A PLAQUE is to be unveiled to mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of a Bolton park and celebrate its recently completed multi-million pound refurbishment.

Queens Park, in Mayor Street, Bolton, was established during the reign of Queen Victoria and has now been restored and enhanced as part of a £5.3m project funded by Bolton Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Members of the public are invited to attend council leader Councillor Cliff Morris and a Heritage Lottery Fund representative's revealing of the plaque on Sunday at 1.30pm at the Park Lodge in Park Road before it is fixed to the lodge.

Mr Morris said: “We are delighted to have been able to fully refurbish Queens Park, restoring it to its Victorian glory and providing an important community facility.

"We know that residents love the restored park too.

"They are coming in ever increasing numbers to walk, relax, socialise, play sport, picnic, play on the play area and have an ice cream at the café."

Lying within its own Queens Park Conservation Area, the park has hosted Boltfest music festival and the Bolton Hospice 5K Colour Run among other events.

John Harding, chairman of The Friends of Queens Park, said: "We are absolutely delighted with result of this project.

"It's been a long haul and it's a credit to everybody around for all their hard work they have put in.

"It's already attracting more people into the park. The children's playground was moved and expanded and it's magnificent and is very well used."

In June the park won Green Flag status in the aftermath of the improvement scheme that was implemented over the course of half a decade and was sympathetic to the original Victorian design.

A council spokeswoman said of the work: "The lakes were dredged, the walls and fountain re-instated, the Dobson Bridge restored and re-opened, a new footbridge built, all the steps re-built and the statues renovated, the drainage and footpaths relaid and a new café and play area were installed.

"In addition, new seating has been placed all around the park and new sign posts and information boards installed at the various enhanced entrances.

"The council has also refurbished the tennis courts and multi-use games area and installed a popular outdoor gym."

QUEENS PARK

The 43-acre park was created by the council on pasture land known as Spa Fields after central Government gave local authorities cheap loans

It was laid out over the course of 1865 and 1866 to designs by Birkenhead landscape gardener William Henderson

Boasted walkways, planting, two large ornamental lakes, a terrace promenade, a viewpoint and statues, and a former gardener's cottage and an iron bridge over the River Croal all at a cost then of £50,000 — equivalent to an estimated £4.1million in today's money

Opened as Bolton Park on May 24 1866 by Lord Bradford in front of a crowd of 20,000 locals

Renamed in 1897 to mark Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee

New community hub building renamed Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Pavilion in 2012