This Green Flag Park came about after the wealthy local merchant Martin J. Newhouse died in 1873. He didn’t make a will so his estate went to Queen Victoria, who donated it back to Heywood.

With those funds, the town built a dignified park for its residents, on the ground sloping down to the River Roch.

Queen’s Park has held onto its Victorian layout and monuments like the Lodge House and Victoria Fountain.

Awaiting you here is a riverside path, a lake, a visitor centre, a cafe, play areas for little ones, formal flowerbeds, bowling greens and spaces reserved for wetlands and wildlife.

The visitor centre puts on a small exhibition about the history of the park, while the lake’s island is inhabited by a large flock of herons.