Coronation Park lies on the St Breock side of the town and occupies the wooded slopes of Polmorla Valley.

heritage lottery fundYou may be aware that Wadebridge Town Council, with the help of a Heritage Lottery Grant of £161,500, have the lovely and unspoilt area of Coronation Park to celebrate the Millenium. The area contains a network of paths with an abundance of trees, plants and bushes, some being rare in this part of Cornwall.

memorial at coronation park

Coronation Park, as its name implies was officially opened 1902, on the occasion of the coronation of King Edward VII. Although some improvements and additions, notably the building of the War Memorial in 1922 did take place in subsequent years, the Park has largely remained unchanged since that time.  Unfortunately despite some maintenance, the park had - over the decades- fallen into disrepair.

earl of wessexRestoration proposals included replanting of shrubberies, reinstating entrance gates; extensive repairs to woodland walks, restoration of granite seats and a shelter and employment of a groundsman.

At last in May 2007 the work to restore Coronation Park was completed and on a beautiful sunny day in June, The Earl of Wessex performed the official opening ceremony. It was unfortunate, The Countess of Wessex was unwell that day and unable to accompany her Husband.

Children from St Breock School cheered with excitement when the Royal Helicopter flew over before landing near Tesco where vehicles were waiting the bring His Royal Highness to the park. Emma Wall and Toby Edwards presented His Royal Highness with a button hole and a posy for The Countess.

Earl of Wessex Signing visitors bookHis Royal Highness took his time to speak to almost everyone at the park and listen to the children singing their school song. Standard Bearers of the Royal British Legion, posted at the Memorial and elderly residents from Southern Way all had an informal chat with the Earl before he moved on to look at the exhibition of photographs of work to the park, arranged and organised by Councillors, Gill, Gale and Rush

Members of the Town Council, Grounds Staff, Consultants, Contractors and Veryan Heal from the Heritage Lottery Fund were waiting at the newly built Summerhouse to greet The Earl and witness the opening.

In her speech prior to the official opening, Mayor Cllr Carole Buchanan, told The Earl 'Coronation Park was opened to commemorate the Coronation of his Great Grandfather King Edward VII, so it is very fitting that King Edward's Great Great Grandson, Prince Edward should re-open the park today, 105 years later'earl of wessex and wadebridge town mayor and went on to say 'The renovations carried out however, would not have been possible without the grant of £161,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to add to the Council's earmarked funds of several years'.

Everyone agreed, it had been a wonderful morning and that The Earl, Prince Edward had been a wonderful visitor.