Blue plaque marks hidden war history of Blackpool's Watson Road Park

A blue plaque has been installed at Watson Road Park in South Shore to mark the end of the First World War '“ and to commemorate its own role in the deadly conflict.

By The Newsroom

Published 5th Sep 2018, 13:09 BST

Updated 6th Sep 2018, 05:48 BST

The Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire, John Barnett MBE, unveiled the plaque

The park was used for training troops in trench warfare, with trenches modelled on those in Loos, Flanders, before being opened to the public in June 1916.

Admission fees were used to fund the King’s Lancashire Military Convalescent Hospital in Squites Gate Lane, with patients acting as guides.

The idea for the plaque came from councillor Heather O’Hara, who worked with the park’s Friends group, which raised most of the cash – with £100 coming from the Blackpool CivicTrust.

Blackpool