Taylor Park
Taylor Park in St.Helens
Taylor Park in St.Helens is the largest of the towns Victorian Parks. Opened to the public in 1893, it is Grade 2 listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. Taylor Park is approximately 52 and a half acres in size and originally formed part of the Eccleston Hall Estate. The park has just had major restoration and improvement work carried out with the aid of a nearly £1.2 million grant from the lottery heritage fund and has been awarded The Green Flag Award, which is the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales. The St.Helens Ranger Service together with the Friends of Taylor Park organise an annual programme of events including an annual boat regatta that involves the resident model boating club, St.Helens model boat club.
Taylor Park is also reputed to have its own ghost. The ghost, known locally as the grey lady of Taylor Park, has been witnessed at night by a number of people on different occasions and is said to be the apparition of a very pale young girl, dressed in Victorian style clothes. The grey lady has only ever been seen at night and never caused anybody any harm, so don’t let her put you off visiting the park, enjoying the excellent facilities and watching the wildlife.
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THE BIG DAM -
The central feature of Taylor Park, this stretch of water is more open than others and attracts a large number of waterfowl. The water in the lake is kept oxygenated by a large fountain and, in the summer two additional fountains, any rubbish that finds its way into the lake is regularly removed by the parks rangers and this keeps the water fit for the wildlife it supports as well as people using the lake for use in educational watersports such as kayaking and canoeing. St Helens model boat club meet at the lake on Sunday mornings and Wednesday afternoons and the lake is also an area where the public can fish with a local rod licence.
- BOATHOUSE TEAROOM - The boathouse, situated on the side of the big dam and seen in the main picture at the top of this page, used to house rowing boats the were hired out to the general public. Today there is still a storage area for boats, used in educational recreation. The main use by the public is to visit the cafe inside the boathouse and sit outside in the sun. The boathouse cafe is run by volunteer staff from the St.Johns Centre community centre, based in Crossley Road, St.Helens. You will find the staff both very polite and friendly.
- WILDLIFE -
There is a wide variety of animals and birds making up the wildlife to be found in Taylor Park. A large number of ever hungry squirrels can always be found, as well as jays, robins, blue and great tits, woodpecker, a great variety of waterfowl, rabbits, hedgehogs and bats.
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THE OAK WOOD POND - Crossed by a wooden walkway, this small pond is an attractive feature of the Oak Wood. An excellent example of the St.Helens Rangers’ workmanship the pool is fringed with reed and water iris.
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THE CHILDRENS PLAY AREA -
A fenced off play area with exciting new, themed, play equipment for children. Split into two areas, for younger and older children. There is also a separate, fenced, ball court for teenagers.
- THE QUARRY GARDEN - Is a tranquil floral garden based inside the remains of an old quarry. The Quarry walls are also occasionally utilised by the St.Helens Council's Youth Service for teaching abseiling and rock climbing. Running along the outside of the quarry, on one side is a path to the top of the leisure field, and on the other side a flight of stone steps, also leading to the top of the hill on the leisure field, but passing through another, smaller, rockery garden.
- THE PADDOCK - probably the quietest spot in the park though adjacent to Factory land, this stretch of water is managed by St.Helens Ramblers. The water is surrounded by woodland.
- LEG O MUTTON DAM - This is a separate fishing lake, run By St.Helens Angling Association, situated on the Eccleston side of Taylor Park.
All species can be caught on the pole or waggler, roach, tench, and carp the main fishing. It is also used also by the Carp anglers as fish can be caught to 25lb and some bream to 5lb.
there is no night, and fishing anglers must leave the water by 11pm.
There is a car park with a barrier on it, so angling Association members using the car park should obtain a key to the barrier lock so that their cars are not locked in.
There are now nature trails around the dam and walkers can walk from the lake car park, along the paths by the dipping pool or by the side of the Leg O Mutton Dam, to the field next to the childrens play area. - DIPPING POOL - Alongside the childrens’ play area is the old borough nursery. Within this area which has been reclaimed from wilderness, the St.Helens Ranger service, aided by student groups, have constructed a pond-dipping feature. In time they hope to have an all-weather walkway around the pool which will create an excellent pond study base.
To the left, is a picture of one of the Cormorants that appear to make Taylor Park their home from Autumn until spring . The cormorants usually sit on the two fountain heads, near to the Ranger station and at the opposite side of the lake from the boathouse. These are not switched on as much as the main fountain.
Taylor Park facilities, described above, can also be viewed on our gallery by clicking here.