Grand steps and promenade at Alexandra Park

Introduction

The photograph on this page of Grand steps and promenade at Alexandra Park by Ian Greig as part of the Geograph project.

The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

There are currently over 7.5m images from over 14,400 individuals and you can help contribute to the project by visiting https://www.geograph.org.uk

Grand steps and promenade at Alexandra Park

Image: © Ian Greig Taken: 23 Apr 2015

Alexandra Park is one of Manchester’s earliest and most intact Victorian Parks. In 1995 the park was listed Grade 2 on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens. The 60-acre site for the Park was bought by Manchester Corporation and laid out between 1868 and 1870. The design was the subject of an architectural competition which was won by Alexander Gordon Hennell of Chancery Lane, London. Hennell’s winning design was ahead of its time, integrating the provision of traditional ornamental features and sporting facilities, something we take for granted in parks today. The design exploited the flat and featureless site by creating a series of broad sweeping and curved footpaths, perfect for the Victorian fashion of promenading, whilst defining the oval activity areas. In 2014 the park was sympathetically restored, reinstating and repairing the original features and adapting facilities to meet the demands of a modern park.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0