Philips Park, Prestwich

Philips Park is an area of parkland situated within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury on the boundary of Whitefield and Prestwich, in Greater Manchester.

Two thirds of the site was once the Philips family estate, and the remainder, known as Waterdale, is Irwell Valley land reclaimed following the demolition of two bleach and dye works.

The visitor centre hosts many events for all ages, including willow weaving and pottery workshops, pond dipping and woodland management training courses.

[6] Responsible for the construction of the buildings, the Philips family also retained some natural and man-made features when landscaping the area.

The contents of the park were auctioned, with items such as a Georgian mahogany dining room sideboard by Robert Gillow being sold for £6.

Built in the Italian villa style and furnished by Robert Gillow,[9] the house was situated close to a steep bank which sheltered it from the north.

The former home of John Grundy (chairman of the East Lancashire Railway[10]) and later Mark Philips, it overlooked the North Wood and was designed by Johnson of Lichfield.

The cost of construction was shared between Robert Philips, the Earl of Derby, and the East Lancashire Railway.

[5] The viaduct provided a direct route for coaches between Bury New Road, the park and Molyneux Brow railway station.

Built alongside a tree-lined driveway, the cottage was replaced in the early 1900s by the North Lodge, although not on the same site.

This has involved the demolition of all the sections that were added to make a nightclub venue, revealing the original courtyard that had become hidden.

[15] Its centerpiece was a bronze fountain with a stone basin from Florence, set in a moss lined alcove.

[19] In 2009 the Friends of Prestwich Forest Park successfully applied for a grant which, along with funding from Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, was used to clear Cobster Field.

The money was used to clear the field, reseed with grass, and reinstate the views down the Irwell Valley to Manchester city centre.