History
‘World’s oldest swing’ installed at park after being found in a garden
The swing was found nine years ago in the garden of a manor house once belonging to the family of Charles Wicksteed, the inventor of modern-day swings and slides.
By Ben Turner via SWNS
The "world's oldest swing" has been installed at a park after it was found dilapidated in a back garden.
The six-pronged frame with a thick wooden seat - believed to date back 100 years - is thought to be designed by Charles Wicksteed, the inventor of modern-day swings and slides.
The swing was found nine years ago in the garden of a manor house once belonging to the family of Charles Wicksteed.
Now, it has been installed at the 147-acre Wicksteed Park in Kettering, England, which Charles opened in 1921 to encourage play and wellbeing.
Oliver Wicksteed, chairman of the Wicksteed Charitable Trust, which owns the park, said: “The discovery of the oldest swing known to be in existence is remarkable and, along with the rest of the playground, gives visitors to the park the chance to sit on and enjoy a real piece of history.
“Its shape, size and the lack of a tell-tale name plate, which went on all play equipment when Charles Wicksteed began to sell it commercially in the 1920s, indicate it was a prototype, possibly given by him to his family as part of pre-production trials.”
Wicksteed Park also contains a rocking horse dating back 80 years and reconstructions of a 1921 slide designed by Charles Wicksteed.