A magical corner of Miller Park is fully restored

The Miller Park grotto is to be officially re-opened after its restoration.

Known as the West Grotto it has seen thousands of pounds spent during months of work.

A waterfall from the top of the rock formation can now be controlled by visitors, as can a light display sequence, from a control panel close to the lower pools.

Uplighting has been introduced on the water display and the rock pools have been cleaned out.

Mayor of Preston, councillor Nick Pomfret, formally opens the grotto on Thursday.

He said: “Such is the eager anticipation of the public to see the West Grotto feature fully restored and in working order once more, I am honoured to be invited to carry out the unveiling.

“A tremendous amount of hard work, design, planning and funding has gone into this project, and Preston should be proud of this achievement.

“The restored West Grotto feature now provides yet another reason to visit the beautiful Avenham and Miller Parks on your trip to Preston.”

Work on the grotto, which started in June, overran due to the “intricate nature” of the work involved, according to the city council.

Restoration on the Miller Park grotto

It had been due to re-open at the end of August but workmen were allowed extra time to complete the restoration.

The grotto was opened shortly after the Avenham and Miller Parks were opened in 1867, and it was remodelled in 1880.

Have you taken a look at the grotto yet? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below