PARKS IN TOWNS AND MUNICIPAL FORESTS 35 



inflicted on towns by buildings erected on their outskirts. 

 Inasmuch as proprietors obtained accession of value as the 

 town spreads, through no exertion of their own, such a tax 

 would be equitable. Thomson, however, being a practical 

 man, did not desire people to stand idly by till such a tax 

 was imposed, but to proceed by private subscriptions to 

 acquire land for public parks, aided by public grants. 



The creation and development of the numerous public 

 parks and open spaces in Birmingham illustrate well tlie 

 enlightened progress of a great municipality, since 1852, 

 " when there were no public walks in Birmingham." It will 

 be seen how voluntary effort stimulated and brought into 

 being the necessary municipal enterprise. The story of the 

 Birmingham public parks is doubtless typical, and will 

 stand for the history of this movement all over Great 

 Britain. 



It was not until 1851 that an Improvement Act gave 

 the Corporation powers to acquire land for purposes of 

 health and recreation. Adderley Park, the first public 

 park of Birmingham, was laid out in 1856 on a plot of 

 building land of about 10 acres, which was a gift for this 

 purpose to the Corporation by Mr. Adderley. Calthorpe 

 Park, 31 acres in area, was opened in 1857; but the fee 

 simple on the ground was not conveyed to the Corporation 

 until 1894. Aston Park, now 49 acres in extent, first 

 opened as a recreation ground by a private company in 

 1858, was purchased for £26,000 in 1864, the Corporation 

 contributing to the price £19,000, and seventeen citizens 

 the balance of £7000. Miss Ryland presented the city 

 with Cannon Hill Park in 1873. It was then pasture 

 land with fine old trees, and has since been abundantly 

 planted with shrubs and trees, and enriched by an arboretum 

 and beautiful gardens, one of which (Fig. 4) is set apart 

 for the use of botanical students. The area, at first 57 

 acres, has been increased gradually to 73 acres. Highgate 

 Park, 8 acres of waste land, was purchased by the Corporation 

 for £8000 and opened in 1881. Summerfield Park, a 

 well-wooded demesne, originally 12 acres in area, was also 



