Whitworth Park

The park was established as part of the Whitworth Institute, a memorial concept to famous engineer Sir Joseph Whitworth created by Robert Dukenfield Derbyshire, which also included Whitworth Art Gallery. The aim of the Institute was the "cultivation of taste and knowledge of the fine arts of painting, sculpture and architecture" for the people of Manchester.

The Institute secured the land for Whitworth Park in 1889, which was then known as Potters Field and the Park was opened in 1890. This purchase included a private residence called 'Grove House,' intended for use for exhibitions.

The land was drained and laid out for a Pleasure Garden complete with bandstand and large sailing lake. The park attracted high volumes of use by visitors and children, and hosted frequent concerts, and was viewed as an initial success by the Institute. However, an underestimation of operating costs for the Park and Gallery brought the Institute financial difficulties, and the decision was made to hand the park to over to then City Corporation.

The park was formally handed over in October 1904 on a 1000-year lease for a nominal rent of £10 a year, and is still today operated by the city's Leisure Services. The trustees extended the building in a series of phases culminating in the present facade that opened in 1908.

There is a statue of 'Edward VII' by John Cassidy that was unveiled in 1913 and a First World War memorial to the 7th Manchester's. However, some original features of the Park such as the boating lake, bandstand and sculpture of 'Christ Blessing the Little Children' by George Tinworth from 1895 have been lost.

The Whitworth Institute was taken over by the University of Manchester in 1958 when it became the Whitworth Art Gallery. The University of Manchester remains the owner of the park and Manchester City Council is the lessee.