Victoria Park, Stretford

Friends of Victoria Park have created a number of graded, themed walks around Victoria Park for those with health issues, are unused to walking or are recovering from illness.

Choose from 1 of 5 walks, depending on your ability. Distances range from 200 metres to 1500 metres.
Each walk will not only give you some gentle exercise but will also teach you something about the park, the flora and fauna within the park, or information regarding the environment and our relationship to it. There is also a route dedicated to Mindfulness and the Seasons.

The Green route is a 200 metre walk starting and finishing at the Tea room in Victoria Park. The theme of this walk is nature and wildlife. The Sundial Garden is a particular feature of this walk, and is home to a range of evergreen and deciduous shrubs, from Portuguese laurel to Dogwoods and Berberis. This area is often alive with birds as a result of the diverse habitat.

The yellow route is 500 metres long, with a theme of Trees and Plants. There are two long avenues that take you away from, and then back towards the Tea room. Among the deciduous tree species there is also a large Mahonia, which has fragrant yellow winter flowers, and several Helebores which have beautiful winter flowers, hence their common name, Winter Rose. The vast variety of trees and plants means you can enjoy the walk in any season.

The Blue route is a full 750 metre circuit of Victoria Park, and incorporates the theme of park heritage. The park has a formal Victorian design, with straight tree-lined avenues. In its 1930s heyday it boasted four tennis courts, five bowling greens, a bandstand and had 5 full time gardeners who had access to a substantial glasshouse to grow all the plants and flowers for the park. By 2001 this was a very different story due to cost-cutting and the outsourcing of maintenance. This was when local residents formed Friends of Victoria Park and secured funding to improve the park and build a community building and tea room.
The heritage highlight of the park are the opulent and grand wrought iron entrance gates which are topped with a crown in honour of Queen Victoria.

The Orange route is a 1000 metre walk around Victoria Park, and the theme of this walk is Environment and Sustainability. The plants along this route are chosen for their adaptability to this environment and also provide maximum benefit to wildlife, both in terms of food and habitat. Various notice boards along this route inform and educate the public about trees, plants, bird feeding and an awareness of how to develop an awareness of the natural world around us. This walk also takes in the wildlife garden , a less cultivated area which increases biodiversity and encourages pollinators.

The Red route is a 1500 metre walk around Victoria Park and the theme is Mindfulness and the Seasons. This route takes you on a figure of eight through the park, taking note of all the sounds, colours, shapes, textures and details of the natural environment.