This is the bandstand, or rotunda, in Glebe Park, Civic. The bandstand only dates from 1989, although the park itself was defined and named in 1983.
In the early 1840s, the land was given to the Anglican Church for use as a glebe - a parcel of land used to support the rector and parish. At the same time, land in nearby Reid was given for a church - St John the Baptist (generally known as just St John's Reid) - which was consecrated in 1845. The rectory was built in the 1870s, across the road near the present location of the Lutheran Church in Reid. After a new rectory was built closer to the church in 1926, the building was used as a school and a guest house, but was finally removed in the 1950s, after being sold to the Acton Football Club, who used the bricks to build a clubhouse in Forrest.
Some of the elm trees in Glebe Park are around 100 years old, descendants of the original plantings by a St John's rector in the 1850s-70s.
2 comments:
Bandstands are I think a very Victorian concept and yet they now appear to be thought of as part of our notion of what should be in a park. We have a newly reconstructed one in the park in the village where I live.
Do you have live music from the bandstand?
Leeds daily photo
Not as a regular thing (bands, that is), although I think it might be used that way occasionally. I think I saw some plans for a new stage area on the far side of the park though, so perhaps more use is going to made of it as a music/performance venue (the park, not necessarily the bandstand).
I think this one was built to be in keeping with the 'English' parkland idea, with elms and English oaks up to a century old. Stone gateways have also been added. However fake it is, it certainly has a more pleasant feel to it than many of the very Brutalist buildings around town.
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