A residential street in south Manchester could be brimming with mystical energy… after it was found to lie perfectly on an ancient solar pathway.

Alexandra Park will play host to a solstice-themed festival this weekend, with events including sessions on the ancient art of water divining.

It comes after mapping experts ruled that a section of Claremont Road, which borders the park near Whalley Range, is in exact alignment with the midsummer sunset – just like the prehistoric landmark Stonehenge.

It means the road points exactly in the direction of the sunset on the longest day of the year.

And to celebrate the height of summer, Alexandra Park Wildlife Forum have organised a series of events, which include a crash course in the mystical practise of water dousing, where sticks and rods are said to be able to detect underground water sources.

Last year, mapping expert Dimi Sztanko created a guide to streets in cities around the world which align with the winter and summer solstice, which listed the south Manchester street.

Various other streets aligned with the solstice sunset, which pagan Britons once believed to have magical power, including a cluster of locations in the Northern Quarter, including Gun Street, Cotton Street, Swan Street, Addington Street and Marshall Street.

READ MORE: What to do on longest day of the year

But festival organiser Nadine Andrews said the fun day was not so much about mystical connections as a good chance to discover the park’s species diversity.

She said: “We haven’t done a wildlife survey since before the work was completed on the park, so this is great opportunity.

“We’re also going to be doing more events building up records of the different species.

“It’s an interesting coincidence about the solstice, and we decided to mark it with 24 hours of nature-related events.”

The celebrations starts on Saturdayy, with a bat walk which sets off from outside the pavilion at 9pm, and nature walks, poind dipping and Tai Chi continue on Sunday, when the sun is at its northern most point in the sky.

The weekend will culminate in a summer solstice celebration next to The Lodge at 9pm on Sunday.

For times and more information about the Alexandra Park events see wr4wildlife.wordpress.com