The park opened to the public in 1888 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. A dying Dutch Elm tree, one of the last in the borough, close to the main entrance has been transformed into a dramatic 28-foot carved statue called the Twilight Tree.
The northern boundary was changed and disturbed during the 1939-1945 war. There were allotments in this part of the site but in October 1945 prefabs were constructed to house ex servicemen. There was a considerable sloping bank along the northern edge of the park but when the prefabs were removed this was also removed.
The middle entrance on the northern boundary is a modern addition to the park, created as a result of a flying bomb demolishing numbers 4, 6, 8 and 10 East Churchfields Road. A railing extends around the park on the north eastern and south eastern sides. Most of the railings are modern but there are some areas of historic railings at the entrances.
