Leicester City Council has successfully bid for up to £502,300 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to repair and refurbish the park’s ornate Edwin Lutyens-designed gates, and to launch a wider Story of Parks project.

The gates – which stand at the entrance to Peace Walk and by the park lodges at the park’s London Road entrance – will be temporarily removed for professional restoration. The stone gate posts will also be restored. Work is due to begin in late autumn.

A two-year programme of events and activities to tell the story of Victoria Park, and capture the history of other city parks, is also set to be launched this summer.

Cllr Piara Singh Clair, Assistant City Mayor for culture, leisure and sport, said: “Victoria Park is a jewel in the city’s crown and we have ambitious plans to make it even more attractive to visitors.

“I am delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has lent its support to our Story of Parks project. It will help restore the park's magnificent gates to their former glory, and help people celebrate the important role that this and other city parks have played in the lives of Leicester people for generations.”

Vanessa Harbar, Head of HLF East Midlands, said: "We are lucky to have some of the best public parks in the world here in the UK and they have been at the heart of city life for decades. This National Lottery investment will restore the gateway to Victoria Park and help people to discover and share just how important our parks are, both historically and to every one of us today."

A 'podcast on the park' project is already under way, capturing people’s memories of Victoria Park on film. A programme of workshops, guided walks and other events is also being developed, and the project team are looking for volunteers to participate in the project.

New heritage interpretation panels are also planned, which will give information about the history of the parks and tell the stories of individuals associated with them.

The commemorative gates were given to the city in the 1930s by Sir Jonathan North, who was mayor of Leicester during the First World War.

The restoration of the gates will run alongside the city council’s £1.5million Centenary Walk project to create a new tree-lined route through the park, which is due to begin next year. This will restore the link between the gates and the war memorial, which was also designed by Lutyens.

Further information

Project officer Jess Boydon on 0116 454 4935 or email: storyofparks@leicester.gov.uk.