Historic find creates feature in Preston park

A new planter built at Fishwick Recreation Ground.
Pictured is Bob Fletcher, treasurer of the Friends of Fishwick and St Matthew's — A new planter built at Fishwick Recreation Ground. Pictured is Bob Fletcher, treasurer of the Friends of Fishwick and St Matthew's

Excavations around Fishwick Recreation Ground in Preston uncovered an underground kiln, which had been buried over the years.

Research discovered J Topping & Son had made bricks on the site, from the 19th century until the mid 20th century, and at least one worker had been killed in the Battle of the Somme.

Now community groups and volunteers have built the planter from the recovered bricks, with a time capsule buried in the foundations for future generations to discover.

New planter at Fishwick Recreation Ground Coun Robert Boswell, Bob Fletcher, Dave from Preston Vocational Centre; and Park Rangers Terry Blackburn and Steve Smith. They are with a group of students who are doing a challenge event at the nature reserve

Park Ranger Terry Blackburn, and Friends of Fishwick and St Matthew’s member Bob Fletcher, came up with the idea of the planter to commemorate the brickworks and the historic find.

Coun Martyn Rawlinson, who represents Fishwick ward, said it had been built from recovered bricks, some with the Topping name on.

He said: “They got some extra bricks donated from nursery Brighter Blooms, and the labour was donated by the Vocational Centre.

“So it is a real partnership job.”

A new planter built at Fishwick Recreation Ground.

The friends group provided financial support for the project, funding sand, cement, soil, stones and plants.

Coun Rawlinson said: “Apart from that, it was all donations and people’s efforts and imagination, and saving that bit of history permanently.”

He said the time capsule contained documents about the nature reserve and when it was established, and the friends group’s Big Local plan of how it will spend £1m lottery funding.