The Carrs

Perhaps the greatest virtue of The Carrs is the illusion of isolation it creates. Trees line the slopes of the Bollin Valley hiding the houses above and creating the illusion of nature extending far beyond the park's real boundaries. Thus it provides one of the greatest gifts of a park to its urban users, that of relief from the built environment. Obviously, it wasn't always like that.

The word 'Carrs' derives from the Norse 'Kjarr' meaning 'meadow recovered from bog' and so identifies not only the original state of the land but also its subsequent use, as pasture land for the villagers to graze their cattle. The park that we enjoy today began to take shape in 1925 when Henry Boddington of Pownall Hall donated the eponymous Playing Fields (a gift commemorated on the stone archway in Chancel Lane). The 1935 purchase by former Wilmslow Urban District Council of the remaining land up to Twinnies Bridge brought the parkland to 50 acres and established The Carrs as the town's playground.

Would you like to know more about the history of The Carrs, which is a more complex story than set out above? Click here. Or download a PDF of the page.

Facilities

Skateboard and Football park. As you can see, there is also a basketball hoop, for those so inclined. The artwork? The Friends commissioned Damien Hirst, but he was held up so had to send his teacher.

Woodland Walks. There is not quite enough woodland in The Carrs to get lost in (an assertion tested by many parents), but there's enough to allow you to imagine that you might. The slope here rises to Hawthorn Lane.

Riverside Walks. It takes about 20 minutes to walk from one end of The Carrs to the other. Just follow the river; it knows the way.

The Playground. It is undoubtedly the most popular in Wilmslow, is well maintained and usually has an ice cream van in attendance as a reliable means of getting the children out of the playground and towards the car.

The Tennis Courts. For when SW19 is booked up. The courts are always open and free. The Council makes valiant efforts to keep the nets as taut as the leg muscles of the players who use the courts.

A Basketball Ring. Why is it there? Has anyone ever used it? Will anyone ever use it? Look. There's a mother with two toddlers. Maybe she'll find a use for it. Who knows?