Alexandra Park
Oldham's Victorian showpiece, 72 acres built by out-of-work cotton spinners. Lake, duck pond, cafe on the water, seven free tennis courts and a playground with a proper accessible section.
Northern Roots
- Cost
- Free entry, free parking
- Ages
- 1 to 12
- Where
- Oldham, Greater Manchester
- Weather
- Mostly outdoors
- Booking
- Just turn up
Northern Roots is a charity turning 160 acres of neglected land between Alexandra Park and Park Bridge into an urban farm and eco park, running a mile and a half down to the River Medlock. The visitor buildings opened in September 2026, and it is free to get in and free to park. The woodland, meadows and ponds are open all the time; the Welcome Building, café, shop, play area and Snipe Clough Farm open Thursday to Sunday, 9am to 4pm.
The play area is the reason to bring children. It sits in front of the Welcome Building, so you can have a coffee on the terrace while they play, and it has three zones: physical and imaginative play for younger and primary children, water play with a large sand pit, and harder climbing for older ones. Some equipment is designed for wheelchair users. Pack spare clothes, because the sand and water will find them.
Snipe Clough is a 4-acre growing farm that supplies the café and shop, so expect beetroot, squash and leeks; the site does not list any farm animals. The café does breakfast from 9am to 11am and lunch from noon, picnics are welcome, and everything is cashless. Some autumn events, like the mushroom foray on 14 October, need booking. From the car park off Kings Road it is a flat 300-metre walk to the Welcome Building, fine for buggies.
What it costs: Entry, parking and the play area are free. Some events are ticketed. The site is cashless, card and contactless only.
Know before you go
- The buildings, café, play area and farm open Thursday to Sunday only, 9am to 4pm. On other days you get the woods and meadows but no toilets.
- Bring spare clothes for the water play and sand pit, and a card: the site is cashless.
- If the main car park is full, use the Alexandra Park car park on Kings Road.
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What visitors say
★★★★★ 4.1 across 98 Google reviews.
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