In 2013, the Town Council appointed Landscape Architects to review Sworders Field and to create  a Masterplan for the next 10-20 years.  A list of possible facilities and a draft layout was created and, following consultation a Masterplan developed and adopted.  

The first noticable improvement was the re-imagining of the paddling pool which has become a modern splash pool.  Improvements to the Moat, the building of a bandstand and new paths have followed as well as the introduction of Ice cream concessions and a pop up Cafe.

In 2016, Bishop's Stortford Town Council joined with the Countryside Management Service and East Herts District Council to seek lottery funding for 'Castle Park'.  Incorporating the Sworders Field masterplan this ambitious project envisages the development of a joined-up park combining Sworders Field and Castle Gardens.  Together the Councils and the CMS have secured £250,000 lottery funding (from the Heritage lottery Fund and the BIG Lottery) for the development phase, which includes all the detailed planning and technical studies needed to create the park.  

The project is still eviolving.  The final adopted Masterplan for Sworders Field and the initial consultation material which formed the basis of the Castle Park bid are available for download below.

Castle Park and Sworders field are part of a riverside corridor which  runs through the town.  A far-reaching vision for this corridor is being created which will incorporate Castle Park at the centre and stretch from the Red White and Blue meadows in the North to Southmill lock to the South.  
You can read more about this on our Waterside Stortford page.

Skate Park

See the plan below, it is hoped the build will start late 2020/early 2021. 

Sworders Field Multi Use Wheeled Sports Area

Alongside the element of the project, and in addition to the lottery-supported programme, Bishop’s Stortford Town Council had initially intended to construct a BMX Track.  However, more recently the Town Council has been advised and has accepted that a ‘pure’ BMX Track is not be the best use of the space available and that, instead, a Wheeled Sports Area (including BMX, Scooters, Wheelchairs, etc.) designed to appeal to users of a wide spectrum of age groups, would be preferable.

Bishop’s Stortford Town Council appointed Velosolutions to design and build the new facility.

As part of the design phase of the project, Velosolutions has welcomed interested parties/groups and the young people who would want to use this track to contribute their input and feedback to help develop the initial concept designs:  The consultation documentation can be found below entitled SwordersFieldWheeledSportsAreaConsultation2020.pdf, there was a survey at the end of the presentation however the deadline of 22nd July 2020 has now passed.   

We are currently in the process of looking at the feedback received from the consultation and are developing the designs ready for planning submission. For enquiries please email: tracey.gaynor@bishopsstortfordtc.gov.uk.

You can also keep up to date with the work on social media on Facebook: @Velosolutions UK and Instagram: @velosolutions_uk and this webpage.