildings
of Wales: Clwyd” as “the most important and active local
architect of the period”. Douglas and Fordham were also
responsible for the design of St. Paul’s Church (1887-88)
and Christ Church, Bryn-y-Maen (1897-99).
John Eden was the uncle of Sir Anthony Eden (Prime
Minister 1955-57), who it is believed would visit during his
holidays.
Following John Eden’s death in 1929 the Hall was bought by
the Wadsworth Family, who had made their money in the
cotton industry.
Llety’r Dryw Hall was later bought by Colwyn Council and
in the early 1960s was sold to the Denbighshire &
Montgomeryshire Joint Fire Service for use as the service’s
headquarters.
The Hall was sold again in 1987 and is now used as a
Training School by North Wales Police.
The nearby, now empty, 17th century farmhouse building
called “The Cottage” was known as Llety’r Dryw Cottage
(point 12 on this trail) and was home to the gardener at the
Hall for many years.
Eirias Park Heritage Trail continued
14 Glan-y-Don Hall
Officially opened as Colwyn Civic Centre on May 14th,
1964, Glan-y-Don Hall replaced the Town Hall which stood
on the corner of Coed Pella Road and Conwy Road. The
Town Hall was demolished soon after the opening.
This Georgian style building and 32 acres of gardens, was
bought by the council from Cheadle Royal Hospital. Rented
by the Royal Hospital in 1878, the mansion and estate were
bought by the hospital in 1907 and the building extended
and opened as a mental home in 1911. It was affectionately
referred to as Cheadle Royal Hospital’s “Seaside Branch”,
providing accommodation for both men and women and
convalescence for patients from the Royal Hospital.
The drive is lined with flowering cherry trees and the
grounds are linked to Eirias Park. To commemorate the
Investiture of HRH the Prince of Wales Investiture
Gardens were added in July 1969.
Colwyn Council sold some of the Glan-y-Don land to
North Wales Police and it became the site for the new Police
Headquarters in the early 1970s. Prince Philip, Duke of
Edinburgh, visited in July 1971 to check on the progress of
the building and inspected a guard of honour of 22
constables, a sergeant and an inspector – all called Jones.
To the rear of Glan-y-Don Hall is a model boat pond which
replaced the original pond in Eirias Park which was demolished when the Expressway was built.
15 Playground by the Sea
Fondly described as the “playground by the sea” Eirias Park
has always been a facility to be enjoyed by all ages. Through
the years it has had various attractions intended particularly
for children’s enjoyment.
The present day children’s playground is located between the
Gorsedd Stone Circle and the Tennis Centre. The early
children’s playground was near the bowling greens and
included a joy-wheel, swings and a slide.
During the 1960s and 1970s trampolines were a very
popular attraction in the park. In 1965 a Parks Committee
meeting records that “the trampolines are to be retained
permanently – enclosed by a wooden rail fence. The trampolines are counter-sunk”.
“In the 1970s I remember three-wheeler bikes could be hired and a
children’s miniature road with stop signs, pedestrian crossings, traffic
lights. It was all there to help us learn to ride our bikes safely on the
road.”
Golf was a popular pastime for many years. In 1968, for
example, the park had an 18-hole miniature and an 18-hole
midget golf course at a cost, respectively, of 9d (59p today)
and 3d (20p today) a round.
16 Indoor Outdoor Centre - formerly Dinosaur World
Dinosaur World stood opposite the boating lake and was a
very popular attraction in the park until 2003. Advertised as
the largest collection of dinosaurs in the British Isles, the
collection of over 50 life-sized models made realistic noises
and were shown in their natural habitats. New models were
added every year for 10 years.
The site was taken over by Conwy Council in 2009 and
Canolfan Tu Fewn Tu Allan (Indoor Outdoor Centre) was
opened on June 30th, 2011. At the time the centre opened
Annette Evans, of Conwy Education Services, described the
centre: “The centre will have an educational focus for
children, staff and families to explore the natural environment through hands-on experiences. The building will be a
training base for both pre-school and school staff within
Conwy, whilst the outdoor area will give children the
opportunity to enjoy and appreciate nature on their doorstep.”
For many years a dinosaur stood in the grounds of the
Dulas Arms, Llanddulas, to advertise Dinosaur World. It
could be seen from the A55 Expressway when travelling
towards Colwyn Bay.
17 Boating Lake and Bandstand
The Boating Lake at the centre of Eirias Park was officially
opened on June 6th, 1935 having been built at a cost of
£7,000, and covering an area of about one and a quarter
acres. It was designed by W. J. Dunning who was Engineer
and Surveyor to Colwyn Bay Borough Council. Earlier on
the same day Penmaenhead Viaduct had been officially
opened.
Before an estimated audience of 300 people, the Mayor
planted two oak trees in the park and officially opened the
new boating lake. The trees, on the eastern and western
sides of the boathouse, to commemorate the King’s Jubilee
and the service given to the town by Alderman D. P. Evans,
mainly as chairman of the Park Committee (westerly side of
the boathouse).
The Mayor was shown around the lake by Alderman Evans
and Park Supervisor J. E. Neal before tea was enjoyed in the
park cafe.
The thatched wooden boathouse and the bandstand, of
artificial stone to match local limestone, were also built in
1934, at the same time as the lake was constructed.
In Juy 1934 the Council’s Finance, Rating and Valuation
Committee had borrowed £9,203 for the construction of
the boating lake, bandstand and terrace. The cost of the lake
and buildings was £8,353 and the boats £850.
In April 1935 a tender of £171 and 17 shillings and 6 pence
from Daniel Allen & Sons, Station Road, to provide 500
chairs for band concerts and other entertainment had been
accepted.
The 50 year old thatched-roofed boathouse, and 40 boats,
was destroyed by fire in August, 1984. The remains were
demolished and replaced by the building seen today.
Between 1951 and 1956 the Eric Bramall Marionettes were a
very popular attraction in the bandstand every summer
season. The Eric Bramall Marionettes began in 1946,
touring the variety theatres of Britain and Ireland. Having
enjoyed successful summer seasons in his home town of
Wallasey, performing in Vale Park and on New Brighton
Pier, Eric Bramall brought his marionettes to Colwyn Bay.
The park shows were run by Eric and his Mother, Clara.
There were two shows each day, an afternoon show and one
in the evening at 7.30p.m., which were both usually very well
attended.
Eirias Park Heritage Trail continued
The puppet shows enjoyed during the 1950s can still be
enjoyed at the Harlequin Puppet Theatre today. There were
also some shows held at the Pier Pavilion Theatre. The
Council employed local man Bob Haynes to sell tickets and
act as front of house manager.
Eric Bramall’s touring stage was on the actual stage of the
bandstand, while the dressing rooms behind became a
puppet museum. After watching the show people could pay
a little extra and have a backstage tour. Eric used to show
them how the puppets were worked and then tell them a
little about the history of puppetry, and the different kinds
of puppets around the world.
For the 1957 season the Council changed the location
available for the Marionette Show to Rhos Point, Rhos-onSea. This was not as popular a venue and the decision was
eventually made to build a Puppet Theatre from scratch and
the Harlequin Puppet Theatre opened on July 7th, 1958 on
the grounds of Aberhod and is still entertaining children nd
adults to this day. Before the puppets came to the Park
Gypsy Petulengro had been at the bandstand.
During each summer season from the late 1950s into the
early 1960s, the old bandstand was used as an Aquarium and
Mini-Zoo run by Robert Jackson, the founder of the Welsh
Mountain Zoo. In 1960 Robert Jackson was approached by
Colwyn Bay Council with a suggestion that the Flagstaff
Estate could be a site for a large permanent zoo. The Welsh
Mountain Zoo opened in 1963 and the Eirias Park attraction
remained open for a few years but eventually closed. The
old bandstand could be considered the birthplace of the
Welsh Mountain Zoo. The bandstand was later demolished.
“The bandstand by the lake was a miniature zoo run by Mr. Jackson.
The main attraction was Cheetah, the chimpanzee”.
the Hall for many years.
18 Gorsedd Stone Circle
Following National Eisteddfod tradition, this gorsedd stone
circle was placed here in preparation for the proclamation
ceremony of the Royal National Eisteddfod, which took
place on June 26th, 1940. The National Eisteddfod of
Wales, a celebration of Welsh culture through literary,
musical and dance competitions, should then have taken
place in 1941 but the outbreak of World War II meant that
the event was cancelled and replaced by a smaller Literary
Eisteddfod which took place at Church House, Old Colwyn
and was also broadcast on the radio.
Granted royal status by the King, George VI, the Royal
National Eisteddfod of Wales (Eisteddfod Genedlaethol
Frenhinol Cymru) finally took place in Colwyn Bay in
August 1947. A spacious pavilion was built in the park.
This was the first post-war Eisteddfod to be held in North
Wales and was one of the most successful in recent memory
with attendance of nearly 150,000 people.
Such was the success of the 1947 Eisteddfod that the town
was presented with the beautiful ornamental gates (point 10
on this trail), which stand at the entrance to the park.
The 1947 event was the Eisteddfod’s second visit to Colwyn
Bay. The first was in 1910 when the Gorsedd Circle was
placed in grounds that would later become part of the
Welsh Mountain Zoo.
19 D. P. Evans Tree
When the Boating Lake at the centre of Eirias Park was
officially opened on June 6th, 1935 the Mayor planted two
oak trees. The trees, on the eastern and western sides of the
boathouse, were to commemorate the King’s Jubilee and the
service given to the town by Alderman D. P. Evans, mainly
as Chairman of the Park Committee (westerly side of the
boathouse).
In 1943 this tree by the old wishing well was planted to
commemorate the valuable service given by Alderman D.
Price Evans, J. P. as Chairman of the Parks Committee
between 1934 and 1943. A great deal of the development of
Eirias Park we still recognise today took place during this
time.
The plaque shown above is attached to the back of the
wishing well.
20 The Four Oaks
Built next to the present-day site of the Leisure Centre
(point 7 on this trail) and overlooking the boating lake, the
Four Oaks Restaurant opened to the public on July 8th,
1971.
The name Four Oaks originated with the oak trees planted
in the park to mark special occasions, beginning with the
tree planted by Lord Colwyn to celebrate the town receiving
its Charter of Incorporation as a Borough in 1934 (point 4
on this trail). Four oak trees still stand near the former site
of the restaurant.
A steel-framed structure on two levels, the Four Oaks
Restaurant had an upper ground floor restaurant with a
balcony overlooking the park and boating lake. The lower
ground floor had a self-service cafeteria. There were also
four lock-up kiosks – selling ice cream, confectionery and
one which, for a time, sold fancy goods made of shells.
At the height of its popularity, the Four Oaks Restaurant
provided a restaurant, cafeteria, lounge bar and party
catering. During the summer cabaret and supper dance
evenings were held which were popular with local people
and visitors alike. During the 1990s it was also used as
Merlin’s Nightclub but was closed due to problems with
noise.
The building was demolished in 2002, having fallen into
disrepair over recent years.