Woodvale Park


View larger map Address: Woodvale Road, Belfast, BT13 3BN

Entrance to the park is via Woodvale Road or Ballygomartin Road. If you are travelling by bus, take Metro no.11A-D from Belfast city centre.

Most of Woodvale Park will be closed from July due to refurbishment. Woodvale Park is a typical Victorian park, with a bandstand and landscaped flower and shrub beds on either side of the park's main avenue. It became Belfast's fourth public park when it opened in 1888.

Today, the park is popular with local families, sports teams and community groups who use the site to stage regular events. It is also home to Woodvale Park Playing Fields. Other features include a bowling pavilion and a children's playground.

Refurbishment

As part of our citywide Investment Programme, Woodvale Park is being refurbished. Renovation work has started and should be completed by late June 2013.

For health and safety reasons, most of the park will close during construction work. A small area (near the bowling pavilion) will stay open.

You can view an artist's impression for Woodvale Park in the Flickr gallery, right.

Improvements for Woodvale Park will include: The park will also be enhanced through improvements of paths and landscape areas as well as new lighting on some areas of the park.

We have been working closely with local community groups in the area to develop a programme of events and activities for the reopening of the park.

You can find out more about the park by viewing the video clip and picture gallery on this page. You need to have Adobe Flash Player 10 installed on your computer to use these features. Press the 'play' button to begin watching.

Opening hours

Most of Woodvale Park will be closed from July due to refurbishment. A small area (near the bowling pavilion) will stay open

All our parks open at 7.30am daily. Closing times vary according to the time of year - check full opening hours for parks

The bowling green is open from 11am to 4pm, Monday to Friday (winter) and 11am to 9pm, Monday to Saturday (summer). The pitches are open from dawn to dusk.

Events

Woodvale Park runs a Saturday Club as part of our Watch This Space scheme on alternate Saturdays in the park's bowling pavilion.

The park also hosts regular events, including band performances and family fun days. Details of these are listed in our park events section.

Contact details

For more information about the park, call 028 9031 9629 or 07860 461955 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm only) or email largeym@belfastcity.gov.uk

Sports facilities

The park is home to Woodvale Park Playing Fields which contain soccer pitches and a bowling green.

The bowling green is open from 11am to 4pm, Monday to Friday (winter) and 11am to 9pm, Monday to Saturday (summer). The pitches are open from dusk to dawn.

To book or cancel an activity or facility, call 028 9046 0444 (Monday to Thursday, 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm, and Friday, 9am to 12pm). You can also call the bowling pavilion directly on 028 9024 9563. You can also email outdoorbookings@belfastcity.gov.uk

If you have booked a pitch and want to check whether it is still playable, call us on 028 9046 0444 (Monday to Thursday, 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm, and Friday, 9am to 12pm) or on 028 9027 0677 outside these hours.

Walking routes

The park is a popular spot for walkers and offers several varied routes.

History

Woodvale Park was sold to Belfast Corporation (now the council) by Reverend Glover in 1888. He lived in Woodvale House, towards the south of the park, near Woodvale Avenue.

The site was originally due to be called Shankill Park but the name was changed to Woodvale at the last minute.

An opening ceremony was scheduled for 3pm on Saturday 18 August 1888. However, by 3.35pm, the dignitaries had not turned up so a park ranger took the key and opened the gates to the large crowd!

Woodvale Park originally included a large pond, which was used by local people in winter for ice-skating. The pond was filled in after World War II and a children's playground built in its place.