Corporation Park

Corporation Park is Blackburn’s original Victorian public park, opened in October 1857 with celebrations that drew an estimated 60,000 people. Spanning over 50 acres, it was designed by landscape gardener William Henderson and remains a stunning example of Victorian parkland, now protected as a Grade II listed park and garden by English Heritage.

The park was created on the site of Pemberton Clough and includes two ornamental lakes, tree-lined promenades, Italian gardens, and the impressive Roman-style triumphal arch entrance on Preston New Road. Over the decades, Corporation Park has added bowling greens, tennis courts, playgrounds, memorials, fountains and bandstands, making it a centrepiece for leisure, remembrance and recreation in Blackburn.

Today, Corporation Park blends history with community life, offering peaceful gardens, sports facilities and sweeping views across the town and surrounding hills.