The Castlefield Viaduct skypark has reopened to the public

Castlefield Viaduct will reopen to the public on Sat 18 Feb following its winter closure.

The viaduct, formerly used to carry trains to the Great Northern Warehouse before its closure in 1969, reopened last year following a £1.8m National Trust project which saw it transformed into an urban park.

Two new community gardens will be on show at the Viaduct, replacing installations from the Science and Industry Museum and Urban Wilderness. They have been put together by Hulme Community Garden Centre and Sow The City.

The plot created by Hulme Community Garden will feature an array of fruit, veg and herbs along with an urban forest garden, while Sow The City have created a sensory nature garden, complete with the viaduct’s first pond, which hops to encourage a connection between people and nature.

The viaduct has been closed since December to allow the team of National Trust gardeners, volunteers and community partners to create new green areas.

After proving popular during its first four months of opening, in which visits had to be pre-booked, the public will now be allowed to turn up at the Viaduct from 1pm onwards and ‘explore it at their own pace’. A booking system will also remain in place for anyone wanted to take part in guided walk visits between 11am – 12.30pm.

You can read more about the restoration project on the National Trust website.

Image credit: Castlefield Viaduct / National Trust

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