Main Features Of The Park

An excellent bowling green and pavilion has attracted many bowlers over the years and continues to do so. A tennis club used to thrive here. There was a bandstand in a natural amphitheatre with changing, shelter and refreshment facilities.  Children’s playground was added which has recently been replaced. The extensive woodland is a major feature of this unique linear park which links, via the Jubilee, to the moorland

Decline Over Time

Since that time Dunwood Park has enjoyed good and bad times. A pavilion was built and was well used but more recently it has fallen into disrepair and is now of limited use. Another public building is now the gardeners shed. What little parkland exists within this linear park had been allowed to grow out of control. The woodland, which forms the majority of the area of the park, has been shuttled from one authority to another over the years with the inevitable result that very little real woodland management has been undertaken. Paths had eroded reducing access to this valuable and unique woodland. The original children’splayground was allowed to decay and was finally a dangerous eyesore and completely inadequate for use by young children.

Despite the neglect Dunwood Park is held with great fondness in the hearts of many who spent (or miss-spent) a significant part their youth under and sometimes up the trees of Dunwood Park.

Friends Of Dunwood Park

About 5 years ago some of the people who had been complaining about the declining state of the park got together to try to do something about it.

They formed the Friends of Dunwood Park, a community group which now has over one hundred and fifty members.
Twice in the past two years the Friends group has conducted surveys of park users and residents of Shaw seeking views on the development needs of the park. They sought and received the backing of the Parish Council and the Area Committee of Oldham Council

Working Together

Through this support the FODP made contact with the officers of the Parks Department. Since then they have worked with the Parks Department on a number of projects, some of which have been funded by lottery money and others by the Parks dept. Drainage has been repaired and improved, woodland paths have been improved, street lighting installed, repairs have been made to the pavilion roof and a new children’s play area has been provided. (When this playground was opened by the Mayor of Oldham it took place in a torrential downpour!)

It is not universally understood that most lottery grants require community support. Without the work of the Friends group these improvements would not have been possible.

Your Park Needs YOU

The Big Lottery fund rightly demands that the money it allocates is well spent. It is our responsibility to show how this will be done. In particular, we must show that the community as a whole both values the park and is committed to its future. This is why we have set up the Dunwood Heritage Partnership and invite you to play a part in securing this much needed development. 

To register your interest please Click Here