AN exhibition will open next week to celebrate the centenary of Whitaker Park, Rawtenstall.

The event will be held at Rossendale Museum in the park from Saturday, August 4, to September 9.

The museum is open from 10-5pm Monday to Friday, from 10am-5pm on Saturdays and from noon to 5pm on Sundays.

When he bought Oak Hill estate at the turn of the 20th century, Richard Whitaker fulfilled a long cherished dream of giving the children of his native town of Rawtenstall a large and properly-equipped playground.

The opening of Whitaker Park on August 3, 1901, marked a great day for the people of the town and over the next 100 years the park has remained a popular and well-used recreational facility.