Marie Louise (her) Gardens

A beautiful park off the Palatine Rd in Didsbury. It's a peaceful haven, away from the hustle and bustle of city life and the traffic. A perfect place to take children and have picnics. When we lived in Didsbury, we used to take our daughter there to feed the squirrels, sit and have a beer or two, and then wander slowly back to our flat in Didsbury.

One of Manchester's most treasured locations.

These Gardens have a history.
Named and given to the city borough (then a much larger Withington) in remembrance of their young daughter by a generous, but bereaved local family. Silkenstadt.
We now call their history Edwardian, just pre-WW1. An age of prosperity in Manchester along old Palatine Road.

A beautiful place which needs constant attention to retain its dignity in Manchester.

It is a focal point to admire its gorgeous grounds after a leisurely local walk from all directions.

It was once on a country road from M/c to Knutsford and Altrincham and is now the same very busy road which still has footpaths! Access is up steps to the Gardens.

It remains a haven of family peace and recreation.

nown as the squirrl park as i was growing up i could not beleve how many there are in such a small space they are realy fasanating to wach!! a great place for a picknick

Marie Louise Gardens is an oasis of calm in a bustling city. Indeed, despite it being right slap-bang next to one of the busiest bus routes in Manchester, it still manages to retain an aura of total tranquillity. It's certainly great for people who fancy a quick escape from the trials of the everyday world, and is particularly lovely in the Springtime, when you can just stick your ipod on and go for a wander amidst the tumbling cherry blossom.

Being a born-and-bred Didsbury girl, I've been going there since I was nipper. My Mum used to take me there to feed the squirrels, I often went jogging there before I left home to go to University, and when I was a teenager, there was many a Saturday night when you'd find me underneath one of the large oak trees situated there getting bombed on cheap cider. Indeed, the first time I ever fell out of a tree was at Marie Louise Gardens. Three cheers for teenage alcoholism!

I like squirrels, I really do. But when I visited the Marie Louise Gardens, near Barlow Moor Road in Didsbury, I couldn’t help but wonder whether I was in a bad horror film. I mean, there were squirrels everywhere! Every tree and bit of grass was covered with them!

Squirrels aside, these smallish council-run gardens are a nice place to enjoy a quick stroll. Although they’re not far from the traffic and bustle of Didsbury village, you’ll feel like you’re a million miles away!

The Marie Louise Gardens are tucked away behind Palatine Road, and aren’t as well known, or as well used as the other Didsbury Parks. This park is far smaller but the grass areas are well kept and the wildlife which you find in the park is a real joy. A wonderfully peaceful and quiet area to sit in and enjoy.

i remember marie-louise gardens from when i was at a school nearby. me and an assortment of friends would sneak out, cross busy palatine rd with a bag of monkey nuts for the squirrels and later with a few forbidden cigarettes for ourselves, and make for the side entrance, hidden from any passing teacher’s sight. we actually discovered the squirrels preferred dry roasted unsalted nuts and cashews for an extra treat. our school still had the red indigenous squirrels at the time, though it wasnt a great distance from the gardens but they were more people-shy than their grey cousins. marie-louise gardens was almost hallowed ground to us, a sacred space of our youth and we spent many a late summer there swathed in its peaceful charms.

For anyone who may feel trapped in the built-up suburbs of an inner city, Marie Louise Gardens provides an instant means of escapism. Friendly grey squirrels, dense green trees, plentiful benches and bird song are yours to enjoy in this neat little park on the outskirts of Didsbury.

Despite being surrounded by a housing estate and the noisy Palatine Road, its tree-lined walls really do create a feeling of seclusion which allows one to instantly relax. This hidden gem is also popular with walkers and joggers, largely due to its circular pathway lapping the park.

marie-louise gardens was given to withington district council in 1904 by mrs silkenstadt in memory of her daughter, marie-louise, who died at a young age. it is quite small, 4 3/4 acres. you can often see people lying in the sun reading & a few people go there to practise yoga & tai chi. i go to feed monkey nuts to the squirrels, who will feed from your hand. the garden would be a 5* rating if it wasn't for the dog owners who let their animals loose & don't clear up after them although there are signs saying they must be kept on a lead, but that is the only downside, apart from that it is nice & peaceful.