History of Waterloo Park

The origins of Waterloo Park

The Great Hospital Trust leased land in the city’s north to the Norwich Playing Fields and Open Spaces Association

in 1897. Waterloo Park was to be created on this property. When it opened in 1904, it was designed as a park. Catton

Recreation Ground was its previous name.

George Plunkett

Mass unemployment and the ensuing hardships in the 1920s crushed the aspirations of a better future for the

soldiers and their families who had survived the horrors of the First World War and an influenza outbreak.

Unemployment benefits were available, but they weren’t sufficient to ease the pain. To address the problem,

significant relief efforts were required. The issue was widespread, and Norwich was not exempt from the hardships

of unemployment. Authorities in Norwich City acknowledged the issue and made every effort to mitigate it.

At the time, the government acknowledged the connection between recreation and public health. Sports facilities and

playing fields were seen to be necessary as the city grew, as were recreational areas for people who did not want to

participate in sports. Everything was in place for Captain Sandys-Winsch to spearhead the development of the

contemporary Norwich Parks.

Between 1921 and 1933, Capt. Sandys-Winsch used unemployment relief labour to design all of Norwich’s parks.

Captain Arnold Edward Sandys-Winsch

Captain Sandys-Winsch was the man responsible for creating the Norwich Parks in the 1930s, including Waterloo Park.

He was born in Cheshire and gained a scholarship to the Cheshire Horticultural College in 1905, where he gained a

diploma and a gold medal for research work in botany and entomology. He then took articles with the renowned

landscape architect, Thomas Mawson.

His career was put on hold with the outbreak of World War l where he served until 1919. After demobilisation he was

appointed Parks Superintendent to the Norwich Corporation. He was the very first Superintendent of the City’s

Parks and Gardens with a starting salary of £300 a year, with annual increments of £10.

He set about his duties with fervour, and, with his military discipline, was reputed to be stern but fair to his

employees, fighting for decent pay and conditions for them. They had great admiration for his skill and professionalism.

He retired in 1953 and his achievements include designing and creating 600 acres of Norwich parks including: Eaton

Park, Waterloo Park, Wensum Park, Heigham Park and also the two gardens on Aylsham Road known as Mile Cross

Gardens. He was also responsible for the planting of over 20,000 flowering trees both in the parks and on the city streets.

His 33 years’ work in Norwich as Parks’ Superintendent brought about a profound change in the appearance of the

City and in the scale of facilities available for the enjoyment of its citizens.

Development of Waterloo Park

In the 1920s a proposal was put forward to redevelop the Catton Recreation Ground and in 1929 a design was drawn

up by the Parks Superintendent, Captain Sandys-Winsch. Work began in 1931 and two years later the park was

reopened under the new name of Waterloo Park. This, his second largest project, was structurally more complex

than Heigham Park. As at Eaton Park, Waterloo Park provided for active recreation with grass tennis courts, football

pitches, bowling greens and a children’s playground.

Image credit: Norwich City Council

In addition, there were formal gardens (including one of the longest herbaceous borders in a public park in the UK),

a pavilion, a bandstand, pergola walks and colonnades. The work on the park cost £37,209. It employed about 63

men for 117 weeks and was completed in 1933.

The park was re-opened on Saturday 25th April 1933 by the Lord Mayor of Norwich, Mr. H.N. Holmes. It was

reported that hundreds of children were waiting at the gates of the park, eager to enjoy the delights of the new

playground. There was a band playing in the bandstand and the boys from the City of Norwich School played cricket

on one of the pitches. The Priory Gymnastic Squad gave a display and there was drill and dancing for the children.

The children also enjoyed the new paddling pool and the adults played tennis on the hard and grass courts and bowls

on the three bowling greens.

The centre room of the pavilion had a lovely tea room and there were well equipped dressing rooms in the wings on

either side. There was another tea room on the first floor with an oak floor for dancing. The room was decorated in

pale green and cream and was very comfortably furnished.

The people continued to enjoy the park until the Second World War, when the pavilion was used as a temporary

mortuary during the air raids. July 1940 saw the first air raid on the city. There was considerable loss of life at

Boulton and Paul’s factory and to staff leaving Carrow Works. The casualties were taken, with a police escort, to

Waterloo Park, where people were enjoying themselves unaware of the true horror of the events on the other side of the city.

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