Churchyard Tour of St Mary's, Prestwich

Today Heaton Park is the largest urban park in the UK, covering over 600 acres. Grade II listed by the English Heritage Register of Parks, the park contains a number of features including, a golf course, boating lake, animal farm, ornamental gardens, woodlands, adventure playground and bowling greens. In 1772 Sir Thomas Egerton commissioned James Wyatt to design a home for his family. Heaton Hall was completed in 1789. James Wyatt also designed some of the other buildings around the park. Sir Thomas later employed William Emes to landscape the park. The estate remained in the Egerton family until 1902 when the 5th Earl of Wilton decided to sell the hall and park. Manchester Corporation bought the estate for £230,000 and provided a number of public facilities. During WWI the park was used as a training ground for the Manchester Pals battalions and the hall became a military hospital. During WWII the Royal Air Force used the park to train aircrew and a barrage balloon was placed there. The park was restored in a partnership between the Heritage Lottery Fund and Manchester City Council. This recreated some of the original Emes landscape around the Hall and restored four of the Wyatt buildings. The sound walk can follow all of the stops; or you can customise the walk to visit the locations of your choice. You can even make a stop at one of the 4 cafés in the park; located at the stables, the boathouse, Heaton Park garden centre and Heaton Park golf centre. The audio clips for this sound walk are from the Manchester Oral Histories collection (UAP007) held at Archives+, Manchester Central Library and from Manchester Studies collection (UAP008) held at Tameside Local Studies and Archives Centre, Ashton.

This sound walk guides you through Kersal Wetlands, a stunning outdoor space created as part of a £10 million flood protection scheme. This site was once home to the Manchester Racecourse, which attracted up to 70,000 people but closed in 1962. Now, it is a fabulous new home for birds, wildlife and nature, with views of the Manchester skyline, the woodlands of Kersal Dale and the shimmering River Irwell. As you walk along the cycle paths and footpaths, you will hear the sounds of nature, such as the chirping of birds, the buzzing of insects and the rustling of leaves. You will also encounter ten hectares of wildflower habitat, where you can admire the colourful blooms and the diversity of plants. Some of the flowers you may see include ox-eye daisy, red clover, common knapweed and yellow rattle. This sound walk begins on the left bank of the River Irwell, just past the entrance at Grandstand Avenue. This walk takes approximately 25 - 35 minutes to complete. Please keep to the designated paths and keep dogs under control in the wetlands area, especially during the bird nesting season from mid March to June. Thank you for joining us and have a wonderful day.

Inspired by the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal we have paired Salford / Greater Manchester artists with European artists to create a Sound Walk along the route of the old canal. The canal begins at the River Irwell at Middlewood Locks and then disappears from sight until near Agecroft Cemetery.

This is Witch 'n' Monk's first GPS-guided release: a new way to experience music, made for disobedient minds. Something between a quest game, an interactive podcast and a sound walk. Part of their release called OUTFOX: a collection of new music on the theme of radical creativity. To download Pagamento click here: www.witchnmonk.com/pagamento-gift

This is Witch 'n' Monk's second GPS-guided release: a new way to experience music, made for disobedient minds. Something between a quest game, an interactive podcast and a sound walk. Part of their release called OUTFOX: a collection of new music on the theme of radical creativity.  To download Revolution click here: www.witchnmonk.com/revolution-gift