| Miller Park | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Miller Park Location in Preston | |
| Location | Preston, Lancashire, England |
| Coordinates | 53°45′07″N2°42′14″W / 53.752°N 2.704°W |
| Created | 1860s |
| Operated by | Preston City Council |
| Website | www |
Miller Park is a public park under the management of Preston City Council. It is located on the banks of the River Ribble in Preston, Lancashire, in the north west of England. The park is one of two city centre Victorian era parks, the other being the adjacent and larger Avenham Park.
The park was designed and built in the 1860s and has matured over the last 140 years into one of the most attractive parks in the region. As an English Heritage Grade II* listed park, [1] it features a number of historical structures including a sundial, a grotto and a fountain. There is also an impressive statue of the 14th Earl of Derby who was British prime minister from 1866 to 1868. [2] The two parks are separated by the East Lancashire Railway embankment and access is through the Ivy Bridge and along Riverside Walk. The East Lancashire Railway line closed in the 1970s although the viaduct across the river, which is a Grade II listed building, remains, as it carries a public footpath across the river. The west edge of the park is bounded by the embankment carrying Preston's main rail link, the West Coast Main Line.
The park was designed by Edward Milner as a 'Harmonious Whole' including the adjacent Avenham Park. This park is more formal than its neighbour and includes beautiful bedding displays, a Rose Garden and the regal Derby Walk, all of which are maintained by Preston City Council's Horticultural Services. It is overlooked by the Park Hotel, a Victorian former hotel used as offices by Lancashire County Council until 2016. A modern extension to the council offices, which also overlooked the park, was demolished in 2020 as part of works to convert the building back into a hotel. [3] [4]
Apart from this office block, the appearance of the park has hardly changed since it was first laid out; the only other modern construction, a brick toilet block, was demolished in March 2006. A map published in 1889 still provides an accurate representation of the park's layout. [5]
Preston's Avenham Park, Moor Park and Miller Park were inaugurated on the same day that the former Town Hall was opened in 1867. On 28 September 1867 the Preston Chronicle commented that the preparations were in place and that the expectation was that "…….we shall have a gayer, a busier, and a more bustling town than we have had on any previous occasion, excepting, perhaps, at some of our Guilds". [6] The following week's edition for 5 October 1887 devoted several columns to "The Opening of the New Town Hall and Inauguration of the Parks". It was a civic event of considerable size and importance and when the opening ceremony for the town hall was concluded a procession was formed which made its way to Avenham and Miler Parks. Schoolchildren from across Preston had gathered in the parks and it was estimated that 23,000 to 25,000 were present. The Duke of Cambridge, cousin to Queen Victoria, was in attendance and the band of the Third Royal Lancashire Militia entertained the crowds. [7]
As part of a multimillion-pound Heritage Lottery Funded restoration project, both Avenham and Miller Park will see a facelift over the next few years. The refurbishment will include restoration of all of the historical features (including The Fountain, Derby Walk etc.), improved lighting and footpaths, vehicle controls and the new Pavilion in Avenham Park which has a cafe, new public toilets and incorporates a police post as well as being a base for dedicated Parks staff. The old stage, which was removed in early 2006, has been replaced by a small performance area and the facilities to install temporary concert stages like those used at music festivals throughout the country. These improvements help the park become cleaner, safer and provide more events and activities for the people of Preston.
Preston is a city on the north bank of the River Ribble in Lancashire, England. The city is the administrative centre of the county of Lancashire and the wider City of Preston local government district. Preston and its surrounding district obtained city status in 2002, becoming England's 50th city in the 50th year of Queen Elizabeth II's reign. Preston has a population of 114,300, the City of Preston district 132,000 and the Preston Built-up Area 313,322. The Preston Travel To Work Area, in 2011, had a population of 420,661, compared with 354,000 in the previous census.
Ormskirk is a market town in the West Lancashire district of Lancashire, England. It is located 13 miles (21 km) north of Liverpool, 11 miles (18 km) northwest of St Helens, 9 miles (14 km) southeast of Southport and 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Preston. Ormskirk is known for its gingerbread. In 2011 it had a population of 24,073.
Avenham Park is a Grade II* listed public park in Avenham, close to the centre of Preston in Lancashire in the northwest of England, and managed by Preston City Council.
Corporation Park is a traditional Victorian park in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. It was landscaped by William Henderson and opened in 1857. Corporation Park is regarded as the main formal park in Blackburn and is used mainly by local people for general recreation, walking and dog walking, as well as for its tennis, bowling and football facilities.
Preston railway station in Preston, Lancashire, England, is an interchange railway station on the West Coast Main Line, half-way between London Euston and Glasgow Central. It is served by Avanti West Coast, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express services, plus Caledonian Sleeper overnight services between London and Scotland. It is also served by the Calder Valley line to Leeds and York, and by branch lines to Blackpool North, Ormskirk and Colne.
Moor Park is a large park to the north of the city centre of Preston, Lancashire, England. Moor Park is also the name of the electoral ward covering the park and the surrounding area. The ward borders the traditional boundary of Fulwood. The population of the ward as at the 2011 census was 5,211.
Rivington is a village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley, Lancashire, England, occupying 2,538 acres. It is about 6 miles (9.7 km) southeast of Chorley and about 8+1⁄2 miles (13.7 km) northwest of Bolton. Rivington is a rural area consisting primarily of agricultural grazing land, moorland, with hill summits including Rivington Pike and Winter Hill within the West Pennine Moors. The area has a thriving tourist industry centred around reservoirs created to serve Liverpool in the Victorian era and Lever Park created as a public park by William Lever at the turn of the 20th century, with two converted barns, a replica of Liverpool Castle and open countryside. Rivington and Blackrod High School is located here. Rivington and its village had a population of 109 at the 2011 Census.
Banks is a large coastal village in Lancashire, England, south of the Ribble estuary four miles (6 km) north-east of Southport. The village is administered by West Lancashire Borough and North Meols Parish Council. It is in the South Ribble parliamentary constituency. At the 2001 census the population of the North Meols civil parish was 3,792, rising to 4,146 by the 2011 census.
The City Council elections for the City of Preston, Lancashire were held on 4 May 2006 on the same day as other 2006 United Kingdom local elections. Nineteen electoral wards were fought. The only change was that Labour gained one seat from the Liberal Democrats, continuing to be the largest party, but the Council remained under no overall control
Elections to the Preston City Council took place on 3 May 2007.
Blackpool Central was the largest railway station in the town of Blackpool in the county of Lancashire, England. It contained 14 platforms; at its closure in 1964, it became the station with the highest number of platforms ever to close. Principal railway services to Blackpool now terminate at Blackpool North.
The Lancaster Canal Tramroad, also known as the Walton Summit Tramway or the Old Tram Road, was a British plateway, completed in 1803, to link the north and south ends of the Lancaster Canal across the Ribble valley, pending completion of the canal. The canal link was never constructed.
Avenham and Frenchwood are the central communities which make up the Town Centre ward of Preston City Council, in Lancashire, England. The name of the ward was chosen by the Boundary Committee for England prior to Preston being awarded city status.
Peel Park is a 22.6-hectare (56-acre) urban public park in the Bolton and Undercliffe area of Bradford, England, located about 0.75 miles (1.2 km) north-east of the city centre, and named after Sir Robert Peel (1788–1850). Peel Park was Bradford's first public park and is on the English Heritage and National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens online databases. The park is a Green Flag Award winner and has been for a number of years.
Philips Park is an area of parkland situated within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury on the boundary of Whitefield and Prestwich, in Greater Manchester. The park consists of rich woodland and grassland habitat and is home to an assortment of wildlife. Two thirds of the site was once the Philips family estate, and the remainder, known as Waterdale, is Irwell Valley land reclaimed following the demolition of two bleach and dye works. The park is a local nature reserve.
The Peel Memorial is a public statue by Edward Hodges Baily, a nineteenth-century British artist best known for his sculpture of Nelson on Nelson's Column. It is located in the centre of Bury, Greater Manchester. The statue commemorates the life of Sir Robert Peel, twice UK Prime Minister and founder of the British Conservative Party, who was born in Bury.
Preston is a city in Lancashire, England, that contains about 340 listed buildings. Its recorded history goes back to the Roman era, and in the medieval period it was a market town and a port, its first charter being granted in 1179. The city stands at the lowest crossing point of the River Ribble, which has given it great strategic importance. From the 16th century it was a centre for the spinning and weaving industries, and its greatest growth came from the 1770s with the development of steam power. By 1835 it contained 40 factories, and this had grown to 77 factories in 1869. Its population rose from about 12,000 in 1801 to about 69,000 in 1851, and one reflection of this was and this resulted in poor housing and social conditions. As a consequence of this there was fear of riots and other disturbances from the Chartists, the response to this being the building of Fulwood Barracks in the 1840s. There was much church building in the 19th century, including a number of notable Roman Catholic churches, reflecting the importance of Catholicism in the town and area. Later in the century and in the early 20th century the rise of civic pride and prosperity resulted in a number of notable civic buildings, particularly Fulwood Barracks. During the 20th century there was much clearing of slum properties, and of many other older buildings. The Preston Dock closed in the 1980s. Few of the 20th-century buildings have been listed, with the exception of the Central bus station and car park, which was opened in 1969 and had been threatened with demolition.
Buxton Pavilion Gardens is a Victorian landscaped public park in the spa town of Buxton in Derbyshire. The River Wye flows through the gardens, which are a Grade II* listed public park of Special Historic Interest.
Preston Town Hall is a municipal building in Lancaster Road in Preston, Lancashire, England. The town hall, which is the headquarters of Preston City Council, is a Grade II listed building.
