Medlock Valley

The Medlock Valley weaves its way from Great Ancoats Street, Pin Mill Brow, through to the Tameside border and out to Oldham.

Along its route the Medlock Valley encompasses a number of well known neighbourhoods and landmarks commencing with the Lower Medlock Valley, a leafy suburb earmarked for new, high quality housing. It follows on to Holt Town where the River Medlock will act as a tranquil backdrop to the large, waterside development scheme.

Further east the valley reaches the world-class facilities of Sportcity, following on to the open pastures of Philips Park, one of the oldest Municipal Parks in the world. The far side of the valley includes Clayton Vale, a nature reserve covering over 100 acres.

Philips Park
Opened in 1856, Philips Park is one of the oldest Municipal Parks in the world, stretching over 31 acres. With its tulip valley, children’s play areas, lake, peace garden, orchard and allotments; it has been a haven for residents for over 150 years.

Situated in the heart of east Manchester, Philips Park boasts a rich history and is an integral part of the community. The annual Party in the Park attracts visitors from across east Manchester and surrounding areas,

In May 2007, the park celebrated the completion of £350,000 of improvements, thanks to funding from Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), European Regional Development Fund, East Manchester New Deal for Communities and Manchester City Council. The improvements included the refurbishment of the Grade II listed wall, a new play area, improvements to the peace garden and footpath resurfacing. An additional £100,000 from east Manchester‘s New Deal for Communities will see further pathway improvements, bulb and flower planting and more woodland work.

Clayton Vale
The 56 hectares of woodlands, wetlands and grasslands that covers Clayton Vale was widely used by residents during the mid 1800s for recreation.  However in the early 1900s the area was purchased and used as a tip for ash from the Stuart Street Power Station.

For over 70 years the Vale was used for disposing of waste until the Control of Pollution Act of 1974 forced the dumping to cease. In 1982 Manchester City Council purchased and began to reclaim the land and turn it back into open space for public use.

Over the 15 years that followed, over 250,000 trees and bushes were planted and a network of paths was installed along with improvements to two ponds. By July 2006, Clayton Vale was designated as a Local Nature Reserve, with the wide variety of wildlife and flora flourishing.  It now attracts a large number of visitors who use the vale for walking as well as attending the frequent nature activities that take place throughout the year. It also hosts a number of family fun days including the renowned Halloween Howler that attracts over 1,000 local people.