Alexandra Park, Manchester

Alexandra Park
Alexandra Park
Type	Municipal park
Location	Whalley Range, Manchester, England
Coordinates	53°27′04″N 2°14′55″W / 53.45111°N 2.24861°WCoordinates: 53°27′04″N 2°14′55″W / 53.45111°N 2.24861°W
Area	60 acres (24 ha)
Created	1868
Operated by	Manchester City Council

Alexandra Park is a 60-acre (24 ha) park in the Whalley Range district of Manchester, England. It was designed by Alexander Hennell,^[1] opened in 1868 and its initial purpose was to "deter the working men of Manchester from the alehouses during their day off". The lodge and gateways are the work of Alfred Darbyshire. The park was developed by the Manchester Corporation before the area was incorporated into the city, being sited wholly in the then Withington Local Board area. Work begun in late 2012 has led to major changes in the park.

The park is a well known site of an annual Caribbean music festival^[2] and is located between Princess Road, Claremont Road, Demesne Road and Alexandra Road South, in the M16 postcode district. Part of Manchester's Black History Trail crosses the park.^[3]

The park gave its name to the nearby Alexandra Park station, until a name-change, on amalgamation in 1923, in order to avoid ticketing confusion.

British aircraft manufacturer Avro assembled aircraft at the Alexandra Park Aerodrome, south of Mauldeth Road West, from 1918, but left for Woodford Aerodrome on its closure in 1924.

The park gives its name to a nearby council estate, developed in the 1960s. In the 1970s, Children's Christian Crusade gatherings were hosted in the park annually.^[4]

References

1. Parks for the People: Manchester and Its Parks, 1846–1926, Manchester City Art Galleries, 1987
2. "Caribbean Festival".
3. http://www.actsofachievement.org.uk/blackhistorytrail/mossprint.php
4. http://www.lymmbaptistchurch.com/old/irene_wardle.htm

External links

• "Manchester – Alexandra Park".
• "History of Alexandra Park". Manchester City Council.