More good news for GWR Park! In a bid to enhance the setting of the park’s human sundial and WW1 Memorial, South Swindon Parish Council has agreed to invest in improved gravel flooring for people visiting these park landmarks.
The human sundial is next to GWR Park’s recently refurbished play area. It was installed in 2007 in memory of Winnie Ockwell and funded by her daughters Caroline and Christine. Buried underneath is a time capsule, filled by St Saviours Brownie pack, to be opened in 2104 – Winnie Ockwell was one of the first Brownies in Swindon, having joined the St Marks pack in 1917.
The Parish Council has agreed to enhance the setting of the sundial by stripping back the soil and installing a resin bound gravel around the stones with a connecting path from the main path in GWR Park.
The Parish Council has also agreed to similar gravel flooring around the WW1 memorial it installed in November 2018 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the signing of Armistice. This will replace the current flooring around the memorial which is worn with weeds growing around it. This flooring will also be included in the entrance to the newly refurbished play area.
All works are expected to cost £8,700. This will be paid for by the Community Infrastructure Levy the Parish Council retains.
The Parish Council’s Leisure and Amenities Committee agreed to the work at its meeting on Tuesday 10th March.
It’s Chair, Councillor Neil Hopkins, said, “This is more good news for GWR Park. Since South Swindon Parish Council took over the park on a 99 year lease we have recently refurbished the play area, installed a WWI memorial, improved the shrub maintenance and supported the installation of the Mother Language Day Memorial. This improved flooring will further add to the quality of GWR Park and prevent the human sundial from getting damaged.
This year we have plans to refurbish the old toilet block as a Gardener’s Depot, reintroduce some formal flower bed planting into the park and possibly replace the fountain that was lost. So more investment in the park will be coming.
We will be waiting for a good dry period to put the flooring down”
