Prince’s Park is one of Burntwood’s most unusual and much-loved landmarks. Created in 1863 to commemorate the marriage of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra of Denmark, it has long been recognised as an exceptionally small public park with a big place in local history.

While newer record claims exist for smaller spaces by surface area alone, Prince’s Park remains different. It is not simply a decorative planter or traffic-island feature. It is a defined, enclosed public park with a gate, railings, a bench, three mature trees and planting, and it can be entered and used by the public.

Why Prince’s Park is different

Prince’s Park may be small, but it has the key features people expect from a public park:

It has a defined boundary, an entrance gate, public access, a bench, three mature trees, planting and a long civic history.

Other very small parks around the world have been recognised for their tiny measurements, including the current Guinness World Records title holder in Nagaizumi, Japan, which measures 0.24 m². However, Burntwood Town Council believes Prince’s Park has a special claim as the smallest usable public park, because a person can enter it, sit in it and experience it as a park.

Our Guinness World Records proposal

Burntwood Town Council is exploring an application to Guinness World Records for a new record title:

Smallest usable public park in the world

The proposal is not based simply on being the smallest measured space. It is based on Prince’s Park being a genuine public park that remains usable by residents and visitors.

We believe a usable public park should be publicly accessible, capable of being entered by a person, contain permanent park features such as seating, trees or planting, and be maintained as public open space.

Prince’s Park facts

Location: Burntwood, Staffordshire
Created: 1863
Purpose: To commemorate the marriage of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra of Denmark
Features: Entrance gate, railings, bench, three mature trees, flower planter and public access
Status: Public park maintained as part of Burntwood’s local heritage
Claim: Believed to be the smallest usable public park in the world