Medway Park Sports Centre, formerly known as the Black Lion Leisure Centre, is a prominent sports facility located in Gillingham, Kent, England. Opened on 14 December 1973 by Sir Roger Bannister, the first man to run a sub-four-minute mile, the centre has undergone significant transformations over the decades. As part of the Medway 2012 programme, aimed at leveraging the London Olympics for local development, the facility was extensively upgraded and renamed Medway Park Sports Centre in 2011. Medway Park offers a wide range of sports, fitness, and recreational activities while hosting national and international sporting events.
Initial proposals for a major new sports facility in Gillingham date to 1955, when Gillingham Borough Council and neighbouring boroughs first mooted a combined sports centre for the townâÂÂs growing population. In 1963 the authorities identified the disused âÂÂBlack Lion Fieldâ (adjacent to the Chatham Lines fortifications) as the preferred site for the project. The field was a former military recreation area known as the Black Lion Field and was used for local military recreation by the Royal Engineers. However, funding and planning took many years to finalize, and construction did not begin until the early 1970s.
The Black Lion Leisure Centre officially opened on 14 December 1973 by Sir Roger Bannister, who is best known for being the first person to run a sub-four-minute mile. The centre was designed to meet the growing demand for recreational facilities in the area and initially featured a swimming pool, gymnasium, and sports hall. The first lengths of the pool were swum by three local swimmers: eight-year-old Paul Hardy, 18-year-old Janet Bowles, and 78-year-old Bert Bishop, a member of Gillingham Swimming Club. The opening weekend saw 1,705 swimmers visit the new facility, and thousands more would use the pool in the years to follow.The development of the centre dates back to 1955, when it was first proposed by the three councils, including Gillingham Borough Council, that preceded Medway Council. In 1963, the possibility of using Black Lion Field for the project was raised, but it took another decade before the idea became reality. In 1979, the centre expanded with the addition of a sports hall, squash courts, a snooker room, and a gym, officially opened by The Duke of Kent During the 1980s, the centre hosted high-profile events, including the Norwich Union Grand Prix table tennis championship, the Butterfly Grand Prix, the English Closed Table Tennis Championships, and performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company, including Richard III. This period also saw visits from notable athletes such as snooker's Steve Davis, badminton's Gillian Gilks and Mike Tredgett, and table tennis champion Jill Hammersley.
The 1990s saw further development with improvements to gym facilities and the addition of popular events like archery. By 1993/1994, the centre had attracted 487,598 visits. It also worked in partnership with the Sports Development Team to deliver the Sportex Festival, with Sportex 95 being the most successful, drawing a visit from England international footballer Trevor Brooking.
In 2007, Medway Council announced a major redevelopment programme that included the construction of an Olympic-standard athletics track, larger sports halls, a judo centre, and new gym facilities. The expansion was completed in 2010, and in 2011, the facility was officially renamed Medway Park Sports Centre. It was opened by HRH Princess Anne, who also unveiled a commemorative plaque at the venue. Medway Park became a training site for 13 Olympic and 8 Paralympic sports in the lead-up to the 2012 London Olympics. It has since hosted international competitions such as the Modern Pentathlon World Cup, European Modern Pentathlon Championships, and the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Medway Park played a vital role in the local community, first becoming an emergency shopping hub and later serving as the largest local COVID Test Centre. Since the lifting of COVID restrictions, the centre has hosted the International Dance Championship and continues to host world-class events like the National Army Sapper Games, the David Ward Hunt Cup International Trampoline Championship, and the World Indoor Archery Championships.
Adjacent to the main entrance of Medway Park stands the Gillingham War Memorial, a Grade II listed monument commemorating the residents of the former Borough of Gillingham who died in the First and Second World Wars, as well as the Korean War. Originally unveiled on 20 July 1924 at the Mill Road junction, it was relocated to its present site in the early 1970s to improve safety and accessibility. In 2012, as part of the wider redevelopment of Medway Park, the memorial's surroundings were enhanced with new paving, seating, and landscaping.
The Black Lion Skatepark was a concrete skatepark on the site of the Black Lion Field. Built in 1978 during the late-1970s boom of skateboarding and BMX, it was active until its closure in 1987. It was funded by local businessman Alfred Faccenda.
Black Lion Skatepark opened in August 1978. The skatepark was designed by Adrian RoltâÂÂs G-Force team and built by Skate Park Construction Ltd). The summer of 1977 saw the first UK skatepark (Skate City, London) and by 1978 dozens of concrete parks were built across Britain. Black Lion was among the last of the early wave (earlier examples included BrightonâÂÂs Barn, RomfordâÂÂs Rom, HarrowâÂÂs Solid Surf). The peak popularity is illustrated by the fact that in 1977 âÂÂskateboards [were] the most popular Christmas present in BritainâÂÂâÂÂ.
However, the craze soon faltered. Skateboarding âÂÂwent undergroundâ by 1979, and many parks closed. Just as skateboarding waned, the BMX bicycle movement surged in the early 1980s.
By mid-1980s the Black Lion benefited from a substantial upgrade. In 1985, the Gillingham council (by then Medway District Council) commissioned concrete resurfacing to unify the parkâÂÂs bowls. The separate modules were joined with concrete ramps between them, smoothing transitions. This made the multi-bowl layout flow as a single course. The renovation coincided with renewed staffing: marshals were rehired (though insurance costs were noted as a concern). Riders remember this period as a "good time" for the park, with busy sessions under better conditions.
Despite an approved plan in 1987 to build a new expanded skatepark and shop on the site, the Black Lion suddenly closed in late 1987. According to eyewitness accounts, on 2 December 1987 lorries arrived and filled the park with rubble, obliterating the concrete ramps. This action - carried out by the local council â effectively ended the skatepark. Remarkably, no official record of this decision appears in the council minutes. Local researcher Rikard ÃÂsterlund notes: "I spent a couple of days looking through the minutesâ¦there's nothing about [it] being permanently closed or backfilled"
No public justification was given at the time, leading to controversy. In 1987 the council reportedly cited âÂÂhealth and safety concernsâ as a reason to close the park, but this is disputed. Anecdotal accounts suggest personal politics played a role: a local councillor who lived near the park allegedly objected to the noise and youth gatherings, which âÂÂsealed the fateâ of the park. In any case, the closure was abrupt and unexplained in official channels. It left many in the community feeling that a valued amenity was lost without democratic discussion.
In recent years the Black Lion has gained renewed interest as a piece of heritage:
These modern efforts â talks, petitions, art shows â frame Black Lion as local heritage. ÃÂsterlund emphasizes that for skaters it was a "safe haven" and "second home". University of London urban historian Iain Borden has even noted that 1970s British skateparks like Black Lion are an important strand of youth culture history.
Medway Park Sports Centre is accessible by various modes of transport, with good connections to the surrounding areas.
Public Transport
In March 2012, the Medway Dragons launched their wheelchair rugby league team at Medway Park. Later that month, the venue hosted a 12-hour-long match between Medway Dragons and the London Broncos foundation setting a world record for the longest wheelchair rugby league match.
Medway Park was first used for international competition in August 2012 when it hosted the inaugural Fassolette-Kielty Trophy match between and . The following year it was the host venue for the World Cup, held as part of the 2013 Festival of World Cups. In 2014, it was the venue for the Four Nations tournament, and in 2015 it hosted the Fassolette-Kielty Trophy and the European Championship. In November 2021, Medway Park was the venue for a two-test series between England and France.