Whitworth Park
Whitworth Park
Map
TypeMunicipal park
LocationRusholme, Manchester, England
Coordinates53°27′32″N 2°13′48″W / 53.45877°N 2.23002°W / 53.45877; -2.23002
Area18 acres (7.3 ha)
Created1890 (1890)
Operated byManchester City Council

Whitworth Park is a public park in south Manchester, England, and the location of the Whitworth Art Gallery. To the north are the University of Manchester's student residences known as "Toblerones". It was historically in Chorlton on Medlock but is now included in the Moss Side ward.

The park, of some 18 acres (7.3 ha) opposite Manchester Royal Infirmary, was opened in 1890 on land known as Potters Field. The park was leased to the Corporation of Manchester by the Whitworth Trustees in October 1904 on a 1000-year lease for a nominal annual rent of £10.

A statue of King Edward VII by John Cassidy on the east side, unveiled in 1913, commemorates the royal visit when the new Royal Infirmary was opened in 1909.[1][2] The bronze statue, mounted on a square, stepped granite plinth and pedestal, is a grade II listed structure.[3]

A sign in the park referring to a meteor that fell on the night of Friday 13 February 2015, and was lost, is a hoax commemorative plaque by artist Cornelia Parker which actually refers to 'Blakeian Abstract', one of her artworks which was specifically created for the Whitworth Art Gallery's February 2015 opening.[4][5][6]

Fauna

Amongst the birdlife to have been spotted in the park are the goldfinch, greenfinch, ring necked parakeet, fieldfare, redwing and waxwing.[7] Concerns have been raised as to whether feral parakeets in Great Britain are an invasive species causing harm to native wildlife.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "King Edward VII, Whitworth Park, Manchester". John Cassidy: Manchester Sculptor. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  2. ^ "Edward VII". Public Monument and Sculpture Association. Archived from the original on 24 August 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  3. ^ Historic England, "Edward VII Statue in Whitworth Park to south of Whitworth Gallery (1271458)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 14 February 2015
  4. ^ "Twitter". twitter.com. 9 October 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  5. ^ Searle, Adrian (11 February 2015). "Mindbombs and meteor shows: Cornelia Parker at the Whitworth Art Gallery". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Meteor Fall in Whitworth Park?". geograph.org.uk. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  7. ^ "Walk in the Park". The Whitworth. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  8. ^ Davies, Ella; Hendry, Lisa (30 November 2021). "Wild parakeets in the UK: exotic delights or a potential problem?". nhm.ac.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
Category