All visitors to a popular park are able to access its Rock Garden around the clock thanks to work by volunteers. The garden, one of two gardens in the middle of Moss Bank Park , reopened to the public at all times last month. In 2012 it reopened to the public at certain times after a big boost in the form of tens of thousands of pounds from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Some highlights are a bright red bridge and a Wych Elm from the Silver Jubilee of George V. Paul Thompson in The Rock Garden (Image: Newsquest) However it ran into difficulties due to a lack of someone to lock it and unlock it, and a lack of resources to look after it, as well as the coronavirus crisis and the damage done by a storm which tore up one of the trees more than two years ago. (Image: Newsquest) The Friends of Moss Bank Park, the friends group of more than 20 years, took on the task of bringing it back into use.
The Bolton News talked to two members, Margaret Irwin and Paul Thompson, on a trip to the popular park this week. Ms Irwin, a member of six years from Smithills, said: "There were a few people who were committed to keeping it looking good. It is looking good and there are really, really unusual plants.
"There are a lot of people coming to the garden saying how much they remember coming to the garden as a child." (Image: Newsquest) Mr Thompson, a member of 14 years from Smithills, said: "When I was younger it was considered a spring garden. All of the shrubs, the azaleas and the rhodode.