Victoria Park, South Manchester

The Victoria Park District of Manchester

Victoria Park is a relatively new district of Manchester, having been created during the 19th century as a high class residential area for people of wealth and influence. To all intents and purposes it is actually part of Rusholme, and remained so until 1839 when land was purchased and top architects commissioned to build elegant houses for the Victoria Park Trust which was established in 1845.

The Park was to be completely enclosed by high walls (to keep the riffraff outside) and entrance was to be made only via one of the several toll gates situated on its boundaries. Notable and influential residents of Victoria Park included Sir Henry Roscoe the distinguished chemist, Richard Cobden the radical reformer, Ford Madox Brown the painter, Sir Charles Hallé and suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst.

The main toll road through the Park was Anson Road (the A34) running southwards out of Manchester to Wilmslow and beyond. So wealthy was the district that it had its own church, St John Chrysystom, built on Anson Road in 1877.

Unfortunately, the elitist wealth of Victoria Park did not survive the Great War or the 20th century - its great residences, by now far too large for modern families, began to stand empty and by the mid-20th century were somewhat run down and dilapidated. Many were turned into flats and rented accommodation, a large number became Halls of Residence for the University, at least one became a public house, several became part of the Xavarian College complex, two were converted into nursing homes, and many were eventually demolished. In 1938 the toll road was made public. Later Anson Road housing estate was built and the exclusiveness of Victoria Park was gone forever.

Nowadays the Park contains a good proportion of Manchester's Grade II Listed buildings and is well worth an excursion just to look at the heights of Neo-classical and Victorian "Gothick" domestic architecture.

See also:

• Map of City Boundaries in 1838
• Map of City Boundaries in 1938
• Map of City Boundaries in 2002
• Gazetteer of Greater Manchester Place Names

NOTE:
We have made reference to several sources in compiling this web page, but must make special mention of the Breedon Books' "Illustrated History of Manchester's Suburbs" by Glynis Cooper, of which we made particular use. Information about this book can be found on our Books About Manchester webpage.