The stunning park is transformed with stunning autumn leaves at this time of year
Autumn colours at Alexandra Park in Oldham(Image: Manchester Evening News)
The nights are starting to draw in, there’s a definite chill in the air, and people are debating whether it’s acceptable to put the heating on – we must be headed for autumn.
There’s technically two different start times for the season, the first being meteorological autumn, which sees the year divided into four exact seasons of three months each. By this logic, it begins on September 1 and ends on November 30.
The other kind is astronomical autumn, which starts at the autumn equinox – usually on 22 or 23 September – this is when day and night are almost the same length.
However you choose to mark autumn’s start, following this weekend, the days start to become shorter and nights get longer.
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While it can be sad to say goodbye to the long summer days and warm weather, it’s not all doom and gloom. This time of year creates some of the most beautiful scenery and backdrops to explore.
Alexandra Park in Oldham during autumn (Image: Manchester Evening News)
A brisk morning walk as the mist lifts, and the autumnal colours come into full focus as the sun shines down on Greater Manchester’s parks, woodland and walkways, is certainly one of the more joyous ways to spend the season.
One park in the region that looks brilliant when the sun shines down on it at this time of year is Alexandra Park in Oldham.
Located on the edge of the town centre, this beautiful park dates back to the Victorian era and has a number of charming features – many of which look particularly stunning as the leaves change colour.
Alexandra Park in Oldham during autumn (Image: Manchester Evening News)
The idea to create a park in Oldham came about during the early 1860s when the textile industry suffered during the Lancashire Cotton Famine.
Supplies of cotton were cut off from the USA and as a result unemployment soared in the town as mills were unable to operate. One of the schemes launched in response to this was the creation of Alexandra Park.
Unemployed mill workers were hired to construct the park which officially opened in August 1865. It was named to commemorate the marriage of Albert, Prince of Wales to Alexandra of Denmark.
Alexandra Park in Oldham during autumn (Image: Manchester Evening News)
Although it had fallen into disrepair by the 1990s, it was refurbished by Oldham Council after it secured funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The main focal point is the boating lake, overlooked by a gorgeous boathouse, which houses a café and is a perfect pitstop.
Take a relaxing autumn stroll around the boating lake and you’ll spot the dozens of trees providing a rich palette of reds, oranges, yellows and golds. It’s made even more beautiful as the trees are reflected in the surrounding water.
The Boathouse at Alexandra Park in Oldham (Image: Manchester Evening News)
The park also features areas of native woodland and there’s even a tree-lined walk adjacent to Queen’s Road where you can feel the crunch of fallen autumn leaves underfoot.
Another interesting feature to take in is the ornate public shelter called the ‘Lion’s Den’ which forms a focal point of the promenade.
It is also home to ornamental gardens and herbaceous borders, as well as tennis courts, bowling greens and a kids’ play area.
Autumn colours at Alexandra Park in Oldham(Image: Manchester Evening News)
With a 4.5 rating on TripAdvisor, the park has plenty of fans. One reviewer wrote: “It’s a beautiful park that gives us a bit of greenery in a building dense area.
“We’ve been going to the park for about 4 years now it’s always lovely. The park is well maintained and has plenty of wildlife.
“There’s the boating lake full of different birds – we’ve seen herons (they usually nest on the little islands in the middle of the lake so have a look if you’re there around baby seasons), there are coots which we have watched grow from tiny babies to adults now, tons of pigeons that will take seeds from your hands, geese, seagulls and ducks.”
Alexandra Park
Another has even deemed it better than some of London’s best parks, writing: “Having experienced Regents Park in London, I can confidently say Alexandra Park is in a different league maintenance-wise.
“It’s exactly the standard I’d expect a park to be in every way: beautiful colourful beds, lush green well-cut lawns, nice edges, etc.”
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