News Item (20-12-2008)

 Miss Cordingley's Garden gets a special birthday present.

Miss Cordingley's Garden, a plot of land in Walkden Gardens in Sale, has been given a special birthday present - a £15,000 donation to transform this currently derelict space into an exciting area that welcomes visitors.

The cash has come as part of the 10th birthday celebrations of Greening Greater Manchester (GGM), a scheme funded by Biffaward, a multi-million pound environment fund which uses landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services to support worthwhile environmental projects across the UK.  Managed by the environmental regeneration charity Groundwork, GGM has awarded almost £4.75 million to help hundreds of dreams to become a reality over the past decade.  

"The Greening Greater Manchester award has meant that we can begin the year long process of reclaiming and transforming an inaccessible area into a real jewel" says Garth Jones, the Chair of the Friends of Walkden Gardens group.

Miss Cordingley's Garden has a fascinating history, being part of a plot of land bequeathed to Sale Borough Council by the local benefactor Harry Walkden in 1949. The bequest allowed use of the land by Harry Walkden's niece, Miss Cordingley and it has only recently been made part of the wider Walkden Gardens site, which is now owned by Trafford MBC.

The land has never been used by the public and has become overgrown and inaccessible.  Friends of Walkden Gardens, the group organising the work, aim to finally make this tranquil area fully accessible to the community as originally planned by Harry Walkden and have named it Miss Cordingley's Garden in her honour.

Whilst providing access to this long unused space, the scheme will retain its tranquil feel by providing mown paths through long grass around a fine young beech, and surrounded by high rhododendron boundaries. The plan is to have an inviting entrance and clear exit to ensure it becomes a well used part of the gardens. Plans also will record the contribution of Harry Walkden and his niece, Miss Cordingley, on interpretive signboards for garden visitors.  Work on the project will start in Autumn 2008 and will be substantially complete by the end of 2009.