Miller Park, Preston

rdf:langString Miller Park, Preston

rdf:langString Miller Park

rdf:langString Miller Park

rdf:langString Preston, Lancashire, England

rdf:langString Location in Preston

rdf:langString Preston City Council

rdf:langString Miller Park, Preston.JPG

rdf:langString Miller Park is a public park under the management of Preston City Council. It is located on the banks of the River Ribble in Preston, Lancashire in the north west of England. The park is one of two city centre Victorian era parks, the other being the adjacent and larger Avenham Park. It was designed and built in the 1860s and has matured over the last 140 years into one of the most attractive parks in the region. As an English Heritage Grade II* listed park, it features a number of historical structures including a sundial, a grotto and a fountain. There is also an impressive statue of the 14th Earl of Derby who was British prime minister 1866 - 1868 [1]. The two parks are separated by the East Lancashire Railway embankment and access is through the Ivy Bridge and along Riverside Walk. The East Lancashire Railway line closed in the 1970s although the viaduct across the river, which is a Grade II listed building, remains, as it carries a public footpath across the river. The west edge of the park is bounded by the embankment carrying Preston's main rail link, the West Coast Main Line. The park was designed by Edward Milner as a 'Harmonious Whole' including the adjacent Avenham Park. This park is more formal than its neighbour and includes beautiful bedding displays, a Rose Garden and the regal Derby Walk, all of which are maintained by Preston City Council's Horticultural Services. It is overlooked by the Park Hotel, a Victorian former hotel used as offices by Lancashire County Council until 2016. A modern extension to the council offices, which also overlooked the park, was demolished in 2020 as part of works to convert the building back into a hotel. Apart from this office block, the appearance of the park has hardly changed since it was first laid out; the only other modern construction, a brick toilet block, was demolished in March 2006. A map of 1889 [2] still provides an accurate representation of the park's layout.