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In 1928, looking to make improvements to the town's open spaces, the Slough Urban District Council bought a plot of land alongside Lascelles Road for £7,000. For a time there was a possibility that a technical college could be built on the site, but this came to nothing, and by 1930 the park was available for the playing of organised games.
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| The park was named after the Lascelles family, who had a long connection with Slough. Henry George Charles Lascelles, Earl of Harewood, was approached and asked whether he preferred Lascelles Playing Field or Harewood Playing Field as a name. He did not express a preference, so the committee decided on Lascelles as it ran alongside Lascelles Road. |
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Lascelles Park, 1st October 2004 |
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In 1930 and 1931, the playing field committee wanted to stop all organised sport from taking place on Sundays, but following appeals from sports clubs and the public the decision was reversed. Also, until proper facilities were built, the only changing facilities available were in a converted pigsty.
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The Lodge, Lascelles Park, before 1997 |
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The pavilion was built in 1932, and was used as a café until the 1960s. It lay derelict for several years until it was refurbished in 1978 and operated as a café again for several years. The idea came when cricketers were observed walking to the High Street for their tea. |
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Disaster struck in January 2004 when the pavilion was destroyed in a fire, which took four fire crews six hours to put out. It was not rebuilt because the cost was prohibitive.
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| Lascelles Playing Fields have been the location for several of Slough's most important events. These included the celebrations for the coronations of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II, and also the commemoration of King George V's Silver Jubilee in 1935. It also hosted the presentation of Slough's Charter of Incorporation in 1938. For more information on the events held on the fields, select Malcolm Helling's article on the right. |
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Lascelles Playing Fields by Malcolm Hellings |
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In the Pink
Lascelles Playing Fields
