Major revamp work on Rugby park pathways now complete

Cllr Kathryn Lawrence, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for operations and traded services, joined Rugby Cycle Forum members (left to right) Nick, John, Fern and John on the Whitehall Recreation Ground section of the Park Connector Network.

The improvements to pathways forms part of the council's phased refurbishment of Whitehall Rec, which has so far included a new play area and the installation of a state-of-the-art skatepark.

A new path now connects the skatepark and play area to the rec's main pathway network, while the path behind the Whitehall Memorial Gates has been relaid and widened to improve accessibility.

The path leading into the rec from Hillmorton Road has also been relaid and realigned, with a new pathway leading to the Rugby Athletics Track and Thornfield Bowling Club, while a number of new and replacement benches have been installed.

And the path leading from the grounds of the Hospital of St Cross towards the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Leisure Centre has also been relaid and widened, with a new path leading from Trevor White Drive towards Cromwell Road.

The council has started installing eco-friendly, solar-powered lights on the rec's paths.

The completion of the pathway improvements means Whitehall Rec has now joined the council's Park Connector Network, a network of 'green' travel corridors across the borough to encourage walking and cycling.

Since 2020, the council has laid more than 4,500 metres of new or improved pathways for the network, illuminated by solar-powered lights.

Cllr Kathryn Lawrence, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for operations and traded services, said: "The new pathways at Whitehall Recreation Ground mark the next step in our programme of improvements to the rec, improving access to the Whitehall Memorial Gates and linking the rec to the Park Connector Network.

"We hope to unveil the rec's fully-restored bandstand in the coming weeks, with hedge-planting and further landscaping work planned for later this year."

Whitehall Recreation Ground opened to the public in 1877 and a decade later was the focal point of the borough's celebrations for Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.

The Whitehall Memorial Gates were unveiled in 1922 to honour Rugby's fallen heroes of the First World War - with more than 10,000 residents attending the opening ceremony conducted by Field Marshall Earl French of Ypres.