Laid out between 1869 and 1870 on former moss land, Alexandra Park covers around 60 acres between Whalley Range and Moss Side. Designer Alexander Hennell used curving drives, looping paths, and a sinuous lake to create picturesque views, framing wide lawns for cricket and promenading. Avenue planting and specimen trees structured the space, while shelters, lodges, and later a bandstand provided amenities. The park was part of Manchester’s drive to furnish its expanding suburbs with landscaped public recreation grounds during rapid urbanisation.