The 'secret garden' in Greater Manchester you need to visit this spring
It's beautiful on a sunny day and completely free to visit
Blue skies, bright sunshine and temperatures hotter than popular holiday destinations in Europe, there’s no doubt we’ve been spoiled with the weather for the past week.
Greater Manchester is set to enjoy a couple more sunny days until the weather takes a turn on Sunday. Well, all good things come to an end as they say.
On Friday afternoon (April 11) temperatures are set to reach 20C, with similar conditions on Saturday. But from Sunday it’s likely to cool down to the mid teens, with clouds moving in and the chance of rain on the cards.
If you’re looking for the perfect place for a stroll while the good weather lasts, then head to Walkden Gardens, located off Marsland Road in Sale.
Not as well known as Fletcher Moss or Heaton Park, Walkden Gardens does pack a punch when it comes to horticultural design.
It’s made up of different ‘rooms’ which celebrate different features, so you can explore ‘gardens within gardens’.
Walkden Gardens is owned by Trafford Council, who maintain the park alongside the Friends Group, made up of volunteers.
It’s named after Harry Walkden, who owned a plant nursery at the current site. The gardens themselves were inspired by the well-known 20th century garden at Hidcote Manor in Gloucester.
One of the highlights is the Japanese Garden, divided into three areas and separated by bamboo screens and archways. It includes a dry landscape garden with rocks and gravel representing islands and a lake.
The Fuchsia Garden has neat clipped box hedging, while the Dovecote garden includes the romantic-looking Dovecote structure.
It originally stood within the grounds of Sale Old Hall but when it was demolished in the 1920s the Dovecote remained, and it was eventually moved and rebuilt at Walkden Gardens following the widening of the M60.
One of the garden’s unique features is the Theatre Lawn, which can accommodate up to 500 people with performances held there over the summer.
A must-see is the 70ft-long wisteria arch, which comes into bloom in late spring and early summer, creating an impressive covered walkway that allows you to be immersed in nature.
Walkden Gardens is a beautiful spot, but it’s flown under the radar even for those who live nearby. One reviewer, paulgray, wrote on Tripadvisor: “It really is a secret garden. I have lived in Sale for the most of my life and close to the gardens for more than 20 years.
“I suppose you can become too comfortable and ignore what’s close to you. I walked our 2.5 year old granddaughter around and I had my eyes opened to the nooks and crannies hidden around…Definitely worth a visit if you want to while away an hour or two.”
Another visitor wrote in a Google review: “Beautiful free garden to wander around in. Very well maintained and a lovely place to be.”
In the summer the gardens are open from 9am until 7.30pm (they are locked at night so make sure you double check the opening times before you enter).
The entrance to the free car park is on Derbyshire Road, there are also bus stops on Marsland Road. Walkden Gardens is 15 minutes’ walk from Brooklands Metrolink station.