The gift and laying out of the park
It had been Philip’s wish that part of his estate should be set apart for the benefit of the people of Norwich. So it was that in July 1908 what is now Sewell Park was given to the city of Norwich by his children in memory of their father.
Following the gift of the land, the city engineers set about the task of drawing up plans for the laying out of the park. The park, from the sunken footpath at the top (based on the Victorian ha-ha) down to the entrance, was planted with a variety of trees including ash, elm, oak, sycamore, lime and birch. The beautifully handpainted plan produced by the city engineer’s office shows a terrace at the top of the park, flower beds, a hedge and an expanse of grass down to the gate at the bottom of the park. The plan included covered seating, a water supply and entrance gates. There was an area initially designated as
a
future children’s playground, but it did not feature in the final design.
Edward Gurney Buxton, the mayor of Norwich, paid for the laying out of the park. By July of the following year, this open space was ready to be opened to the public as Sewell Park.
