Who knew? Tanglewood Park
It’s tucked away in a residential area, so Tanglewood Park doesn’t get the traffic of other Groton parks.
“It’s more of a neighborhood park,” said Groton Parks and Recreation Director Mark Berry. But he added, “It is a beautiful location.”
The 3.6-acre town-owned park in the Tanglewood subdivision overlooks Palmer Cove and offers a view of Haley Farm. The sound of birds create more of a background than do the sounds of passing cars.
The park has four swings, a basketball court and a long paved drive down the hill to a small beach on the cove. The park once had a boat launch, but the drive has since been closed to cars
“If you had a kayak or a canoe you could drag it down, but certainly not a boat on a trailer,” Berry said. The town plans to renovate the basketball court and make changes to the parking lot to make the court handicapped accessible in the future, Berry said.
On the hill between the road and the water, a single granite bench is dedicated “In Loving Memory of Nicole Rioux,” who died in November 2011 at age 33 in Mansfield. She had relatives who live in Groton.
The small, quiet park has been in Groton for decades. It was built as part of the Tanglewood subdivision, which the Groton Planning Commission approved in 1965. The developer, IR Stich Associates, Inc. had plans for 114 lots on 40 acres. Regulations required developers to set aside 10 percent of their land for open space at the time.
“Apparently he wasn’t able or didn’t want to provide the required 10 percent of land area as open space,” said Deborah Jones, assistant director of planning.
So instead of the four acres the 40-acre development was required to give, the developer offered 3.6 acres of open space and improvements with the space. IR Stich built the parking area, driveway down to the water and the small beach on the water. The space became what’s now the town-owned Tanglewood Park.
To reach the park from Exit 88 off Interstate 95, take Route 117 toward Fort Hill Road, turn left onto Route 1 and right onto Groton Long Point Road. Then turn right onto Brook Street and left onto Seneca Drive. The park has a small parking lot with space for three or four cars.
Those of us who live in southeastern Connecticut drive the local roads day in
and day out, passing by landmarks but not really seeing them. So, we've gathered a few spots in our towns that we think you might want to know more about.
What: Tanglewood Park
Where: Seneca Drive, Groton
Why: This 3.6-acre neighborhood park has sweeping views of Palmer Cove and Haley Farm, as well as swings and a basketball court.
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