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William Royle and his Platt Fields protest

In the 1890s, the people of Rusholme had some rather familiar worries. New builds had swallowed up the countryside around their homes. Much-loved trees were being chopped down. Local streams had grown polluted and smelly. The kids weren’t getting outdoors enough. So when Platt Fields went up for auction in 1906, it looked like yet another green space would be lost forever…until William Royle stepped up and launched a campaign to save it. After his death, the public crowd-funded a humble memorial bench, to remind us of this hard-working Rusholme resident.

The Worsleys were one of Manchester’s oldest aristocratic families, but by June 1907 they were running out of cash, so they put Platt Estate up for auction in lots. Platt Hall would be pulled down, and its bricks used to build houses on the lots. For people who lived in Rusholme, this felt like very bad news. Many had watched the area change dramatically, from a quiet village surrounded by fields and farms, to a sooty suburb of industrial Manchester, hemmed in by railways and slums. Platt Estate was the last remnant of countryside in the whole area, and it was about to go under the hammer.

Public health was a major problem. Homes were heated with open coal fires, and many people – William Royle included – had lung disease caused by air-pollution. The awful stench of Rusholme’s filthy Gore Brook got so bad that it went down in local history. Greenspace was seen as the answer, offering natural “breathing space”, a place to exercise, and a healthy alternative to the pub. What’s more, although Platt Hall’s gardens were privately owned, they’d been open for everyone to walk in for as long as anyone could remember. Losing access would’ve been a major blow to local residents.

How can I prevent The Fields from becoming a ‘keep off the grass’ kind of park?

– William Royle

As the first lots were already getting snapped up by property developers, William launched a campaign to whip up enthusiasm for turning Platt into a public park. He printed hundreds of flyers featuring photos of the Fields in summertime, and handed them out all over Rusholme. Dozens of his letters were published in local and national newspapers. William led delegations to Manchester Town Hall to lobby the City Mayor, and made sure these were well-publicised in the Courier. Soon, other people were writing in, too, until the papers were full of support for his proposal. Manchester got the message, and after a few weeks the Council said yes.

Manchester Corporation bought Platt Estate for just under £59,000 in 1907, and set about turning into a park for the public to enjoy. A global financial crisis was underway, and Manchester was suffering from high unemployment. Building a park was a good way to create jobs, so the boating lake was planned at the last minute to provide extra work. 700 unemployed men turned up to dig it, by hand, using shovels. William described them as men of all classes and ages, all doing their best to earn a living, but he suspected that some couldn’t’ve handled a spade before, because their hands ended up covered in blisters. Platt Fields Park finally opened in May 1910, and immediately proved popular, with thousands of people turning up to enjoy it.

He liked to imagine the people playing and resting here for generations into the future

– Dora Royle

What does it matter who gets the credit, as long as the thing is done properly?

– William Royle

After the park was opened, William carried on working hard on community and philanthropic projects, until ill health forced him to stop. He’d suffered from a lifelong lung condition that was only relieved by trips away from smoggy Manchester – Wales was a particular favourite. Despite these escapes, William died from his condition aged only 68, surrounded by family and friends until the end. His memorial bench was unveiled by the Lord Mayor of Manchester on December 17th 1924. It was designed by architect John Henry Price, also known for Manchester’s Victoria Baths.

My favourite story is about William courting his fiancée Emily, on strolls through Platt Fields. This should’ve been romantic! But because he was so community-minded, he was really well known and popular, so whole groups of people would end up joining them. William would chat with them all, until eventually Emily had to tell him that it’s hard to feel romantic with dozens of neighbours tagging along…

– Suzie, researcher

The “save Platt” campaign may seem like a good thing when you’re looking back from the 21st century. But it was led by people who owned property, and it prevented the building of homes for people who didn’t. Born in Rusholme in 1854, William grew up in poverty. He was exceptionally hard-working, reluctant to take credit, and a proven philanthropist, who wanted Platt to be relaxing and fun for us all. But by 1907, he’d become one of Manchester’s influential elite. He was an experienced political campaigner, who’d orchestrated a sweeping success for the Manchester Liberal Party in the 1906 elections. He was also a convincing writer, a confident public speaker, and a regular front-bencher at City Council. When he campaigned for what became one of Manchester’s vital green spaces, William put himself up against other important human needs. And he’s recorded as hating conflict, so he must’ve really believed it was the correct thing to do.

discover more

Read more about William Royle on the excellent Rusholme Archive and discover the history of Platt Hall here

Which other Manchester places would’ve been very different without a passionate local campaign? Who else has a humble memorial in Manchester? Keep exploring This Is Us to find out, or get in touch to contribute more stories!