Award-winning Worden Park bids to be the best in the country

It has been nominated in this year’s UK’s Best Park competition run by the Fields in Trust organisation.

The park is not stranger when it comes to awards.

It has received more than 20 national Green Flag Awards - the gold standard for parks and open spaces - one every single year since the scheme began.

It is the only park north of London to claim this feat.

To be considered for a Green Flag, a park must “boast the highest possible environmental standards, be beautifully maintained, and have excellent visitor facilities.”

The park is run by South ribble Borough Council.

It is the largest in South Ribble, attracting around 300,000 visitors every year.

As well as offering more than 60 hectares of meadows, woodlands and playing fields, the park also includes a range of attractions in its historic grounds.

First opened to the public in 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain celebrations, Worden Park is now Grade II listed by English Heritage.

The park once formed the estate of Worden Hall, owned by the Farington family who laid out most of the landscape that can be seen today.

Following a devastating fire in 1941, Worden Hall was eventually demolished leaving behind only one remaining wing, the outbuildings and the walled kitchen garden.

UK’s Best Park is a two-phase award.

Firstly, invitations went out to the public to nominate their favourite local park.

Nominations closed on July 1.

All eligible nominated parks progressed to a public vote to find the winner.

Voting closes at noon on Monday, August 19.

At close of voting the parks with the most votes in each of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be shortlisted.

The overall winner of UK’s Best Park 2019 will be announced in mid-September at the conclusion of the trust’s Summer of Parks.

Other Lancashire nominations include St Catherine’s Park, Lostock Lane, Lostock Hall Avenham, Preston and Stanley Park, Blackpool.