Clock tower revamp begins as part of £500k park works

One of the most distinctive features of Blackpool's Stanley Park is being renovated to coincide with the park's centenary later this year.

The Grade II-listed Cocker Memorial Clock Tower opened in 1927 to honour Dr William Henry Cocker, Blackpool's first mayor and a key figure in the town's 19th Century development.

Designed by Lionel Budden, the landmark links the park's south gate to the Italian Garden.

A schedule of maintenance and restoration works at the park, which is also Grade II-listed, will be delivered throughout the year, with Blackpool Council investing £500,000 along with £50,000 raised by the Friends of Stanley Park.

The works include the repairs to the Cocker Clock and the water fountain feature within the Italian Gardens.

The aim is for the works on the clock tower to be completed by later this summer, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Celebrations are being planned this year to mark the park's centenary.

They will include a two-day event in October and a programme of special activities throughout the year.

The park, which covers 390 acres (about 160 hectares), was officially opened on 2 October 1926 by the 17th Earl of Derby.

Designed and built by Thomas Mawson, an eminent garden designer and landscape architect, it features Italian Gardens, an Art Deco Cafe, a swan lake and a bandstand, as well as a BMX track, skate park and play area.

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