A youngster tries out the brass rubbing trail

The history of Lichfield’s Beacon Park and Minster Pool can be uncovered with a new Swinfen Broun Trail.

Families are invited to follow the brass rubbings and solve challenges introduced as part of the Lichfield Historic Parks project.

A youngster tries out the brass rubbing trail
A youngster tries out the brass rubbing trail

Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund, the trail features a cartoon figure of Colonel Swinfen Broun, who gifted 12 acres of land to extend Beacon Park towards the end of his life in 1943.

Councillor Val Richards said: “The Swinfen Broun Trail is full of child-friendly facts, missions and brass rubbings, and is a great way for children and their families to find out more about the heritage of Lichfield Historic Parks.”

The Colonel sets eight challenges throughout the trail, including a wordsearch, anagrams, finding crowns and a castle turret on Martyrs’ Plaque, and spotting a selection of animals on the fountain in Museum Gardens.

The eight brass plaques for the brass rubbings have been created to explain the history of Beacon Park and Minster Pool. This includes finding out where Beacon Place’s underground ice house was, discovering the origins of Martyrs’ Plaque in the park’s Herbaceous Garden, and learning about the pilgrims who crossed a much larger Minster Pool by ferry in the olden days to get to the cathedral.

The Swinfen Broun Trail is available to buy for 50p from the Ranger Station Beacon Park, which is next to the crazy golf course.

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.