In 1896 Leamington Borough Council purchased two parcels of land in the town: the former Parr & Wisden cricket ground which eventually became Victoria Park, and Ladder Bridge Field which became Eagle Recreation Ground. An advertisement placed in the Leamington Courier by the Estate Agent, Anthony Locke, announced the sale of the field, belonging to by Lady Aylesford, measuring between 5/6 acres and said it was suitable for 100 houses. It failed to sell.
The Council earmarked it as a possible recreation ground and entered into negotiations with Lady Aylesford’s representatives, finally agreeing the purchase in April 1896 for £1300. The land sat between the Great Western Railway, the Grand Union Canal and East Grove. It was decided that it would become a children’s play area with a wharf alongside the canal for Flavel’s factory.
This ground was very uneven and undulating, so it was agreed to cover the field with tip waste to help level it off. In 1898 it was decided to fence the perimeter of the ground except that boundary alongside the railway which was the responsibility of the railway company. After along saga of bringing the field up to a good standard, in July 1903 Park Villa FC were the first users of the football pitches. By 1906 St Johns’ Church football club were using the pitches.
This continued throughout the 1st World War and in 1926, when the Council purchased Rushmore Farm to build Leamington’s 3rd council estate, some more land was added to the recreation ground. In July 1932 the council decided to transplant the Victoria Park Bandstand (moved there from Jephson Gardens in about 1909) into the Eagle Recreation Ground, to be used as a shelter. (see photo, left)
Today the ground has an active Friends’ Group, together with outside fitness equipment and a measured hard surface walkway round the ground.
Barry Franklin
