The smallest park in the UK – that can’t fit more than six people at a time and only has one tree
A SMALL town in the north east is home to the smallest park in the country and, some locals believe, the world.
With just one tree and no room for a picnic, Mafeking Park is not exactly the type of place where you’d meet your friends for a game of football.
However, it is a well-known landmark to the people of Morpeth in Northumberland, where it has existed since at least the 1850s.
Some have tried to have it recognised officially as the smallest in the world with the Guinness book of records, but so far their attempts have been unsuccessful.
In 1852, the park was known as Shields Road End Plot and was a triangle with more trees and even a bench for people to sit on.
Road development has changed it over the years and made it even smaller, creating the tiny park that exists in the middle of a roundabout today.
The park gets its name from a siege in the Second Boer War, and the celebrations in the town when it was finally broken after 217 days, in 1900.
Three more seats were added to the plot, which was lit by a gas lamp, following its renaming.
Thirty soldiers from Morpeth had served in the Boer War and the park became their memorial.
Since then, it has shrunk in size and was changed from a triangle to a circle shape in 1971 when it was turned into a roundabout.
Village Guides wrote on Facebook: “This roundabout was once claimed to be the smallest park in the world.
“Unfortunately the Guinness Book of Records were unable to validate the claim, but the people of Morpeth are still proud of this unusual little landmark.”
Morpeth has something of a eye for small attractions, with one of the UK’s smallest museums in the town as well.
The bagpipe museum has been described as “a major part of the county’s musical landscape” with its two small rooms dedicated to the musical instrument.
The museum specialises in Northumbrian Pipes, although it also has items from across Europe, including decorative sets from Scotland, Spain, Italy, France, Estonia and beyond.
Visitors are able to listen to examples of music from the collection.
There are also regular live musical performances, as well as ‘Learn to Play in a Day’ and ‘Meet the Piper’ sessions.
Meanwhile, this UK seaside town isn’t far from Morpeth – it’s near Hogwarts and you can see dolphins in the sea.
And there’s another seaside town nearby with puffins and whales and alcoholic honey.