Platt Fields Park

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor

Visit now

Platt Fields Park

Wilmslow Road, Fallowfield, Manchester, M14 6LA
0161 224 2902
  • Monday8:00am - 5:00pm
  • Tuesday8:00am - 5:00pm
  • Wednesday8:00am - 5:00pm
  • Thursday8:00am - 5:00pm
  • Friday8:00am - 5:00pm
  • Saturday8:00am - 5:00pm
  • Sunday8:00am - 5:00pm

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Photograph by Mike Peel via Wikimedia Commons
Book now

Platt Fields, like most parks needs a bit of love and money but it’s a pleasant green space with a lake that in, possibly more genteel times, used to provide boating facilities. The park has plenty of open space on which events and concerts are held at various times over the year, and also boasts a BMX track and a thriving community garden. The latter was built by Manchester Urban Diggers on a disused bowling green, and is a tranquil spot to escape busy city life, while learning about sustainable gardening and food growing practices. You’ll find fresh produce on sale here every Saturday morning.

Platt Hall, built in 1764 to classic Georgian design, has stood on the corner of Platt Lane and Wilmslow Road for 250 years. In that time it has been many things – a home, a work camp, an art school, a police station. From 1947 to 2017 it was the Gallery of Costume, home to Manchester’s world-class collection of fashion and dress. Now it is changing again. Platt Hall Inbetween explores the past and the future to imagine new possibilities for this landmark building.

Running through the park is the makings of Chorlton Brook plus the remains of the Nico Ditch, allegedly dug in the space of one night as a defensive line against Viking invaders. Another Platt Fields rumour is that the lake was created as a gift for the landowner’s wife – from above, it’s the shape of a heart.

 

What's on near Platt Fields Park

Where to go near Platt Fields Park

Manchester
Gallery
Gallery of Costume

Re-opened in 2010 after a £1.3m renovation, the Gallery of Costume in Manchester’s Rusholme houses one of the most important costume collections in Britain

Manchester
Restaurant
Al Madina

One of the most highly-rated places to eat on Curry Mile, this modest takeaway has fans all over the UK thanks to its exceptional food.

toastrack publication manchester
Manchester
Tourist Attraction
Toast Rack (building)

The iconic MMU Hollings Campus, or the Toast Rack as it is more affectionately known. Nikolaus Pevsner described it as “a perfect piece of pop architecture” when it opened as a Domestic and Trades College in 1960.

Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Fallow Cafe

Cafe, bar, and live music venue in Fallowfield. Also hosts regular film nights and literature events.

Chancellors Hotel is a Grade II listed Victorian mansion located in South Manchester surrounded by five acres of beautiful landscaped gardens, in a relaxed, scenic and picturesque setting.
Manchester
Hotel
Chancellors Hotel

Chancellors Hotel is a Grade II listed Victorian mansion located in South Manchester surrounded by five acres of beautiful landscaped gardens, in a relaxed, scenic and picturesque setting.

Manchester
Restaurant
MyLahore

Modern cafe and restaurant on Manchester’s Curry Mile. encouraging

The Giving Tree
Manchester
Restaurant
The Giving Tree

The Giving Tree is a cafe and community hub based in Rusholme, a short walk from the city centre.

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North.
Theatre in the North

From outdoor shows to drama in the dark, our theatre guide celebrates genre-pushing work, new writing and contemporary performance.

Author portrait
Literature Events in the North

Our latest round-up features plenty of one-off live literature events to wrap your ears about, so get those diaries ticking over...

Two women stand next to an orange car.
Cinema in the North

August brings a huge LGBTQ+ film festival, plus a reggae classic and a spotlight on Japanese animation.

Blondshell by Hannah Bon.
Music in the North

From Lyra Pramuk’s sacred synths to the sugar rush of YAANG, our latest music picks bring ritual, rebellion and ridiculous levels of fun.