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Heaton Park, which comprises the grounds of a Grade I listed neoclassical 18th-century country house, Heaton Hall (SD8304 : Heaton Hall) is located 4 miles north of Manchester city centre. Covering an area reported as over 640 acres, it is the biggest park in Greater Manchester and one of the largest municipal parks in Europe. Heaton Park is listed Grade 2 on the English Heritage Register of Parks and there are nine listed structures in the park. Details can be found on the English Heritage website Link .

Heaton Park was sold to Manchester City Council in 1902, by the Earl of Wilton, to be kept for the enjoyment and recreation of the public. Manchester Council later used part of the north side of the park for the construction of a large gravity feed reservoir; interrupted by the First World War, this work was only completed in the 1920s. A municipal golf course (SD8304 : Heaton Park Golf Course) was also laid out and a large boating lake excavated (SD8303 : Heaton Park Boating Lake). The former facade of the first Manchester Town Hall on King Street (SD8303 : Heaton Park - Town Hall Colonnade) was re-erected as a backdrop to the lake.

During the First World War the Manchester Pals used the park as a training depot. The park was also used as the site of a Royal Air Force depot in the Second World War.

At the end of the 20th century the park was renovated and some of the buildings and original vistas from the 18th century landscape design were restored as part of a millennium project partnership between the Heritage Lottery Fund and Manchester City Council.

Link Heaton Park website

Created: Sun, 3 Nov 2013, Updated: Mon, 15 Sep 2014