Historic park returned to glory in £2m project

Water gardens at Great Linford Manor Park were restored as part of the £2m project

A £2m restoration project to return a historic park to its "former glory" has been completed after two years.

Great Linford Manor Park in Milton Keynes is situated on limestone bedrock that was formed during the Jurassic period, The Parks Trust said.

The charity sought funding from the National Lottery after noticing how much of the park's heritage "was being eroded or hidden from sight".

Chief executive Victoria Miles said she was "thrilled" by the results.

As part of the project, the water gardens were restored, access, parking and seating were improved and new flowers and trees were planted.

The park previously served as a private pleasure garden

The trust, which looks after more than 6,000 acres (2,400 hectares) of parkland and green space in Milton Keynes. said the work had "returned the park to its former glory and made the stunning space more accessible for visitors".

"Great Linford Manor Park's heritage features had become lost or hidden and were in desperate need of repair," Ms Miles said.

"Areas of the park were overgrown, and it was not an easy place for visitors to navigate.

"We felt that the park had the potential to be up there with the finest outdoor spaces in the region and enjoyed by many more people for leisure, learning and wellbeing."

She said the park was now "protected for generations to come".

The water gardens at the park pictured prior to the restoration project, and viewed from a different angle