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WEDDINGTON CASTLE - An Online History

PICTURE GALLERY VIII - Riversley Park

Councillor Edward Melly, who leased Weddington Castle when it was a Red Cross Hospital in WWI, was a local philanthropist. He donated the lands for Riversley Park - named after his Liverpool home - which opened on July 6th 1907. Mr Melly also contributed £600 towards the construction of the Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery in the Park which was begun in 1914 and completed in 1917.

Riversley Park and its Museum remain as scenic features in the heart of Nuneaton, providing a welcome green oasis in the urban centre, through which the River Anker flows. A recent project (2003) about the heritage of Riversley Park, entitled "Nuneaton's Gold Belt" is featured at #5 in the 'Links' section (click here to access). In 2007 a statue dedicated to war heroes of the Boer War was stolen from outside the Museum in Riversley Park.  Fortunately, the local public rallied round to raise funds for a replacement, the story of its installation in 2008 can be accessed here.

In 2008 a bid was launched to use Lottery Funding to restore the Park to its original layout and usage (see local newspaper reports here Sept 08 and here Oct 08).

Click each thumbnail image to see the full-size picture, and then use your browser's back-arrow to return to this page.

Crowd of men, women and children at the opening of Riversley Park, Nuneaton. 6th July 1907

Entrance to Riversley Park 1907

Alderman Melly addressing a crowd from the bandstand as he presents the Park to Nuneaton in 1907.

Riversley Park - an early postcard

A colour postcard of Riversley Park, postally used in 1914

Riversley Park - an early postcard

A scene from the park bandstand in the 1920s

The Museum at Riversley Park, Nuneaton

Funds for this were donated by Edward Melly

The Museum at Riversley Park, Nuneaton

Early postcard of Musuem and war memorial, Riversley Park

Riversley Park, in Nuneaton

Funds for this were donated by Edward Melly

Old colour postcard of the bandstand in Riversley Park

Postcard of swans in Riversely Park, 1920s

Early picture of Riversley Park

Early postcard of Riversley Park from the early 1900s

Riversley Park postcard c1940

Early colour postcard of Riversley Park. Undated

Publisher: E.W.Starmer

Riversley Park

Original photograph. 1920s

Early colour oval postcard of Riversley Park

Colour postcard of Riversley Park, dated 1913

Riversley Park in the 1950s

Early multiview postcard of Nuneaton, including Riversley Park boating course

Colour postcard of Riversley Park

Early multiview postcard featuring Riversley Park & Arbury Lodge

Multiview postcard of Riversely Park featuring Edward Melly

A real photograph postcard titled of the Nuneaton Floods. Message on back reads: "Have you seen any pictures of our floods? Poor Nuneaton has had a most disastrous time and still feels damp and miserable.. we have no cars, all are damaged..." Postally used May 1932 from Nuneaton.

 

Boer War Memorial, known localled as "Old Bill". This bronze statue, unveiled on 28 Jan 1905, was stolen from Riversley Park on 14 November 2006.

A replacement replica statue of "Old Bill", unveiled in 2008 and sited on a plinth outside the Nuneaton Museum in Riversley Park.

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