Leverhulme Park facts for kids

A long, winding path in Leverhulme Park.

Leverhulme Park is the biggest park in the town of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It's a fantastic place for outdoor fun and sports! A very kind person named Lord Leverhulme gave this land to the people of Bolton. That's why the park is named after him.

The park is located near the areas of Breightmet, Darcy Lever, the Haulgh, and Tonge Fold. Over the years, Leverhulme Park has grown a lot. It now has a community centre, a special athletics stadium, and pitches for five-a-side football. For many years, it was also the home of the popular Bolton Show.

The Bolton Show: A Big Community Event

The Bolton Show was a huge annual event held in Leverhulme Park. It started in the 1950s as a small show for local gardeners. People would display their best flowers and vegetables. Over time, it grew into a massive festival.

The show took place every August until 2003. It was very popular, sometimes attracting as many as 90,000 visitors! The Bolton Show became even more famous after being featured in the TV show That Peter Kay Thing. A part of the episode "The Ice-Cream Man Cometh" was filmed there.

What Could You See at the Show?

The Bolton Show had something for everyone. There were craft tents where you could see amazing handmade items. Professional entertainers put on exciting displays. These included motorbike stunt teams and stunt performers. You could also watch amazing falconry displays with birds of prey. Talented dog handlers showed off their trained dogs.

Besides the shows, there was a large funfair with rides and games. You could also find car boot sales, where people sold second-hand items. The show always ended with a spectacular firework display. The Bolton Show was planned to return in 2006 but was cancelled. This was because the local council did not have enough money to support it.

Bolton One Big Weekend: Family Fun

After the Bolton Show, Leverhulme Park hosted another big event called Bolton's One Big Weekend. This was a fun-filled weekend for families. Organizers believed about 20,000 people came to enjoy the activities.

The weekend offered many exciting things to do. You could watch quadbike racing and even try bungee jumping. There were also tank rides, which were a big hit! Car lovers enjoyed the vintage car show. Traditional morris dancing groups performed, and martial arts experts showed off their skills. There was even a dog show where pets could compete.

Sports and Activities

Leverhulme Park is still a very active place for sports. Every Saturday morning, a special event called a parkrun takes place there. It starts at 9 AM and is a great way for people of all ages to run or walk. The park's athletics stadium and football pitches are also used regularly by local sports teams and clubs.