Top Rated Parks to Visit in Farington

"Voted the best park in the UK in 2019, the 390-acre Stanley Park is a Blackpool landmark with a blend of landscape design, historical buildings, gardens and activities, with an abundance of wildlife, nature trails and horticultural gems. The expansive green space is home to some Italian gardens, water fountains, statues, rose gardens and a dedicated Remembrance Garden. Ornamental bridges carry you over the sparkling lake, which is used for boating activities and fishing."

"A respite from Blackpool’s glossy entertainment and arcades, the resort’s largest park is in 260 acres, a mile east of the promenade. The man behind the park’s design in the 1920s was the landscape architect Thomas Mawson, and he was responsible for a couple of the buildings. The most striking is the cafe, in an Art Deco style and overlooking the Italian Garden, adorned with statues (see the two Medici lions) and a beautiful marble fountain."

"For those tired out by the endless entertainment Blackpool has to offer, Stanley Park – the town’s major park – is the perfect spot to spend a more sedate day. Relax in the sunshine under the lush green canopies while admiring the exceptional landscaped design and rare wildlife of the park. The area is also home to sports centres, golf courses, a cricket ground, boat hire, an art deco cafe, a skate park and crazy golf."

"The award-winning Avenham and Miller Parks are two adjoined parks located close to Preston City Centre in the stunning Avenham Valley and providing the ideal place to picnic, take a walk, relax and get some fresh air. The popular Ribble Valley Way National Trail also follows the river through Avenham Park and provides a fantastic and idyllic picturesque setting to enjoy by foot or bike."

"Richerman, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons. Peel Park is a public urban park in Salford and has a significant history, being the first park to open in the UK funded entirely by public subscription, in 1846. The park has some beautifully maintained wild flowerbeds and a wide variety of specimen trees – all of which are managed by volunteers."

"One of the first public parks in the country, Peel Park opened in 1846 and was named for the Bury-born Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel (1788-1850). In 1851 the newly laid out park was the main venue for Queen Victoria’s visit to Manchester and Salford. Sitting beside the River Irwell, Peel Park is hemmed by the University of Salford and some of its residential buildings."

"Peel Park is well known amongst University of Salford students. The park is home to about 1500 students during term time who reside in Peel Park Quarter, a luxury living space that was opened in 2015. It is also home to Atmosphere Bar, the University of Salford’s student union."

"Thrill seekers looking for something to get the adrenaline pumping should pay a visit to Pleasureland. You can watch our video of Southport Pleasureland's Stealth Bomber and see what you could be letting yourself in for. But, the theme park has rides for kids of all ages and the whole family will be able to enjoy."

"Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Bob Linsdell used under CC BY 3.0. Keeping with funfairs, Southport Pleasureland is loads of fun. The park has numerous rides to suit all ages."

"The Whitworth, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M15 6ER - Visit now. The Whitworth underwent a £15m redevelopment in 2015, which saw it double in size; the gallery now juts out into Whitworth park, seamlessly transitioning from old to new. It’s been met with national and international acclaim – for its new architecture and for its brilliant exhibitions programme."

"From Wednesday May 19, the stunning Whitworth gallery will be partially reopen to the public, with a film screening of Imran Perretta: the destructors on display. The cafe will be back open too, but the full gallery will be up and running again by July 1, in time for its MIF21 summer exhibition. Plan your visit at whitworth.manchester.ac.uk/visit."

"The collections at the Grundy Gallery boast an eclectic programme of historic and contemporary exhibits, housed in a beautiful Grade II listed Edwardian building. The collections feature the work of both established and emerging artists from the UK and abroad, as well as historically important works loaned from major UK institutions and objects from its own permanent collection. The gallery aims to cater to a wide audience with an ambitious and varied year-round programme that draws on the unique and invigorating context and heritage of Blackpool, for instance exploring the space between contemporary art, entertainment and popular culture."

"The Grundy Art Gallery is something of a hidden gem in Blackpool, although it is located only steps from the Promenade. Featuring a variety of exhibitions and artwork from established and emerging artists, it also displays historically important artwork loaned from important UK institutions. Blackpool has a very strong cultural history and a lively pop culture, which the gallery sets out to explore in whole new ways, making it the leading visual arts centre in the northwest."

"A post shared by GrundyArtGallery (@grundyartgallery) on May 20, 2017 at 6:48am PDT. A trip to any town is not complete without a visit to its local art gallery. In Blackpool, the Grundy Art Gallery is a place worth visiting."

"It may not look like much from the outside, but inside two Victorian villas on Nelson Street you’ll find The Pankhurst Centre – a heritage site of women’s activism. Once the home of local Manchester political campaigner and icon Emmeline Pankhurst, who lived at 62 Nelson Street from 1898 to 1907, it’s here that the very first meeting of the suffragette movement took place. Cut to the present day and visitors can now drop by to explore the story of women securing the right to vote."

"An unassuming little house on Nelson Street, this spot was the birthplace of the Suffragette movement. The home of inspirational leader Emmeline Pankhurst, the first Women’s Social and Political Union meeting was held here in 1903. Nowadays, the place has been converted into a museum detailing the battle for women’s equality in Britain and celebrating its great former occupant."

"Located a mile and half outside of Manchester (just off Cheetham Hill Road) is the Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester. I just recently discovered this museum and it looks great especially for fans of buses and transport. The Museum tells the story of public road transport in Greater Manchester from its very beginnings in 1824 to the present day."

"About: The Museum is based in one of Manchester's earliest bus garages and is home to one of the largest collections of its kind in the country. An elaborately painted Victorian open-top horse drawn bus, and a streamlined prototype of Manchester’s Metrolink tram are among the vehicles on display. Address: Boyle Street, Manchester, M8 8UW"