areas of water are home to a number of species of waterfowl, including mute swan, moorhen and ducks. A stream, Snig Brook, flows down the park from the ponds to the memorial garden, broken by waterfalls and pools. The park is well identified with its conservatory, erected in 1900 and now also a Grade II listed building. A fine example of cast iron Victorian conservatories, the gabled central section is designed to house exotic plants with the cooler wings being used for more northern flora. The building is ornamented with arches, pierced spandrels, columns and features a large clock and a central louvred chimney. The Council has recognised that the conservatory "is in need of refurbishment" and that "options for this will be realistically addressed during 2008". Although £40,000 of Heritage Lottery Funding was allocated to the upkeep of the conservatory it is estimated that the cost to refurbish the building would be in the region of £1.5m. The conservatory sits alongside an inhabited aviary, which is also proximate to one of two porter's lodges at the West Park Road and East Park Road entrances. A magnificent wide avenue, the broad walk, is flanked by lime trees going east to west. The park is also home to a number of sporting facilities. The 'Red Rake' tennis courts are terraced into the hillside in the northerly sections of the park. A set of bowling greens are situated on the southern side of the broadwalk. A Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) suitable for football and basketball was installed opposite Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in 2007. A children's play area resides next to the two lakes. A battlement viewing platform stands 213.5 m above sea level and above the southern entrance, allowing long views over Blackburn and the West Pennine Moors. This stone barrage formerly hosted two trophy Russian cannons (see history section below) and was developed in 2006 into a panopticon viewing platform as part of a regional arts project. and the park is for the community History Prehistory as a quarry and water supply The park area contains large reserves of Millstone Grit and was previously a quarry called Park Delph. An ideal building material, the millstone grit was used for building the majority of the cotton mills and churches in Blackburn. One of the park's two lakes was created in 1772 as the town's water supply, Pemberton Clough. A system of