Ethel Ward Playing Fields
Given to Haxby in memory of Ethel Ward, and at the heart of the village ever since.
A short history
Ethel Ward Playing Fields have been at the heart of the Haxby community for generations.
Haxby Hall
The story begins with Haxby Hall, a grand Grade II listed house on York Road, built around 1790 and surrounded by about 22 acres of land. The Hall was later used to accommodate evacuees from Hull during the Second World War.
Ethel's gift
Following the death of his wife, Ethel, in 1944, Kenneth Ward donated a large part of the Haxby Hall grounds to the town, so that they could become playing fields for the local community. His one condition was that they should be known as the Ethel Ward Playing Fields:
“for ever hereafter”
ensuring that his wife's name would remain part of Haxby's history.
Opening day, 1948
The playing fields officially opened on 8 May 1948, when the first cricket match was played between Haxby & Wigginton and local rivals New Earswick.
Since then
Ethel Ward Playing Fields have continued to provide a much-loved space for sport, recreation, play and community events, including the annual Haxby Carnival. A new pavilion was added in 1964, further establishing the site as an important community facility.
More than 75 years later, Ethel Ward Playing Fields remain a valued community asset — carrying forward Kenneth Ward's original gift and his wish that the land should benefit the people of Haxby for generations to come.
The sports courts
Two floodlit all-weather courts, rebuilt as part of the wider rejuvenation of the site. They're marked for netball and football, used by four partner clubs, and open for anyone in the village to book.
What else is here
Content needed: what else the fields offer — play area, grass pitches, paths, parking, and anything the wider rejuvenation project will add.
Finding us
Ethel Ward Playing FieldsCalf Close, Haxby
York YO32 3NU
Questions about the fields? Get in touch.