wooden piping carried the water to the town until the installation of the mains water in 1847. The smaller lake was known as 'the can' as citizens drew water from it using cans. The reservoir was consequently named 'big can'. Both are on the County Sites and Monuments Record for Lancashire. Preparation and opening The first steps toward the establishment of the park were taken in 1845 when a sum of £4701 19s 7d was raised towards the purchase and implementation of the park by the sale of land on the town's moor. The for the park were secured in January 1855 with the purchase by the then Mayor, Thomas Dugdale, for the Corporation, from Joseph Feilden for £3,237 6s 3d. at £65 per acre. Blackburn Corporation was also required to build public roads on the east and west sides of the estate (now East and West Park Roads) at an eventual cost of £4,480 17s 1d. In 1855 work commenced on the Preston New Road entrance by Roberts and Walmsley, awarded the contract to build the arch and lodge at a cost of £789. The East and West lodges were constructed at this time. In 1857 Three of the four fountains in the park built and paid for by Mayor William Pilkington, including the largest at the main entrance built by Varley's of Blackburn. The fourth fountain, which stands in the stream running down from the main lake, was built later than the others and was paid for by John Dean. It is made of slate and is of a simpler design than the others. In 1857 two Russian cannons captured from Sevastopol during the Crimean War presented to the town as a Trophy by Lord Panmure, the Secretary of War. These were mounted on a stone-faced battery at the top of the park. By its opening the total cost of the park was £14,701 19s 1d. The grand opening of the park was performed on 22 October 1857 by Mayor William Pilkington, who led a procession from the town hall. Shops were closed and factory bosses gave their employees leave to attend the event. An estimated 60,000 people were in attendance, 14,000 of whom had arrived by train, leading to overcrowded paths and thousands of people outside the park. The Sevastopol cannon trophies were fired as part of the celebrations. The Blackburn Weekly Times praised the opening of