Clarence Park, St Albans
| Full name | Clarence Park |
|---|---|
| Location | St Albans |
| Owner | City of St Albans |
| Capacity | 5,007 (667 seated) |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1893-1894 |
| Opened | 23 July 1894 |
| Tenants | |
| St Albans City F.C. (semi-professional football club) (1908-present) | |
Clarence Park is a Victorian park used for sports and leisure in St Albans, England. It is still largely in its original form and has a rich variety of trees and planting. It is close to St Albans City railway station.
The park was laid out in early 1894, and comprises a 16-acre (65,000 m2) municipal sports ground and a 9-acre (36,000 m2) public park and pleasure ground. The benefactor, Sir John Maple, the owner of Maple's furniture store in Tottenham Court Road and who lived at nearby Childwickbury, donated the land and paid for the laying out, the planting and the construction of the buildings; the layout of the park itself was designed by the City Surveyor, Mr G. Ford. A striking water fountain, which can still be seen today, was donated by Lady Maple.
The park was opened on 23 July 1894 by the Duke of Cambridge, a member of the Royal family, and the event was accompanied by great celebrations in the city of St Albans.
The sports ground hosts cricket, hockey, bowls and croquet and is also the home of St Albans City Football Club.
The public park includes large grass areas used for sun bathing and games during summer, a bandstand, a children's play-park and a café. The public park is also used as the site of some of the human "Peopletown" skits on Disney Channel's preschool series Bunnytown.
Next to the football ground is a cricket ground. The first recorded match played on the cricket ground came in 1875, when Hertfordshire played Somerset. The first Minor Counties Championship match played on the ground came in 1895 when Hertfordshire played Bedfordshire. From 1895 to 1997, the ground hosted 84 Minor Counties Championship matches and 2 MCCA Knockout Trophy matches.
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