work and play
Philips Park
Back on Track is a charity based in Ancoats, Manchester. We provide learning and skills opportunities to people facing disadvantage.
Thanks to funding from Historic England a group from Back on Track worked with local historians to uncover facts and stories about Philips Park. They also got creative, making artworks and composing poems inspired the park.
This page includes their work and the stories they've uncovered. Explore, learn and enjoy!
Our group visited Queens Park, Philips Park and Sandhills. Click to find out more about each park.
Philips Park is a well-used park two miles out of Manchester city centre, in the valley of the River Medlock. The park takes its name from Mark Philips, who was the local MP when it was built. He was instrumental in making the park a reality. As well as raising money he put in £1,000 himself. That's equivalent to £15,000 today!
Lots of our group had memories of the park from their childhood or other times in their life, which they've drawn on to create poems and visual art.
Did you know?
The parks were a very early example of crowdfunding! 4000 local people each put a penny in to invest in their new park.
Did you know?
Philips Park has Serpentine (literally 'snake-like') paths, designed so people can meander and maybe even read a book while walking!
Take a tour of the park with us
We took a walking tour of Philips Park with brilliant tour guide, historian, researcher and history podcaster Dr Dean Kirby. It turned out there are loads of fascinating facts about the park. And we found this old map when working with a historian from Manchester Archives. Click on the circles to find out our group's favourite facts about Philips Park!
There was once an outdoor pool in the park (where the mountain bike trail is today). The men only pool was used by the British team to practise for the 1912 Olympics in similarly chilly Stockholm!
There were once two ornamental cannons in the park - originally Russian cannons from the Crimean War. In 1941 they were melted down to help with the war effort - along with the park railings!
These days the park is a stone's throw from Manchester City's Etihad Stadium. But back in 1908 it neighboured Manchester United's Bank St ground. United won their first league title while playing at Bank St.
The park's ‘Tulip Valley’ attracted visitors from far and wide every year, particular on ‘Tulip Sunday’ in May. It once housed 50,000 tulips!
Black poplar trees, particularly tolerant to pollution, were also planted throughout the park. These trees are now commonly known as the Manchester Poplar.
Clean lungs for the working class city
Philips Park was one of Manchester's first municipal parks, created for working class people.
Poor air quality and poor housing conditions were a part of everyday life for the residents of North Manchester. Most local people worked in the surrounding warehouses, factories and colliery. The new parks were designed to be the ‘clean lungs for the working city of Manchester’ – a place where people could rest and play in natural surroundings.
Rosalind's poem (right) imagines the park back in the time it was first built - give it a listen!
“Urge upon every member of your families, and upon every friend, coming into these pleasant places, that they have an individual property in every tree, plant, shrub and walk.”
Mark Philips MP, 1846 - from his speech at the opening of Philips Park.
The river flowing so clear and fast
that once was so red from the bricks
That built the houses and factories
For the local people to live and work in
Many of our group had memories of the park from their childhood or other times in their life, which they've drawn on to create poems and visual art. To Anna it was a haven of calm in a turbulent world. Read her five short poems about trees inspired by the park.
“I visited Philip’s Park a lot during my numerous stays at a mental health crisis house. During what was a very bleak, distressing and confusing time, discovering this space provided me with a beacon of hope.”
Anna
"I used to visit Philips Park a long time ago as a child. Green spaces are important and we need to preserve them for future generations."
Jordan
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Our group visited Queens Park, Philips Park and Sandhills. Click to find out more about each park.
Back on Track Manchester
Registered charity 1017467
Thanks to Historic England for making this project possible
