Gathering Inspiration In The Middle Of The City

'Home' to me is Manchester.

It's been donning this unusually rare blue sky for a few weeks now and what a beauty it is.

I set out in search of some inspiration for my studio work as well as for my little 'yarden' project and thought I'd revisit somewhere tranquil that's still within reach of the busy city.

The north of England is well known for its cotton mills and back to back terraced houses. Manchester in particular still holds so many hints of its industrial past, converted mills sit squat amongst the glass new-builds, canals pass under buildings and streets and old railway lines sit disused.

No matter how hard I tried to fight it as a teenager, textiles runs deep in my blood and I'm embracing it more now. Including the points that I'm distantly related to Samuel Crompton (inventor of the spinning mule), I have a Textiles in Practice degree at the Manchester School of Art and my current day job involves using sewing machines in a converted cotton mill on the outskirts of Manchester... and yes, I do go home to a terraced house at the end of the working day - it has Wi-Fi and running water, don't worry.

So whilst the sun was shining bright, where would be a better place to visit than the Castlefield Viaduct, a 'sky garden' by the National Trust. The project has involved taking a section of disused railway to transform into a garden space for the public and nature to enjoy.

This little gem feels very hidden in the city, it's tucked away from busy shops and sits up in the air watching over the Castlefield Bowl and canal networks below. It's a perfect little hideaway to enjoy the vast scale of the city from the comfort of plants and quietness - with the soft reminder of industry when a tram rolls past on the parallel tracks.

If you look to the left or right whilst standing on the viaduct, your eyes follow the natural shapes of the plants in front of the harsh strong lines of the metal structures and followed by the softer glass buildings in the distance and as shadows are cast onto the floor, thick bold stripes appear. Theres loads of contrasting textures from the decaying metal work and grassy plant life tied together with a soft colour palette and the planters stay very much in keeping too.

It's a great way to see a space in use, whilst I was visiting there was a pocket with people sharing poetry and across the path sat a couple enjoying some time by the pond. There's so much information about the plants, wildlife and the history of the area too.

At the time of writing this post (May '25) the viaduct is free to visit and will only be open until September 2025 so I would suggest going sooner rather than later. I've heard rumours that the project will be extended in the near future so I have high hopes!

I'm taking what I've learnt back to the studio to reflect and I can't wait to add some of these ideas to my little 'yarden' (garden/yard) when I get home.

A few more bits:

• SO MANY ideas for tiny gardens/ balconies in the book Green by Ula Maria

• A great podcast from Gardener's World

• Join my mailing list here to hear more about my garden project and studio inspiration