Sackville Street Gardens

Sackville Garden is just off Canal-​St. Somewhere ideal to go and chill out, especially on a sunny afternoon. You will also find here the Alan Turin monument, who is he you ask? then Google this very man.

On a nice sunny day great little outdoor space to sit and relax in. Unless you know where it is you are unlikely to just walk across it. More often than not it is always quiet so makes it the ideal spot to chill. Surrounded ultimately by the gay village and close by to China town. Also inside the park is a monument to the one and only Alan Turing, one of Manchester’s own pioneers.

Lovely open park, a great place to hang out with the mates on a warm sunny day (if ever we get one)

Just a quick update on my year-​old review of Sackville st Gardens to say it is still the best city-​centre lunch stop if you’re a fan of brightly coloured foliage.

A few reviews ago I mentioned that good things can indeed come in small packages, even if it’s so often a cliché you’re subjected to by people challenged either vertically or in far more intimate departments. Well, Sackville Street Gardens ain’t large, but it’s perfectly formed and does its job very well. I’d expect nothing less of the Gay Village’s premier park than to pay homage to one of the movement’s very own pioneers, and the Alan Turing monument speaks for itself.
It’s a fab place to bring a box of butties or indeed a full picnic. When the sun’s shining, as it was when I scurried over on a brisk cold day, it’s really quite beautiful. Tree-​lined and pathed, it’s kept clean and tidy despite being the haunt of students from the nearby MMU Business School… maybe the business types buck the academic stereotype by being remarkably fastidious? You never know.
I’m personally a big fan of plugging my earphones, popping on one of my iPod playlists and sitting serenely, watching the city hustle and bustle go by. And good ol’ bronze Alan Turing makes for a great companion. Hey, he listens.

The Sackville gardens are now filled with those lapping up the sun, idyllic. This nice piece of greenery near the Piccadilly station and Canal Street is a perfect haven for the students at the North campus, the average shopper or stroller by.
Ran by the Friends of Sackville Gardens, a voluntary group set up in 2008 consisting of residents and general volunteers, the gardens remain a great place to relax. In 2006 it was awarded a Green flag award which recognises quality in parks around England and Wales. I definitely encourage those walking near by just to stop by and have a sit in the gardens.

A home to The Beacon of Hope, Tree of Light, and Alan Turing, and a regular venue for diverse and sundry Gay Village events, Sackville Gardens originated in 1880s. The City Council was so impressed with the Technical School building across the road (the present UMIST) that the decision was made to create a park from which to view the edifice (very splendid indeed).
The gardens are accessed from Canal Street via the entrance in Sackville Street, or from Whitworth Street. The land is separated from Canal St by, well, the canal. The gardens are particularly attractive in spring and summer, and naturally, are one of the favourite sunbathing spots in Manchester city centre.

Yeah, I have to agree with Becca here and throw my feelings into the ring. Sackville Street Gardens is a wonderfully peaceful area in an otherwise hectic part of the town. It offers a chance for nearby residents to relax, kick-​back and catch their breath, though it unfortunately only really looks beautiful in the twilight hours when the lights come on.
It’s a place I rarely have a reason to visit since I am nowhere near it most of the time, but on the few occasions when I have wandered through or just sat a while it’s been a memorable experience.

At the heart of Manchester’s vibrant Gay Quarter is a charming little park. It’s not very big, and during the day it doesn’t look all that special, but when night falls and the blue fairy lights twinkle in the trees, it looks positively magical. With grassy verges perfect for summer picnics, and comfortable benches dotted around the park, it’s a nice place to read a book and have a coffee; even though it’s in the city centre it feels peaceful.
Occasionally Sackville Gardens plays host to events for the LGBTQ community, for example the summertime Sparkle festival, which celebrates the city’s trans residents. This event was great fun; despite my not being part of their community I felt totally accepted by a warm and welcoming crowd. I even felt a bit jealous at some points; a lot of the trans community look a helluva lot better than I do in a mini skirt.
As well as being a great place to while away the hours, Sackville Gardens is a place to reflect on how far society has come in accepting the LGBTQ community, and how far there is still to go. Two sculptures sit in the park. The first is a bronze sculpture of Alan Turing, the eminent mathematician and scientist who was cruelly persecuted and prosecuted for his homosexuality. His statue sits on one of the benches, and looks for all the world like a man just taking a load off his feet. The second sculpture is unique in the UK, because it is the country’s only permanent memorial to those who have died or are suffering from HIV and AIDS. It is a beautiful, ribbon-​like structure which forms the centre of Manchester’s World AIDS Day candlelight vigil.
To sit in Sackville Gardens is to appreciate a different, more contemplative side to Manchester’s gay quarter, which is often overlooked due to the louder, party side. This park stands as a memorial to the struggles that LGBTQ community have faced, and provides them with a forum for their own, completely unique, events.