Pritika, Law, LLB Hon
As an international student, I have always enjoyed traveling and love to explore. Preston has some beautiful green spaces, so I have been going for walks, and have been able to visit some beautiful and historic places in the city. I hope to share some of my experiences in this blog.
My favourite places
One of my favourite areas to explore around Preston is the Guild Wheel; a walking and cycling route encircling the city through the countryside. It consists of parkland, dockland, river and canal, woodland and nature reserves. As the Guild Wheel is vast, it was not possible for me to cover such a large area on foot, so I visited these places on different days. However, if you opt to cycle you could cover the 21-mile route in a day or two.
Avenham and Miller Parks are located just outside the city centre with the River Ribble running alongside both. As there are various entrances onto the route, you may choose to begin anywhere. Since the Avenham Park is the official start and end point for the Guild Wheel, I chose to start there. One of the attractions I liked the most was the Japanese Rock Garden with a peaceful pond. In Miller Park, there are various historical and interesting spots like the water fountain, rock features, spiralling gardens, a large basalt rock from the Giant's Causeway and the Derby Walk.
Moor Park is close to the University campus and I frequently visit it. It is a vast open green space with many paths, and has a variety of sports, recreational and play areas, which include the Adizone outdoor gym, Skatepark, Basketball courts, 5-a-side football courts, hard surface tennis courts, and the Jeremiah Horrocks Observatory and weather station. The Grotto and decorative garden is my favourite spot where I sometimes indulge in ice-cream on a hot day and hot chocolate on a cold day from the Rosemary on the Park café.
Winckley Square Gardens is very close to Preston’s main high street and just a short walk from Avenham and Miller Parks, with a statue of Sir Robert Peel, founder of the UK’s police force, at one of the seven entrances to the Park. Winckley Square Gardens is smaller compared to other parks but after visiting, I found it very cosy and a great place to hang out with a lot of seating areas and open green spaces to sit and relax.
Preston Docks is a good path and you can wander along the circular walk around the basin. The Marina offers some beautiful sunrise and sunset views, and I also enjoy watching the birds and the boats docked. There are some really good drive-throughs and eateries around so you can grab food when visiting.
The Preston city centre has most of the major UK stores as well as St George's Shopping Centre, Fishergate Shopping Centre and St John's Shopping Centre for your retail therapy or just to window shop. Preston Market Hall offers products at really good prices in a modern building, as well as places to eat. In addition there are some great cafes and restaurants in the city that offer a variety of cuisines. Some other places to visit in Preston are Harris Museum and Art Gallery, the Ribble Steam Railway and the Lancashire Infantry Museum. The best thing I like about Preston is that everything is nearby - the University buildings, student accommodation, city centre and stores are in walking distance.
