It was once claimed that Manchester had everything except a beach, but as the city has rapidly expanded, it’s green space and not sand that Mancunians have been calling for. Mayfield Park deservedly took the headlines when it opened in 2021, but it hasn’t been the only recent addition to the city, with Oxford Road getting noticeably greener. The University of Manchester created Brunswick Park and University Green, the Whitworth has made improvements to Whitworth Park and pockets of green space have sprouted up around ongoing developments, notably the popular grassy pavilions at Circle Square where there once stood a grey BBC car park.

Now another welcome addition as Manchester Metropolitan University completes its massive overhaul of All Saints Park as part of its ambitious campus regeneration. A cherished and historic corner of the city, the pocket park is the centre of campus life at Manchester Met and has been a much-missed part of Oxford Road for everyone since it closed last year. As we enter the summer months, we are welcomed back to find a much-improved park with an emphasis on sustainability and biodiversity. The first thing that strikes you is the pedestrianisation of the surrounding Lower Ormond Street and Cavendish Street, which effectively increases the park’s original footprint and creates an open, welcoming space. The park now spills out into the university campus with new sculptured seating, outdoor workspaces and picnic benches peppered across the beautiful new granite paving. Twelve new pollution-fighting field maple trees, six along each of the freshly paved streets, and two insect-friendly lime trees at the junction round off the sense of a boundaryless park.

Adding these trees and a new cherry tree in the elliptical garden within the original park marks a significant step towards creating a greener, more sustainable space and university campus for everyone to enjoy. Several factors were considered in choosing the tree species for urban areas; including their ability to thrive in cities, withstand climate changes, and support local wildlife, including insects, birds, mammals, fungi, lichen, and mosses. In total, the trees are estimated to support over 200 species of animals and plants. Vehicle use on the surrounding streets is now reduced to essential access and it is a further boost to active travel in the area with improved cycle access linking seamlessly with Oxford Road’s cycle lanes and safer, better-lit walking and wheeling routes. However you choose to get around, it is an area well worth exploring.

There has been a restoration of historical buildings across the campus, including the Ormond Building which was built in 1881 and refreshed in 2020. More recently, the façade of the Grosvenor Building, the original home of the Manchester School of Art, was brought back to its former glory and will re-open in time for the summer exhibitions, complementing the Grosvenor East building which is home to the Manchester Poetry Library. Around the corner is the historic Salutation pub, dating back to 1828, it sits snuggly beside the ultra-modern School of Digital Arts (SODA). A particularly unique spot in the park’s surroundings is St Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church, opened in 1968, the Grade II listed building is a must-see on any Modernist tour of Manchester.

Within the park, the addition of wild meadow turf has increased the biodiversity level of what was already one of the city’s most vibrant green spaces. The exterior and interior of the walls have been refreshed, new walls added in front of the library, more tables and benches added, and the old York stone flags have been cleaned and will remain a central feature. The restoration of the space respects its history and former use as a burial site with an illustration to show the footprint of the church site and plaques to serve as a reminder that it is consecrated ground. Indeed, All Saints Park has a long and fascinating history which is worthy of its own article. Dating back to 1820 when it officially opened, the park only slightly pre-dates the founding of the Mechanics Institution in 1824. This is the date to where Manchester Metropolitan University traces its origins, and in this bicentenary year, the university has revealed plans for a jaw-dropping new All Saints Library. This state-of-the-art neighbour to the park opens in 2028 and will be the first chapter of the next 200 years of history.