Boston Park
The park together with Canklow Woods cover an area of very poor soil on an escarpment overlooking the floodplains of the Rivers Don and Rother. There is evidence of glaciation in the form of lateral moraines and erratics. I believe that this formed part of the Town Moor over which the citizens of the town had grazing rights. The paucity and poverty of the soil made the area unsuitable for any other form of agriculture. Sandstone was later quarried here and there are deep remains in which generations of children have enjoyed themselves enormously and dangerously. The woods are quite thin and consist in places largely of scrub oak. My father said that it had once been densely wooded but that during the Depression poor people had cut down much of the wood for fuel.
The People's Park, or Boston Park as it is now known, was formerly the grounds of Boston Castle. It became a public park in 1876, the official opening being on the 4th July that year and was the first public park opened in Rotherham. It was held on a 40-year lease from the Earl of Effingham and was purchased by Rotherham Council in 1902.
The 8 hectare park leads through through to Canklow Woods, an ancient woodland, which were acquired by the Borough Council with help from the National Lottery in 2000.
The land both in the park and the woods was quarried. The stone which is red sandstone was known as Rotherham or Mexborough Red Rock which was used for several buildings, including the Thomas Rotherham College, and for the restoration of Rotherham Minster. One of the rock faces is now recognised as a regionally important geological site. The quarry face near the bowling green incorporates the doorway from the medieval College of Jesus formerly in the town centre. The park also contains other bits of old Rotherham - the base of the direction indicator is a millstone from the windmill which once stood on Percy Street, the Sheffield and Rotherham Railway Coat of Arms is set in the wall near the castle and there is a carved stone from the Corn Exchange face down in the car park. The direction indicator had been nicked.
The park commands spectacular views across the Don Valley to Meadowhall, Sheffield and, on clear days, the Peak District. There really isn't anything else here, no café so bring your own picnic - there are a few picnic tables. I'd really rather not mention the toilets, but if you're in the market for an original Victorian bog you can have this one. They are now closed but I think that there are loos available in the portacabin by the bowling green open as long as the park keeper is there. Otherwise its the bushes.
A development plan is in place which covers Moorgate Cemetery, Boston Castle, Boston Park, Canklow Woods and Canklow Open Space. It is intended to introduce a ranger scheme, an events programme, and educational support. Boundaries will be improved and motorcycle barriers erected. New signs and site maps will be set up. Moorgate Cemetery will be repaired and a Family History Centre will be set up in one of the restored chapels. Boston Castle and outbuildings will be restored to provide a visitor centre, toilet and café. Historic Landscape Reconstruction is proposed in Boston Park, a viewing terrace and a geological nature reserve is proposed, together with a new bowls pavilion. It is also proposed that a city farm is started.
Work has started on the refurbishments and rebuilding at Boston Castle in August 2011.
The Friends of Boston Castle and Boston Park website can be found at http://www.fobcap.org.uk.
See also Canklow Woods.
Information
Address:- Boston Castle Grove, Moorgate, Rotherham, S60 2BD.Facilities:- Bowling Greens (no longer being mowed 2011 so cannot be used) - Toilets (mostly closed - probably entirely closed in 2011) - Car parking (only small area open in 2011) - Pavilion (mostly closed - probably entirely closed in 2011) - Heritage Trail.