Carols around the Dovecote at Walkden Gardens in Sale

Walkden Gardens has long been described as the hidden gem of Sale, and I didn’t discover it until the grandchildren came along a few years ago. Since then, I’ve been a regular visitor, sometimes wandering by myself to take photographs and often with the little ones in tow discovering the delights our local green space offers.

The gardens take their name from Harry Walkden who ran a plant nursery on the site in the 1900s. His wish was for the land to be laid out as a park or garden, and after he died in 1949, it passed to Sale Borough Council. The design for the five acres of land in the heart of Sale is inspired by Hidcote Manor, one of the country's best-known Arts and Crafts gardens. Beginning in the late 1970s, the garden was laid out in phases by Louis Bell, the deputy parks superintendent for the council at the time.

Walkden's Theatre Lawn in the snow. (Image: Rob Frier) As with Hidcote, long walkways with different vistas were created, as well as a series of garden rooms, including the Theatre Lawn, enclosed by beech hedging. This area is perfect for outdoor productions in the summer months, and last August, Shakespeare's As You Like It and Quentin Blake’s Angelica’s Sprocket Pockets were performed here by Folksy Theatre company.

The planting in the garden is diverse, with a wide variety of trees and shrubs, some of which date back to the original planting in the 1970s. The magnolias and camellias are magnificent but I particularly love the ‘room’ known as the Memories Garden. With a monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria) at its centre, and overlooked by a weeping willow (Salix) from which the town of Sale gets its name, it looks good all year round thanks to the winter interest planting scheme. The ornamental grass Miscanthus sinensis ‘Flamingo’ positively sparkles when covered in frost: a joyful sight on a winter morning.

Carols singing around the Dovecote at Walkden Gardens (Image: Rob Frier) Wanting to learn more about the history of the gardens and the changes that occurred since the early days, I met up with Rob Frier, a local garden designer and the recently retired vice chair of the Friends of Walkden Gardens.

Rob told me the Friends group was set up in 2001 to restore the gardens after they had fallen into disrepair during the 1990s. It was a daunting task but they started in the relatively compact scented garden and continued. One of the biggest projects has been the labyrinth, which Rob designed. Louis Bell had originally intended that people should walk through a long, covered space (now the wisteria arch) and arrive in what he called an exedra, a Roman classical space of cathedral proportion surrounded by tall trees and seating for conversation. Children particularly love the labyrinth, and Rob’s design has also created an aesthetically pleasing area of the garden, with blocks of stone from Sale Old Hall, demolished in the 1920s, used to replicate the semi-circular exedra seating.

Carols will be sung around the Dovecote at Walkden Gardens on December 7 this year. (Image: Rob Frier) ‘Some of my happiest days have been seeing the garden full of people enjoying themselves,’ says Rob of his 23 years with the group. He adds the group is very lucky to have such a huge number of volunteers who turn up on a Saturday once a month to help maintain the garden, but I suspect this is due in part to the temptation and quality of the home-baked treats he provides. Fundraising is an ongoing challenge, but the theatre productions and yoga classes help enormously, as does the annual carol concert around the Dovecote.

The story of how the Dovecote came to be in Walkden Gardens is a fascinating one. Originally built around 1840 in the grounds of Sale Old Hall, it survived the construction of the old M63 in the 1970s thanks to petitions by the Sale Civic Society for a Grade II listed status. However, it wasn’t until the widening of the motorway, now renamed the M60, that a relocation became critical, and almost 10 years later the work to dismantle and then rebuild it in Walkden Gardens took place. It is now the focal point for many events in the garden, and on Saturday, December 7 between 12.30pm and 3.45pm the Friends of Walkden Gardens will hold the Carols Around the Dovecote event. This is one of the most popular gatherings of the year, with a brass band and choirs from local schools leading the singing. And with mulled wine and German beers on offer, as well as mince pies and other Christmas goodies, it has to be a date for the diary.

The gardens are located at the corner of Marsland Road and Derbyshire Road, Sale M33 3EL and to find out more about the history of the garden and the work of The Friends visit walkdengardens.co.uk

A frosty morning at Walkden Gardens. (Image: Alison Moore) More highlights of Walkden Gardens

o Japanese Garden – modelled on the Japanese concept of a stroll garden, with a path that allows the visitor to wander through and enjoy the different vistas.

o Theatre Lawn – comprising an auditorium, raised mound, and baffle hedge.

o Wisteria Arch – at more than 70 feet long, this makes a stunning feature of the garden in May.

o Mini Arboretum – among the collection is a Himalayan Birch (Betula albosinensis ‘Fascination’) that was planted by HRH The Duke of Kent to commemorate his visit in 2006.