History of Bitts Park.
Carlisle Castle
occupies a commanding position on a hill above the confluence of
the River Caldew and the River Eden.
The area immediately to the north of the castle was known as the
Sauceries, to the east was Hangman's Close and Battail Holme. The
word Holme has its origins in Olde English and Norse,
meaning an area of dry land surrounded by water or wet
land.
Both the Sorceries (Sauceries) and Battail Holme were regularly
flooded by the Eden and the Caldew, and were probably marshy
wetlands for most of the year.
The City grew as the canal and then the railways brought
improved trade links and the population grew along with it. The
flooding of the Eden began to affect the citizens of Carlisle more
than ever before. Something had to be done.
The weavers
of the City were made destitute and penniless by the Corn Laws of
1815, which drove up food prices to such an extent people could not
afford clothing. To ease their plight, the weavers of Carlisle were
set to work building the Weavers Bank in 1819.
Extending from the car park at Bitts Park and running due north
towards the Eden, then east to Eden Bridge, Weavers Bank was the
first of Carlisle's flood defences.
In 1892 a further embankment was created, running northwards
along the Caldew to the confluence with the Eden, then turning east
to meet Weavers Bank. A roadway was constructed on top of this bank
and it became known as the Mayor's Drive.
The area once known as Hangman's Close and Battail
Holme became known as the Bitts, supposedly in reference to
the different parcels of land there. These were once owned by the
Duke of Devonshire, who was known as Baron Hardwicke. The
echoes of this heritage can be heard in the modern place names of
Hardwicke Circus and Bitts Park.
In
1894 the bandstand which once stood near the junction of Weavers
Bank and the Mayors Drive had its first concert. Sadly, the
bandstand was demolished and removed in 1957.
The image is taken from a postcard, probably from around the
early 1900's, showing the bandstand and the statue of Queen
Victoria.
On the skyline is Carlisle Cathedral, and just below are the
houses which once formed Solway Terrace. These were demolished in
1964 after being declared unfit for human habitation by public
health inspectors.
Bitts Park was opened as Peoples Park in 1897, according to a
plan drawn up by Henry Marks, Surveyor for the City of Carlisle.
The trees, some of the flower beds and shrubberies are still as
they were according to Marks' original design.
The
1902 Royal Agricultural Show saw Prince Christian of Schleswig
Holstein, the president of the show unveil the Statue of Queen
Victoria by Thomas Brock RA. The park was renamed Victoria Park in
the honour of the Queen.
Since then, Victoria Park became Bitts Park and the Royal
Agricultural Show was moved around the country before settling at
Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire.