City's first municipal park has seven Grade 2 listed monuments

Weston Park was the first municipal park in the city. It was created in the grounds of Weston Hall, which passed into the council's hands when owner Thomas Harrison died.

The park, which covers 14 acres, was designed by Robert Marnock - also responsible for the nearby Botanical Gardens. But Marnock never lived to see the completion of Weston Park, dying two years before it opened in 1875.

There are seven Grade II listed monuments within the park, including ornate terracotta front gateposts, a war memorial to the soldiers of the Yorkshire and Lancashire regiment, and statues of Ebenezer Elliott and Godfrey Sykes.

Elliott owned a Sheffield ironworks but was committed to social reform and wrote poems protesting against the Corn Laws in the 19th century - which led to high bread prices. Sykes was another famous Sheffield son who oversaw the decoration of the Victoria and Albert museum in London.

In recent times Weston Park has attracted about 150,000 people annually - but this number is expected to increase dramatically due to the popularity of Weston Park Museum, which fronts on to the park and has had 400,000 visitors since reopening last October.

The park is a popular place for patients from neighbouring hospitals and their families. In fine weather during spring, summer and early autumn, it is so packed with students there is often barely a place to sit on the grass.

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