Located in the heart of Faversham and already enjoyed on a daily basis by many in the local community, we are looking to make your visit and experience of Faversham Recreation Ground even better. Established in 1860 using funding from the Henry Wreight Charity and public subscription toward the cost of purchasing 20 acres of land and initially laying out the open space, Faversham Recreation Ground
is owned by Faversham Municipal Charities and leased by Swale Borough Council with the aim of providing valuable green space and recreational facilities for the community. Parks for People is a joint Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund programme which aims to protect and enhance historic parks, helping to ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy these important public open spaces. The Rec is one of the most significant heritage parks in Swale, retaining much of its original Victorian layout and contains listed features such as the Gardeners Lodge and Loggia. Given its age, some areas of the park and buildings are tired and there is a lack of appreciation and understanding of the park’s history and its links to the community. The aim of the project at Faversham Recreation Ground is to ensure that this heritage is protected and that people have more opportunities to visit, understand and be involved with the park and learn about its history. In July 2018 the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Big Lottery Fund (BLF) announced the project has been awarded more the £1.6m for an ambitious, heritage-led, regeneration scheme of more than £1.9m that will restore many of the park’s historic features, and improvements to facilities. The funding also supports a five year action plan of community engagement which will open up the site’s history to current users, and target groups who may not have thought about using the park previously.
