A CHANCE to tour Warrington’s modern Megalithic Park – Parkfields Park at Fearnhead – will come on Saturday September 12 as part of the annual Heritage Open Days event.
Prehistory enthusiast, tour guide and author Tim Prevett will lead the tour of a space which has stone circles, standing stones and alignments in the landscape made to point to the sun at key times.
Two things set Parkfields Park apart from most Megalithic sites – one it is also an everyday local park and, two, it is only 42 years old!
Tim said: “Since I moved to the area seven years ago and became aware of this modern park it’s become a place of fascination for me. This Fearnhead park really has got it all going on – but only from the 1980s!”.
Parkfields Park consists of a stone circle, henge, outlying stones and a long barrow. Other features once included a giant hand figure and turf labyrinth. There was even a designated May Pole
dancing area.
Tim said: “I have thought about doing a tour for Heritage Open Days for Parkfields Park for several years, and now I am at last doing it.
I will talk us through the original layout for the park and the types of ancient sites represented. There are also questions about where the stones in the park are pointing at different times of the year, and many more things to think about.”
“Some questions I would really love answering are – which person or team originally came up with the idea for this very good modern megalithic complex? What were the thoughts of the landscaping company who laid out the stones and earthworks? And do you have any old photographs from the 80s you would like to share? And memories? There will be opportunity at the end of the tour for sharing.”
Set out in 1984 for the then Warrington and Runcorn New Town Development Corporation, it is one of a few local modern megalithic constructions. The Birchwood Monolith and another possible earthwork will also be discussed..
Tim added: “I have put this tour together for a few reasons. Maybe you are a local resident who is just curious. If you just like modern megalithic sites and urban sacred spaces, you too will also find it an
absolutely fascinating place. And In highlighting what this park’s features are about, help give wider and deeper enjoyment of this great asset to the area.”
See heritageopendays.org.uk and search “what’s on” for this and other Heritage Open Days events to visit.
The free tour runs on Saturday September 12 from 1000 – 1130am., meeting at the stone circle in the park.
Pictures of Parkfields Park: Tim Prevett
