Lancashire Retro: 14 historic pictures of Preston's Avenham and Miller Parks some that show them being crafted

These lovely photos depict Avenham and Miller Parks in their very early days.

They were constructed in the 1860s amid the Cotton Famine as public works employing unemployed mill workers.

They were designed by landscape architect Edward Milner as a “harmonious whole,” the parks feature a riverside walk, formal terraces, fountains, rockeries, and the striking Belvedere.

Avenham Park’s elegant Japanese Rock Gardens were added in the 1930s. Inaugurated in 1867 alongside the new Town Hall, the parks drew thousands, including the Duke of Cambridge. Today, both parks are Grade II listed and cherished historic green spaces at Preston’s heart .

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37 nostalgic images that capture moments and memories in Preston in the mid-1970s

33 marvellous old pictures of Preston and the surrounding areas which tell us a story of the city's past