First new Manchester Park in over a century

Studio Egret West’s recently opened Mayfield Park is Manchester’s first new central park in over a century.

Since last September, the public have been able to enjoy the 2.6-hectare green space that forms part of a neighbourhood of 1,500 homes, shops, commercial spaces, and leisure facilities. 

Mayfield Park in Manchester, UK. Image credit - Studio Egret West/Jarrell Goh

Located on a formerly disused site that was once the centre of the textiles industry during the Industrial Revolution, and next to Piccadilly train station, Mayfield Park looks to repair green and blue connectors in the city. 

It features 120 trees, 120,000 plants and shrubs, a large public lawn with amphitheatre-style seating, large play area, a river with paths and bridges, and meandering riverside walkways. 

Mayfield Park is Manchester’s first new park in more than a century. Image credit - Studio Egret West/Jarrell Goh

One of Manchester’s three major rivers, the River Medlock, was uncovered during development after more than 50 years under a concrete covering. It runs through the new park, attracting wildlife including ducks, geese, kingfishers and brown trout that visitors can observe while walking along the riverside path. Its sound also allows visitors to imagine they are somewhere other than the city centre. 

Mayfield has always been an industrious part of the city, and the area’s industrial heritage informed the design of the playground, with six chimney-shaped towers connecting crawl tunnels, slides and rope bridges, as well as wheelchair-accessible equipment. Industrial artefacts are also scattered throughout the design.

Image credit - Studio Egret West/Jarrell Goh

Surrounding historic buildings are being redeveloped as part of the wider plans for the area, and the park’s redevelopment received 23 million pounds of investment from the UK government’s Getting Building Fund. 

“The whole park has been imbued with a post-industrial character and propelled by a climate-change-aware approach to placemaking and landscape urbanism,” say Studio Egret West. “As the lead landscape architect and park designer, Studio Egret West are delighted to see local communities exploring this authentically Mancunian city centre park.”