The green, green grass of Manchester

20 2007
Manchester looks set to lead by example when it comes to rejuvenating the Victorian parks found in cities across the country.

Experts at Manchester Metropolitan University have claimed that hundreds of large parks across the north have fallen into disrepair and are now severely underused by locals.

Investing in the parks, which often surround former stately homes, and promoting their use could lead to a general improvement in people's health, as it did in Victorian times, the researchers have concluded.

"We've got a rich legacy here in the north west. City parks were pioneered in the great northern towns of Manchester and Liverpool as an antidote to smog," said Phil Wheater, who led the research.

Manchester residents are free to enjoy the benefits of a number of large open spaces dotted around the city, with Whitworth Park and Heaton Park both offering ideal areas for games and recreation, particularly important as, despite the many attractions of the suburbs nearest to the city centre, of a large proportion of the accommodation to rent comes without access to a garden of notable size.
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