The National Trust is readying to reopen Manchester’s sky park Castlefield Viaduct this weekend.
The beautiful green space, built on top of the Grade II-listed viaduct with staggering views across Manchester city centre, has been closed for a short time while a new community workshop space was built.
The 330m steel Victoria viaduct is now readying to welcome back visitors from Saturday 10 February.
The elevated sky park has been open since July 2022 as a temporary pilot project, though the National Trust is hoping to make the project a permanent attraction for Manchester.
Since its launch, it’s welcomed more than 85,000 visitors, some through community activities in and around the city.
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The charity has worked on transforming the previously-abandoned Castlefield Viaduct to increase access for all to nature, history and beauty in urban areas.
With its new workshop space, created with Sow the City, members of the public will be able to have a go at green-thumbed activities and learn horticultural skills like seed sowing and propogation.
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The workshop has a huge workbench that can be modified for wheelchair users, mini greenhouses, soil, water and power.
Manchester’s Castlefield Viaduct sets to re-open after the winter months. Credit: Mark Waugh
Nancy Scheerhout, National Trust Head Gardener for Castlefield Viaduct, says: “We’re delighted to have worked with our partners, Sow the City, to bring this new workshop space to the viaduct.
“It will provide us and our community partners with a dedicated area to get more people involved in, and benefitting from, green activities. We’ve made the space as sociable and hands-on as possible, and we have plans to add interactive compost that people can see and hear!
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“As a conservation charity dedicated to connecting more people with nature, we know the importance of increasing simple and everyday interactions with nature to enrich lives. Offering ‘green workshops’ and activities in the space, alongside our partners and friends, we can encourage small space growing in the city.
“It’s a great opportunity to grow people’s confidence and skills in creating their own greenspace, improving the environment, their wellbeing, and their skillset in the process.”
National Trust head gardener Nancy Scheerhout at Castlefield Viaduct. Credit: Mark Waugh
Jon Ross, Chief Executive of Sow the City, says: “We’re passionate about enabling more people to get involved with growing, engaging with urban nature and learning new skills and this space will support the communities we work with to do just that.
“This is the second space on the viaduct we’ve been involved with designing and installing, and we can’t wait to see people using the space and have a go ourselves!”
The rest of Castlefield Viaduct features four ‘partner plots’ operated by Hulme Community Garden Centre, City of Trees, Castlefield Forum and Sow the City.
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The gardens have been planted to created year-round flora displays, and upcoming events will include the return of the city-wide ‘Bloomtown’ blossom trail this spring.
National Trust head gardener nancy and Kate Picker visitor operations and experience manager Manchester’s Castlefield Viaduct sets to re-open after the winter months.
Nancy continues: “As we head into our second spring on the viaduct, we’ve learned so much from this unique urban site and have developed our planting schemes for 2024 with those in mind. Planting at height, in the middle of a city centre, and in steel containers, means the team and I keep a close check on how things are bedding in and how life on the viaduct is evolving.
“We’re excited to welcome the public back and showcase great horticulture. For me, a garden only truly comes to life with people in it and engaging with nature. We’re looking forward to the many joys of spring.”
Entry onto Castlefield Viaduct will remain free when it reopens to the public this weekend. Members of the public can visit, without booking, every afternoon from 12.30pm and all day on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
There’s space for up to 10 people in the new community workshop, and local groups and communities are invited to reach out by emailing [email protected] to book their spot.
A Greater Manchester town could be set to get a train station for the first time in 60 years
Emily Sergeant
It’s been a whopping six decades, but the residents of one local town could soon be able to hop on a train out of there.
That’s because a planning application for a brand-new £32 million station in Golborne – which would connect the Greater Manchester town, in the Wigan borough, to the rail network for the first time in more than 60 years – has been submitted to Wigan Council, meaning connectivity is finally one step closer to becoming reality.
In case you didn’t know, Golborne currently has no direct bus, train, or tram services to Manchester, and Leigh is the biggest town in England without a rail station, while the wider area is the largest and most-populous area in Greater Manchester not connected to the rail network.
The milestone aims to boost access to jobs and opportunities for people in the town and the wider Wigan borough.
NEWS: Greater Manchester on track with plan for first new rail station in over 20 years. 🚉
✅ 90%+ public consultation support for Golborne station in Wigan ✅ Planning application in to @WiganCouncil ✅ Local area improvements and walking and cycling links
According to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the Golborne station scheme forms part of a wider ambition to bring eight commuter lines into the Bee Network by 2028 – of which “significant investment” has been put into.
The application includes plans for a new accessible two-platform rail station, including step-free access throughout with a footbridge across the tracks and lifts to both platforms, a new hourly service between Wigan and Manchester Victoria, and onwards to Stalybridge, an improved town centre car park, and also new walking and cycling links to the town centre.
The submitting of the proposals comes after nearly 3,000 people had their say on the station earlier this year, with more than 90% of respondents supporting the plans.
A CGI of what the proposed new Golborne station could look like, if plans are approved / Credit: TfGM
If the plans are approved by Wigan Council, work on the site should begin in 2026, according to TfGM, with the new station scheduled to open in 2027.
Mayor Andy Burnham called the submitting of the proposals a “transformative step” for the region.
“It has taken a huge effort to get us to this point,” he explained. “But we have finally reached a major milestone on the journey to reconnect Golborne to the rail network for the first time in over 60 years.
“The proposal is based on extremely sound evidence and huge progress has been made with a planning application being submitted and overwhelming support from local residents.”
Featured Image – TfGM
Travel & Tourism
Fancy living on one of Manchester’s most-sought after streets?
Thomas Melia
Quick! A house on one of Manchester’s most sought-after streets has just gone up for sale and by owning it you can be a part of living history.
Anita Street near Ancoats is a real-life time capsule transporting residents and passers-by back to the 19th century.
Originally branded ‘Sanitary Street’ over the years the road has lost the ‘S’ and ‘ry’ parts of its name, making it sound much more homely.
The houses on this street were trailblazers back in the day, becoming the first council-owned housing to have a sewage system and indoor plumbing in Manchester, hence its old title.
A glimpse inside the communal living space at the Anita Street property. Credit: Goodwin Fish (via Rightmove)
Now, you can get involved with creating your own future on this street with a listing for a house on this popular street uploaded at the start of this month.
The property, which is a spacious two-bedroom maisonette with parking, has a guide price of offers over £310,000.
The floor plan for this living space displays a very practical set-up with both bedrooms on the left-hand side and facilities such as the bathroom and kitchen on the right.
As you enter through the front door there is a corridor running through the whole property with a communal living room and second bedroom at the end of the hall-esque walkway.
The modern and sleek bathroom at Anita Street.Snug kitchen set-up at Anita Street. With interiors like this to boot, it’s not hard to see why it’s one of Manchester’s most sought-after streets. (Credit: Rightmove)
This rare find is even available to first-time buyers or anyone looking for a buy-to-let opportunity in a location that has gained quite a big reputation for itself.
Although the exterior street and attached houses are very much original to their 1897 foundations, the surrounding areas offer a handful of cute vendors to visit and enjoy.
Whether you’re a coffee aficionado or pizza lover, being so close to Ancoats will come in handy with coffee shops and one of the OG Rudy‘s so close by.
It’s not the only property to have been recently listed on this rich road positively dripping with heritage.
Daisy Jackson -
8th February 2024 
