At the start of the 20th century local residents successfully campaigned for a new public park on 24 acres of land on Denmark Hill, and it opened to the public on 2 February 1907. The park was laid out by the notable parks designer Lt-Col JJ Sexby. Sexby's design included an Old English Garden, an oval duck pond, a bandstand and a bowling green. The bowling green has been replaced by a garden, but the other features remain.[1] In 1910 Ruskin Park was enlarged by the addition of a further 12 acres (5 ha) to the south west.
The existing houses on the site were demolished when the park was created. One of these was Dane House, where, in 1842, Felix Mendelssohn composed Spring Song.[1] There is a sundial in the park commemorating Mendelssohn's visit.[2] The former entrance porch to one of the demolished houses remains in the park, and is Grade II listed.[3]