Heaton Park resides just north of Manchester city centre in the quaint town of Prestwich.
Spanning over 600 acres, the grounds have always been a favourite amongst locals & visitors alike for its variety of trails, charming woodlands, picturesque views and plethora of things to see and do.
More than just a stroll in the park, Heaton Park is host to cafes, an animal centre, tennis courts, bowling greens, golf course, boating lake, adventure playground and the historic Heaton Hall; an 18th century grade I listed building.
The park has gained an even wider demographic in recent years through hosting the world renowned Parklife music festival, which can attract up to 80,000 visitors each year!
Having lived near Heaton Park during the Covid lockdowns, getting out of the flat and exploring the multitude of trails here was often the biggest highlight of our day.
Even now as things are returning to normality, stepping onto the park always offers a welcome respite from the day-to-day hectic-ness of city life.
The variety of interweaving paths means walks here can be as short or as long as you want – we never walk the exact same route twice, often just doing an improvised new trek each time we visit!
Here is just one example of a recent spontaneous route we took on our last visit to the park…
This little stroll through the park had us walk beside the lake, past the trams, through the woodland and then around Heaton Hall.
How long is the walk around Heaton Park?
The beauty of Heaton Park is that with all the interconnecting routes on offer, you can make the walk as short or long as you want.
A full circular loop around the park comes in at around 9 kilometres (5.6 miles), which should take roughly 1 hour 30 minutes.
With so much to see and do on the grounds however, it’s quite easy to get side-tracked and spend extra time exploring.
How to get to Heaton Park from Manchester city centre?
Heaton Park is roughly 5 miles north of Manchester city centre.
If making use of Manchester’s public transport, the tram heading towards Bury is perhaps your best bet.
You can catch the tram from either Piccadilly, Market Street, Shudehill or Victoria, staying on the line until you get to the conveniently named ‘Heaton Park’ stop.
Alternatively, you could catch one of the buses from the city centre. The 135 heading towards Bury will also allow you to jump off right outside the grounds of Heaton Park.
Just keep an eye out for the park soon after passing through Cheetham Hill.
Where do you park for Heaton Park?
If you’re driving to Heaton Park, the three main carparks I’m aware of are:
- Heaton Park, Sheepfoot Ln Car Park, Unnamed Road, Prestwich, Manchester M25 2SW
- Heaton Park Car Park, Heaton Park, Prestwich, Manchester M25 2GT
- Heaton Park Smithy Lodge, 270 Middleton Rd, Manchester M8 4NB
Information regarding pay & display can be found on the Manchester government website here.
How many entrances does Heaton Park have?
With three main carparks on offer which all provide a way into the park, there are also several more entrances dotted around the vicinity of the grounds for walkers and cyclists.
Can you cycle around Heaton Park?
Indeed! The park is great for a relaxing cycle, especially for children and less-experienced bike riders due to the largely flat terrain.
How big is Heaton Park?
Heaton Park spans a whopping 600 acres (254 hectare), making it officially the largest municipal park in the whole of Europe!
Further Resources
For more great walks in the Greater Manchester area, be sure to browse through our list of ‘BEST Reservoirs In & Around Manchester’.
Happy walking 🚶🚶