If you are not from the town of Wigan in the northwest of England, then there is a strong chance that you will not quite know how to pronounce the name of the wonderful park that lies at its heart.
Let's deal with that from the off - Mesnes Park is pronounced "Mains" Park but to be honest, is more commonly known simply as Wigan Park - and it's magic!
I will now give you a little tour of the park, pointing out all its important features and maybe providing a little encouragement to you to make a trip over to see it in person.
Let's start with the entrance gates and Lodge:
The main entrance gateway to the park has ornately carved sandstone piers and between them lie a pair of cast-iron gates with the Wigan town shield in the centre and the date of 1878.
The Lodge at the gates has been refurbished now and looks perfect alongside the gates themselves as they welcome you into the park.
Once you are through the gates, the long and wide driveway opens up to show you the whole park and gardens.
In the above image, you can clearly see the Pavilion in the distance with the stone steps and fountain at its feet.
On the right-hand side of the driveway is the bronze statue of Sir Francis Sharp Powell - the statue was created by the famous sculptor Ernest Gillick and was erected in 1910 by public subscription.
The statue shows Powell sitting in his office chair, deep in thought. His right leg is crossed in front of his left, which makes the right shoe protrude out further than the actual base of the statue.
There is a long-standing superstition in the town that rubbing the shoe will bring the person good luck and that is why the show itself never turned green like the rest of the statue - the constant rubbing highlights a bright colorful surface.
As you turn away from the statue, your gaze is drawn toward the steps, fountain, statue, and pavilion all of which lie at the northerly end of the park.
The Ornamental Fountain has recently been serviced and refurbished and the dark red paint contrasts with the gold highlighting to provide quite a spectacular attraction.
Surrounding the fountain and Powell statue on the lower levels of the park are some wonderful gardens, well laid out and tended throughout the year, and quite spectacular in the summer months when the blaze of colour from all the flowers is in full view.
In both the two above images, you can clearly see the Grade II listed stone steps that carry the visitors up to the top level and the Boer War Statue and Pavilion.
As you reach the top of the steps, you get close to the statue and to the entrance to the Pavilion (again Grade II listed)
The Pavilion is now a cafe and ice cream shop, modern inside whilst retaining all the incredible ironwork and terracotta tiling on the outside.
It's a great place to grab a brew, take an outside table and look down over the park below. You also get an appreciation of how close to the centre of the town the park is.
We are nearly at the end of our little trip through Mesnes Park but there is just one more landmark for us to take a look at.
The Grade II listed Bandstand which is close to the Pavilion has again been refurbished and revitalized and forms a central part of the park activities.
Hopefully, this little journey through Mesnes Park has provided an insight into the park and all its landmarks.
It really is a wonderful place to visit and spend some relaxing time in, away from all the hustle and bustle of daily life.
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