THROUGHOUT its 30 year history Chorlton Water Park has grown into a much-loved nature reserve, popular with both young families and adults alike.

However, historical documents – gathered by the park’s friends group and the Mersey Valley Wardens as part of the park’s recent 30th anniversary celebrations – have revealed that it hasn’t always been the welcoming green oasis it is today.

Rather than embracing the area’s youngsters, historical information shows that the park was actually a place feared by children – owing to the fearsome bull that used to live within the grounds.

Chorlton Water Park was formerly Barlow Hall Farm and stories go that local children used to be banned from going anyway near the farm by their parents, due to the bull that lived in a pen – very near to the area that makes up the playground today.

The formation of the actual park itself began in the 1970s with the excavation of huge amounts of gravel – which left two big pits within the park – to be used to build the M60 motorway.

What was left was two muddy eyesores – a far cry from the lush landscape that can now be seen in the park.

It was one of these pits that was to develop into what is the focal point of the park today – the serene lake.

Mersey Valley Warden Richard Salisbury said: "Two huge pits were created on the land, one pit became the lake, the other one – which was twice as deep – became Barlow Eye Tip.

"For a few years the lake pit was a mudbath and was fenced off. But dogs would regularly get stuck in it and scramble bikes used to use it as a track."

The gravel pit was later flooded to form the lake and in the late seventies was stocked with different species of fish, including Perch, Roach, Carp and Bream.

This led to the emergence of one of the park’s most popular events in the 80s and early 90s – the annual fishing match.

A loud horn would signal the start of the match – which would last for five hours – and at the end park wardens would weigh the anglers' nets and a presentation would be held within the park for the winners.

The lake took off in the summer of 1976 when people first began to descend on the area to sunbathe and swim – and it became the place where many children learned to swim.

The park was officially opened by Councillor Durrant – a councillor on the original Mersey Valley Joint Committee – with just one person present, her husband.

Tracey Pook from the Friends of Chorlton Water Park said: "Our park has got a fantastic history and we are delighted that it is so well-used today."