A £2 million transformation of a popular park is set to start in April - and will lift the lid on a message from the past.
The works at Rhyddings Park in Oswaldtwistle are expected to last between 12 and 18 months and will see the restoration of the coach house into a community venue, rebuilding the derelict walled garden for food growing and creating a performance space.
Members of the Friends of Rhyddings Park (FoRP) group have also found a lost ‘time capsule’ that was buried in the 1970s and will be dug up ahead of the scheme.
Ann Warrington, who chairs the Friends group, said she is excited about the works finally beginning. Speaking at a recent Oswaldtwistle area forum meeting, she said: “The work is due to start in April. There will be disruption for about 12 to 18 months.
“We are now on a mission for the next 18 months to raise funding for a celebration after the works are completed.”
The time capsule - a historic collection of goods or information buried as a message to future generations - was planted in the winter of 1973 by Rodney Parkinson of the Oswaldtwistle Civic Society.
Ann said they are confident that they have located it after an appeal and they are keen to find out what’s inside it.
Local children and community groups are also being encouraged to make their own, which will be buried when the park redevelopments are finished.
Ann said: “There’s a time capsule buried in the park. We think we know where it is and we are looking to dig it up.
“That’s partly because of the redevelopment and we don’t want it to get lost and partly because we are nosy. After that in the year to come we hope there will be lots of time capsules buried as the development works go on for future generations.”
A Valentine’s Day event has been organised by FoRP to generate funds for a celebration at the end of the works.
‘Be My Valentine’ will be held at The Black Dog on Union Road in Oswaldtwistle on Tuesday, February 14, from 7.30pm.
It will include comedy, music and raffle prizes donated by local businesses and organisers are seeking people who want to propose to their partners to come forward.
The FoRP group will hold an extraordinary annual general meeting on Wednesday, February 22, to formally elect a new committee.
