SD8303 : Manchester 1001 Outside Heaton Park
taken 12 years ago, near to Blackley, Manchester, England
1001 was the first bus to carry the new design of bodywork (known as “Mancunian”) and was the first ever purpose-built, dual door, one-man operated, double deck bus in the United Kingdom. When first delivered, in 1968, these buses looked spectacular, and caused quite a stir with their “reversed” livery, white and red instead of the usual red and cream of Manchester Corporation. Since being withdrawn in 1981, it has been preserved at the Museum of Transport Link
The Trans Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally is organised by Greater Manchester Transport Society. It is their annual rally which traditionally takes place on the first Sunday in September and finishes at Heaton Park. It the largest event of its kind held in the North of England. Each year, it attracts over two hundred vehicles of all types from the ever-popular buses to the smaller groups of classic cars, motorcycles, trucks, vans, fire engines, and army trucks.
Heaton Park, which comprises the grounds of a Grade I listed neoclassical 18th-century country house, Heaton Hall (SD8304 : Heaton Hall) is located 4 miles north of Manchester city centre. Covering an area reported as over 640 acres, it is the biggest park in Greater Manchester and one of the largest municipal parks in Europe. Heaton Park is listed Grade 2 on the English Heritage Register of Parks and there are nine listed structures in the park. Details can be found on the English Heritage website Link
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Heaton Park was sold to Manchester City Council in 1902, by the Earl of Wilton, to be kept for the enjoyment and recreation of the public. Manchester Council later used part of the north side of the park for the construction of a large gravity feed reservoir; interrupted by the First World War, this work was only completed in the 1920s. A municipal golf course (SD8304 : Heaton Park Golf Course) was also laid out and a large boating lake excavated (SD8303 : Heaton Park Boating Lake). The former facade of the first Manchester Town Hall on King Street (SD8303 : Heaton Park - Town Hall Colonnade) was re-erected as a backdrop to the lake.
During the First World War the Manchester Pals used the park as a training depot. The park was also used as the site of a Royal Air Force depot in the Second World War.
At the end of the 20th century the park was renovated and some of the buildings and original vistas from the 18th century landscape design were restored as part of a millennium project partnership between the Heritage Lottery Fund and Manchester City Council.
Link
- Grid Square
- SD8303, 315 images (more nearby 🔍)
- Photographer
- David Dixon (more nearby)
- Date Taken
- Sunday, 2 September, 2012 (more nearby)
- Submitted
- Saturday, 8 September, 2012
- Subject Location
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OSGB36:
SD 8383 0394 [10m precision]
WGS84: 53:31.9118N 2:14.7251W - Camera Location
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OSGB36:
- View Direction
- Southeast (about 135 degrees)