| Rock Park | |
| Photo Width: | 200 |
| Type: | Urban Park |
| Location: | Barnstaple, Devon, England |
| Coords: | 51.0736°N -4.0561°W |
| Operator: | Barnstaple Town Council |
| Created: | 1879 |
| Open: | All year |
| Website: | Barnstaple Town Council |
Rock Park is an urban park in Barnstaple, Devon, England.[1] The park was donated to the public by William Frederick Rock and opened in 1879. It has a number of listed structures including an obelisk at the entrance to the park, a lodge and a range of historic lamp posts.
The park was donated to the public by William Frederick Rock and officially opened 12 August 1879.[2] It was designed and laid out by RD Gould. The opening was commemorated with an obelisk at the entrance to the park which is a listed structure with Historic England. William Rock was born in Barnstaple and educated at Christ's Hospital London, he started a successful printing business and became wealthy. He became a benefactor to the town founding the literary and scientific foundation in 1845, Rock Park in 1879 and North Devon Athenæum in 1888.[1]
The park contains a number of structures listed with Historic England. These include Rock Park Lodge which was built in Queen Anne style. There are a number of historic lamp posts with one erected around the time of the park's opening designed in a Free Baroque style. There are a pair of lampstands with pedestal bottoms dating to the same time at the entrance to the park.
There is a children's play area, tennis, crown green bowling, basketball, football, a skatepark, footpaths and walking along the River Taw, an outdoor gym and refreshment kiosk.[1] Barnstaple Parkrun takes place in the park every Saturday morning at 9am, it is 5 km in length and run on the park's footpaths.[3]