Description:

Tollesbury Recreation Ground is a large green space off East Street that can also be accessed through Horn Lane, which is the little walled path that joins up with Church Street.

In the rec there are a few points of interest – the playground, which is at the North end and can be accessed via a path that stretches from east to west across the rec; the MUGA (essentially used as a basketball court); the football net; and the WW1 war memorial.

The war memorial actually marks the location of a crater from a bomb that was dropped in 1915. It was funded by public subscription and designed and executed by Messrs L J Watts Ltd, monumental masons of Colchester.

During the summer months, there are often a range of events that take place in the rec including a fete.

The Recreation Ground is the home ground of the following football teams:
Tollesbury Juniors – Tollesbury Football Club – Tollesbury Athletic

History:

Mr. Fred Hasler is remembered for his great generosity. In 1921 he bought Glebe Fields and converted it into a playing field as a memorial to the villagers who died in the Great War. It is called the Victory Recreation Ground, nowadays affectionately known as “The Rec”.

Extract from the Essex Chronicle, August 10th 1923: Gift to Township – Tollesbury Recreation Ground;

On Monday, Dr J H Salter, DL JP CC formally owned the Victory Recreation Ground, the generous gift to the township of Mr. Fred E Hasler. He was not able to be at the opening but he wrote to an old friend, Mr Redhouse:- “I am sorry I cannot be with you today. Business won’t permit it. But it’s yours anyway. I obtained the idea from you many years ago and nothing gives me more pleasure than to know that you have been spared to see this dream of yours come true”.

Ownership was transferred to the Parish Council in 1966.

Poplar trees were planted around the perimeter to commemorate the men from the village who died in the First World War. Some of them have been lost to storms over the years.