Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester

Piccadilly Gardens is one of the most popular public parks in Manchester’s densely populated city center. It is located at the end of Market Street, in one of the city’s main shopping districts. Its namesake railway station, Manchester Piccadilly, lies a ten minute walk away, whilst the gardens have a dedicated Metrolink tram interchange, with a bus station and ticket office to the south. The gardens were redesigned in the years leading up to the 2002 Commonwealth Games, when many of Manchester’s streets, open spaces and buildings were redeveloped. The gardens now represent the mixture of ancient and modern that has made Manchester an ever more popular tourist destination.

The site of Piccadilly Gardens once housed Manchester Royal Infirmary, and was converted into a green space when the hospital was relocated in 1910. The park has been redeveloped on a number of occasions, and contains a number of statues of famous British figures, including Queen Victoria and Sir Robert Peel. Walking in the gardens, you can look out on many of Manchester’s listed buildings, including the Brunswick Hotel, as well as modern creations like Piccadilly Plaza and the City Tower. The gardens were redesigned in a collaborative project between local and international architects, with the addition of the distinctive central fountains and a pavilion to shield the gardens from increased traffic noise.