Withington history
Withington parks
The Withington area is blessed with a number of very attractive parks. Here are pictures, with a few historical notes. Click on pictures to expand the images.

 
Fog Lane Park, Withington

Fog Lane Park in the fog. Fog does tend
to linger in this area. Development of
the 48 acre park began in 1926.
(See below for more details.)
[Photo: Feb 2012]

  
Fog Lane Park in the Autumn

An Autumn scene in Fog Lane Park.
[Nov 2012]
 
Fog Lane Park, Withington: Dawn Redwood

An old Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia
glyptostroboides) in Fog Lane Park.
The park contains an exceptionally
good collection of exotic and native
trees (see the account below).
[Nov. 2012]

 
Old Moat Park, Withington
Old Moat Park covers 5.6 acres between
Rippingham Road and Hill Street. It was a
recreation ground with a bowling green and
bandstand recorded as far back as 1916
(see below) when it was bordered by
agricultural land with fields on two sides.
[2010]
 
Ladybarn Park: Poplar Walk
Ladybarn Park: the Poplar Walk in winter.
[2010]
 
Ladybarn Park: Poplar Walk

Ladybarn Park - the magnificent Poplar Walk
in summer [2011]. Here is a photograph of
the poplars back in 1963.
 
Ladybarn Park

Ladybarn Park: the splendid Maple Avenue includes Silver Maple, Norway Maple, Sycamore and Field Maple. It was a gift from the Junior Chamber of Commerce in Hamilton, Canada. A plaque says "Best wishes to the City of Manchester for a Maple-shaded Canada Street". [2012]

  
Ladybarn Park

Ladybarn Park - decorative gates. [2012]
 
Ladybarn Park: Outdoor gym

The official opening of the outdoor gym at
Ladybarn Park by Tony Parkinson, Chair
of Southway Housing Trust (leftmost
in the group). [July 2011]

  
Ladybarn Park: Bowling Green

Ladybarn Park - the Bowling Green. [2012]
 
Ladybarn Park: Woodland

Ladybarn Park - woodland area in winter. 
Alder (Alnus glutinosa), with male and
 female flowers, in the foreground. [2010]

  
Ladybarn Park: Woodland

Ladybarn Park - birch woodland in
summer (Betula pendula). [2011]
 
Kingswood Park, Ladybarn

Kingswood Park in Ladybarn has been
restored with new sports facilities and
new tree planting, including fruit trees -
plums "Czar" and "Victoria", Oriental
Plane (Platanus orientalis), a hawthorn
(Crataegus x prunifolia ":Splendens") and
Lime (Tilia sp.) [2013]

  
Kingswood Park, Ladybarn, Manchester

An entrance to Kingswood Park in Ladybarn.
[2013]


Fog Lane Park

The tree collection in Fog Lane Park is exceptionally good. Look out for Indian Bean Tree (Catalpa bignonioides) and hybrid Bean Tree (Catalpa x erubescens), large Dawn Redwoods (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) [reputedly some of the earliest introductions of this tree in the UK], american Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), some very large London Planes (Platanus x  hispanica) and Common Beeches (Fagus sylvatica),  american Red Oak (Quercus rubra) , some fine Ginkgos (Ginkgo biloba), Tulip Tree (Liriodendron  tulipifera), native oaks (Quercus robur and Quercus petraea and hybrids) and Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris).

Old Moat Park

Old Moat Park Old Moat Park covers 5.6 acres between Rippingham Road and Hill Street. It was a recreation ground (picture below) with a bowling green and bandstand recorded as far back as 1916, and then called the "Rippingham Road Recreation Ground". It was originally bordered by agricultural land with fields on two sides.