Volunteers praised for transformation of park
A PARK has been returned to its former glory thanks to a band of volunteers.
The Friends of Rose Hill group’s twin aims are to restore and care for Rose Hill Woods – off Longley Lane in Northenden – and to tell the remarkable stories of Absalom and Edward Watkin who lived in the nearby Rose Hill House.
The group’s hard work at Rose Hill Woods has been rewarded by The Royal Horticultural Society and North West In Bloom who presented them with an It’s Your Neighbourhood Award of Level 5 Outstanding. They have also received a Be Proud of Your Neighbourhood award from the council.
With the aid of Heritage Lottery funding, the group of around 20 volunteers has restored the public pathway through the woods and sited two benches, allowing the public to sit and reflect while enjoying the area’s natural beauty.
Some 120 pupils from St Wilfrid’s and the Northenden Community School have also benefited from the Heritage Funding with a programme of historical research and the arts to encourage the children to discover their local history and the stories of Absalom and Edward.
Rose Hill Woods were originally planted by Absalom Watkin – father of Edward – in the 1840s. Absalom Watkin (1787-1861) was a social and political reformer who led campaigns for voting reform.
Chairman of Friends of Rose Hill, Geoff Scargill, said: “The achievements of Absalom and Edward Watkin have largely been forgotten which is a such a shame.”
The Friends group has also restored and made publicly accessible the memorial stone, in the woods, originally laid by Edward in memory of Absalom. Sir Edward Watkin (1819-1901) was an MP, who also led the campaign to create public parks in Manchester.
In the 1840s, Manchester had no public spaces for the working classes to relax away from their industrial surroundings, but in 1846, following Edward’s campaign, three plots of land were opened to the people – Phillips Park and Queens Park in Manchester and Peel Park in Salford.
Coun Luthfur Rahman Manchester city council’s Executive Member for Schools, Culture and Leisure, said: “Winning the The Royal Horticultural Society and North West In Bloom award was well deserved by the Friends of Rose Hill and testament to the volunteers’ hard work.”
For more information or to find out how to join the Friends of Rose Hill visit: friendsofrosehill.org.