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attraction; both were closed during the 1980s but after a spirited local campaign the
Parsonage opened up in 2012 as a community centre and gallery where there is now a programme of classes, events and exhibitions. The orchid house originally housed a collection of orchids donated by Major Raffles, a resident of Didsbury, but when the heating system broke down there was no funding to replace it and so these plants were moved to
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229:, Stenner Lane, having taken over residence from the vicar, a Rev. W. J. Kidd, who left the property complaining it was haunted. In 1919 he gave the gardens to the people of Manchester, declaring he had "determined to offer all that part of my property extending from the Fletcher Moss Playing Fields to Stenner Lane, to the corporation if I could retain the use of it for my life".
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To the south and west there are water meadows, partially flooded woodland (Stenner Woods) in a former oxbow of the River Mersey and
Millgate Fields, a slightly elevated area of fields and woodland in a loop of the River Mersey, surrounding two fields used to graze livestock. This is one of the venues
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trees; beneath one of the yew trees are the graves of several of
Alderman Moss's beloved dogs and – reputedly – also the grave of his favourite horse. The Old Parsonage house was open to the public during the 1970s as an art gallery devoted to Manchester art, and the orchid houses were also a visitor
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née
Bateson (Robert's wife) formed a group called the "Plumage League" to protest against the breeding of birds for plumage to be used in women's hats, a highly fashionable practice at the time. The group gained popularity and eventually amalgamated with "The Fur, Fin and Feather Folk" in
368:. The building which housed the orchids is now an Alpine House – fittingly since there used to be Alpines in the gardens. The gardens are now maintained and cultivated by the Friends of Fletcher Moss Park and Parsonage Gardens, a group of local volunteers.
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Fletcher Moss, who donated the park to the city of
Manchester in 1915. It is part garden and part wildlife habitat, but also offers recreational facilities such as tennis courts, rugby and football pitches, and a family-run café and ice cream parlour.
355:, of which Fletcher Moss was proprietor. When the hotel was demolished in 1902, Moss took the eagle effigy and mounted it on his gate. The Parsonage gardens contain several large
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To the west of the rock gardens, the gardens of the Old
Parsonage lie on the other side of Stenner Lane. The entrance to the garden is marked by a striking
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The main rock gardens are laid out on a south-facing slope and are sheltered from the elements, allowing a great number of non-hardy species to thrive in a
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on a south-facing slope. Williamson sold the gardens and rockery along with his house, called The Croft, to
Alderman Fletcher Moss, in 1912.
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Fletcher Moss, born in July 1843, was a philanthropist who led many public works in
Manchester; in 1915 he persuaded the philanthropist
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Robert
Williamson's old house, the Croft, was the location of the first meeting of the organisation later to become known as the
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stone arched gate which is topped with a sculpture of an eagle; this was originally a feature on the Spread Eagle Hotel on
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It is possible to volunteer with this group and be part of looking after these beautiful and historic gardens: see
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302:("giant rhubarb") and irises. The gardens contain a wide range of ornamental trees and shrubs, including
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Fletcher Moss
Gardens are located close to the River Mersey and Stenner Woods, at the southern end of
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http://fletchermossgardens.org.uk/index.php?id=activities-at-fletcher-moss-park-and-gardens
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to fund the construction of a public library in Didsbury. He lived in the Old Parsonage by
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404:. The Gardens can be easily reached by public transport as it lies on the
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Row running through Fletcher Moss eventually turns into a path by the
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where the road curves sharply east at the Old Cock Inn, near
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and is planned to be installed in the park in 2023.
428:on the Gondwana Records label to critical acclaim.
420:In October 2012 the Manchester-based jazz musician
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535:Page, Phil; Littlechilds, Ian (15 March 2014).
48:Park with alpine rock garden and nature reserve
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755:"Fletcher Moss Gardens, Manchester, England"
541:. Amberley Publishing Limited. p. 64.
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676:. Manchester City Council. Archived from
620:Etta Lemon: The Woman who Saved the Birds
486:. Manchester City Council. Archived from
234:Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
210:The main part of the gardens is a walled
204:Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
757:. Parks & Gardens UK. Archived from
737:. Didsbury Civic Society. Archived from
572:. Didsbury Civic Society. Archived from
512:. Didsbury Civic Society. Archived from
16:Botanical garden in Didsbury, Manchester
700:"Fletcher Moss Park by Matthew Halsall"
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156:Manchester parks department website
654:. Emily Williamson Statue Campaign
484:"History of Fletcher Moss Gardens"
214:that was laid out by the botanist
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794:Tourist attractions in Manchester
468:"History of the Park and Gardens"
424:released his fourth album called
538:River Mersey: From Source to Sea
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784:Parks and commons in Manchester
623:. Aurum. pp. 62, 310–312.
145:East Didsbury Metrolink station
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353:Corporation Street, Manchester
35:The rock garden, Fletcher Moss
24:Fletcher Moss Botanical Garden
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799:Gardens in Greater Manchester
674:"About Fletcher Moss Gardens"
410:East Didsbury railway station
140:East Didsbury railway station
789:Botanical gardens in England
617:Boase, Tessa (6 July 2021).
384:Fletcher Moss has held the
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406:Wilmslow Road bus corridor
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185:The park is named after
735:"Fletcher Moss Gardens"
570:"The Parsonage Gardens"
510:"Fletcher Moss Gardens"
130:Manchester City Council
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216:Robert Wood Williamson
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728:Fletcher Moss Gardens
596:"History of the RSPB"
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202:The Croft, where the
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164:Fletcher Moss Garden
136:Public transit access
106:90 acres (36 ha)
340:, and various dwarf
87:53.40833°N 2.23056°W
337:Oxydendrum arboreum
206:was founded in 1889
182:and Stenner Woods.
83: /
426:Fletcher Moss Park
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265:leaves by the pond
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92:53.40833; -2.23056
680:on 4 January 2008
630:978-0-7112-6338-3
548:978-1-4456-3327-5
490:on 4 January 2008
236:(RSPB). In 1889,
227:St James's Church
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386:Green Flag Award
366:Wythenshawe Park
361:cedar of Lebanon
238:Emily Williamson
147:(15-minute walk)
142:(10-minute walk)
126:Operated by
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763:. Retrieved
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684:29 September
682:. Retrieved
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316:dawn redwood
304:Chusan palms
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247:Eve Shepherd
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180:River Mersey
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765:6 September
745:6 September
308:tulip trees
286:royal ferns
212:rock garden
90: /
65:Coordinates
778:Categories
494:21 October
455:References
402:Parrs Wood
349:neo-Norman
172:Manchester
78:02°13′50″W
75:53°24′30″N
602:22 August
580:22 August
520:22 August
804:Didsbury
704:Bandcamp
658:14 March
392:Location
342:conifers
312:mulberry
187:Alderman
168:Didsbury
57:Didsbury
53:Location
636:24 June
554:24 June
374:parkrun
299:Gunnera
263:gunnera
243:Croydon
194:History
176:England
152:Website
116: (
111:Created
709:2 June
627:
598:. RSPB
545:
380:Awards
261:Giant
253:Layout
166:is in
432:Notes
767:2010
747:2010
711:2019
686:2007
660:2022
638:2021
625:ISBN
604:2010
582:2010
556:2021
543:ISBN
522:2010
496:2007
376:UK.
372:for
359:and
118:1919
114:1919
103:Area
45:Type
357:yew
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120:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
