At the Heart of Bideford
Take time to stroll around this delightful park which was opened in 1912 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s reign. The Park and flowerbeds are carefully tended throughout the seasons but are most spectacular in spring and summer.
This is an ideal family park with something for all ages including a variety of recreational facilities, a newly refurbished children’s play area and open-air paddling pool. While the children play you can plan the rest of your day in peaceful surroundings. The park has many historical features – the nine cannon surrounding the band stand are believed to have been captured from the Spaniards in the Armada, a tree was planted in 1944 to mark the good relations between Bideford residents and US Army personnel who were stationed in Bideford from 1940-1944. There are also rose beds dedicated to the late Princess Diana and a Millennium Time Capsule is buried near the park entrance. You can find out more details from the Information Centre or the Burton Art Gallery & Museum.
While you’re here you can call in for refreshments at the Cafe du Parc which serves, coffee, lunches and teas. The main gallery has a lively programme of local and national touring exhibitions and craft work and is also now home to the new Bideford Museum.
Bideford Victoria Park Bowling Club
Founded in 1950. In 2005, Bideford Ladies Bowling Club merged with the Victoria Park men’s club to form a single entity. Members are mainly drawn from the Bideford and the wider Torridge area, and the Club has over one hundred playing members, together with a number of social members. There is alway a warm and sincere welcome at Bideford Victoria Park Bowling Club for our visitors, and we will be very happy to assist in any way we can, whether this be the provision of a one-off fixture, or help with putting together a successful and enjoyable tour.
Tarka Tots Nursery
Tarka Tots is an exciting Neighbourhood Nursery within the Bideford Bay Childrens Centre in Bideford. Purpose built with a range of high quality equipment and resources, we are located alongside Victoria Park making it convenient for the town centre and shops.
We provide full day-care from 8am to 6pm, 51 weeks of the year for children aged 3 months to 5 years. We are registered for Early Years Grant Funding – so you can combine free Pre-School Education sessions and day-care if you wish to return to work or training (Please call us if you would like to know more about Early Years Grant Funding).
Bideford Rugby Club
The club was founded in 1926 with the assistance of Barnstaple RFC from a nucleus of Bideford players from that club. The last surviving founder member, Terence Bird died as recently as 1996. The first game was played near Victoria Park against a Barnstaple reserve side. A more permanent home was found at Bideford Sports Ground in 1929. The first clubhouse was completed in 1954 at a cost of £1,100 and was erected by voluntary labour, (the ‘Hungry Thirties”, a national economic slump, and World War II, 1939 – 1945 were delaying factors). An offer was made by Bideford Town Council to move to the Trust’s King Georges’s Field, this was accepted in 1967 at a cost of £10,000. In the following years, extensions including a new dining room, kitchen and lounge bar were made at an additional cost of £3,500.
Events in the Park
We will publish details of any forthcoming events we are aware of happening in the park on our What’s On Page. If you have any details of planned events – please get in contact with us and let us know about dates, times and the nature of the event.
