Visit the In Our Nature garden at the Castlefield Viaduct
Ready to explore Manchester’s first sky park?
Castlefield Viaduct is open to visitors, showcasing the viaduct’s history and bringing nature to the heart of the city.
This 330-metre long Grade II-listed structure sits in Castlefield, the oldest part of the city of Manchester, and is recognisable to many who have travelled trough the city before. Built in 1892 by Heenan and Froude, the engineers who worked on the iconic Blackpool Tower, the viaduct was used to carry heavy rail traffic in and out of the Great Northern Warehouse until 1969, and has remained unused since. In 2022 the National Trust brought the viaduct back to life and invited the public to experience nature high up above the city whilst celebrating the viaduct’s part in Manchester’s past, present and future.
The In Our Nature garden
The closer we feel to nature the more likely we are to care for it. When we feel connected to nature we are compelled to look after our environment and wildlife, as well as reduce our climate impact by using less energy and water, reducing waste and recycling.
With this in mind, we’ve partnered up with Sow the City to showcase and encourage these connections at the Castlefield viaduct through a new garden space. We wanted to use the space to focus on the various ways that people can feel a part of nature, and create a garden that encourages even more associations. The garden, funded by Wates Family Enterprise Trust, features quotes from people who have participated in nature projects around the city, as well as prompts for visitors to focus on their senses and memories in order to create moments of connection.
Research has found that there are five pathways to nature connectivity - ways of being in, engaging with, and relating to nature that help us grow closer to it:
Contact: Experiencing nature through our senses
Beauty – Engaging with the aesthetic qualities of nature
Meaning – Thinking about the meaning and signs of nature
Emotion – Establishing an emotional bond with nature
Compassion – Creating a moral and ethical concern for nature
The plot, complete with a pond, has also attracted all sorts of visitors: ducks were spotted there in its first week of opening, and we expect many other non-human visitors to come check out the pollinator friendly plants too!
Visiting the Viaduct
Visiting is free, although morning visits require you to book a slot in advance (and you’ll get a guided visit). After 1pm the viaduct is open for non-booked visits daily up to capacity, and closed on Wednesday mornings for private bookings only.
When you visit, you’ll be able to learn more about the viaduct’s history, the city’s relationship with plants and trees, and pick up some urban gardening tips along the way.
The In our Nature plot will be at the viaduct until July 2023, and there will be a programme of events for the local community to get involved in – stay tuned for updates!
