Williamson Park, Lancaster
54°02′56″N 2°47′08″W / 54.0489°N 2.7856°W
Williamson Park in Lancaster, England, was constructed by millionaire James Williamson, 1st Baron Ashton, and his father, also called James Williamson. Its focal point is the Ashton Memorial. The park now covers an area of 53.6 acres (217,000 m²), having been extended in 1999 onto adjoining land, Fenham Carr, following a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Features of the park include the Ashton Memorial, fountains, a butterfly house, a café, a children's play area, the Lancaster sundial on the site of what was once a bandstand, an artificial waterfall, some sculptures and a small folly known as the Temple. The park is extensively wooded, with many pathways winding among the trees. There were also formerly an astronomical observatory and a weather station, but these became unviable with growth of the surrounding trees. They fell into disrepair after 1939 and only fragments remain.
During July and August each year, the local Duke's Playhouse performs a promenade play in the park each evening, using the natural scenery as the stage and requiring the audience to follow the actors from scene to scene.
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