Tucked away off Deasngate, this park is perfect for an alfresco lunch or a walk after work
St Johns Gardens(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Spring seems to have had many false starts this month, we’ve gone from sun to rain to cloud and back again. But this week the weather is set to be glorious with Greater Manchester basking in wall-to-wall sunshine.
The Met Office even predicts highs of 24C by Wednesday, so you may even want to grab your shorts, shades and suncream.
It would be rude to stay indoors with weather like this, instead head to the park to soak up those rays.
For those who live and work in the city it can be tricky coming by green spaces, but there are a few places you can head to in the heart of Manchester for an alfresco lunch or an after-work walk.
St Johns Gardens(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Hidden between Quay Street and Deansgate, St John’s Gardens is just the place to head to on a sunny day in the city.
It may be small but it certainly packs a punch, full of flowers, trees and shrubs with lots of benches to relax on.
The garden feels a world away from the Deansgate, yet you can still spot the city’s skyscrapers through the trees.
St Johns Gardens(Image: Manchester Evening News)
St Johns Gardens actually has an intriguing history which is slightly eerie. The site was originally occupied by St John’s Church and graveyard from the 1760s until 1931.
The church was built when the city’s population rapidly rose, but attendance fell in the early 1900s. It was redeveloped into a formal garden and opened in 1932.
St Johns Gardens(Image: Manchester Evening News)
All that remains of the gardens’ previous life is a plaque which reveals that there are more than 22,000 bodies buried in the vicinity of the park.
It’s rather surprising to think of its history given the park is full of lush plants today.
Round the corner from the park is one of the best preserved Georgian Streets in Manchester, which has been used as filming location for TV crews, along with the park, for shows including Channel 4’s Fresh Meat.
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