Prestwich Park

The land on which Prestwich Park was built had been purchased by Jacob Scholes from Sir Ashton Lever in the late eighteen century and had passed by descent to Thomas Seddon Scholes of High Bank Prestwich. It comprised three parcels of farmland known as Square Field, Big Field and Butterstile Meadow. The coming of the new turnpike road from Manchester to Bury in 1828 and the introduction of an hourly coach service into Manchester its potential as a select residential  area.

Isaac Holden appears responsible for the general layout with detached and semi-detached houses set round the perimeter of an eight-acre meadow, later built over. Along Bury New Road Oak Hill was already in existence. Beyond this two detached and three pairs of large semi-detached houses were built, backing on to Shrewsbury Road and facing the newly formed estae road (named Prestwich Park Road South in the 1920s). These were built on a steeply sloping site with extensive views northwards over Prestwich Clough to the Parish Church and included Isaac Holden’s own house, Clifton View??. The road then turned northwards to meet Prestwich Park Road North, now St Ann’s Road with a detached house named Brambletye and two pairs of semi-detached houses orientated east west on its western side. On the land between Prestwich Park Road North and Prestwich Clough five detached houses were built - Oak Leigh, Riversdale, Spring Bank, Thorn Lea and Dingle Bank. Of these only Dingle Bank survives. Lodges were built at the two gated entrances to the Park. The two-storey North Lodge survives at the junction of St Ann’s Road and Bury New Road.

By the 1870s St Ann’s Road had been extended westwards to Lowther Road and the footpath across the clough to St Mary’s Church. Beyond Dingle Bank, six plots had been laid out on the north side of St Ann’s Road but only three had been developed including Winnats Knoll, Brookland and a pair of semi-detached houses - Glenside and (unknown).

On the south side of St Ann's Road the land between Hamilton Road and Lowther Road had been divided into five plots, one of which remained vacant