If you're new to Ramsgate, one of the best moments you'll have is when you first discover Ellington Park. And it does feel like you've found something that's been hidden away.
In fairness, although Ellington Park doesn't always shout loudly, it's hardly a secret. Events like the annual May Fayre, Picnic In The Park, Festival of Sound, ‘Looping The Loop’ workshops, and the town-wide Heritage Open Days attract crowds of thousands.
The second-hand bookshop has built its own bookish community as it raises funds for Friends of Ellington Park (
www.ellingtonpark.org.uk), who enable the events to happen. The cafe (www.ellingtoncafe.co.uk) is a popular spot for catching up with friends or informal business meetings, and the playground is a favourite with families.
Meanwhile, St Lawrence Bowls Club (
www.bowlsengland.com/club/st-lawrence) maintain their immaculate lawns in the park, with an open invitation for anyone who wants to try the sport.
The park is nationally recognised too, with ‘Keep Britain Tidy’ awarding it the Isle's only Green Flag, and Historic England declaring it a Green Heritage Site.
It wasn't just winning those awards (again - third year running!) that made 2024 a good year for the park. New play equipment was funded by the Friends. The Ramsgate and District Model Engineering Club (
www.radmec.co.uk) re-laid their track and recruited new volunteers, ensuring a good few more years of running their popular ride-on 5″ gauge trains. A Ukrainian Choir performed as guests of the Salvation Army. Weddings from the nearby Registry Office used the park and bandstand for photos. Along with all those achievements, volunteers litter picked, kept the weeds down, maintained the pond in the wildlife corner, and helped organise and manage the various events and a
huge thank you to them all for their continued hard work.
Several of our members are direct descendants of Adam and Katherine Sprackling, the original family landowners of the Ellington estate. In August, some of their relatives came from other parts of the UK and even the USA for a family reunion. They visited Ellington Park and St. Laurence Church and learned more about their ancestors including the gruesome murder of Katherine and her six dogs in 1652.
In September, the newly formed Ellington Park Players devised the characters to lead costumed history walks around the park.
They're continuing the work to celebrate the park's 130-year heritage. After the Friends of Ellington Park's restoration project, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and in partnership with Thanet District Council, came to an end this year. That project saw the bandstand and terrace restored, and the new cafe and community centre built. Part of the project was to encourage more use of the park and its amenities by the whole community and the data on the visitor numbers that was collected for the Lottery reports certainly proved this to be the case.
The Trustees are already working on ideas for a future funding bid, to continue the work.
Since it was originally designed, Ellington Park has always evolved, adapting to the needs of new generations, and it will continue to do so. It's an open, inclusive, accessible and welcoming space for anyone - resident or visitor alike.