It was lovely to see volunteers with Open TV Country who were working busily litter-picking around the park. Pictured here are members of the Friends of CHaT Parks with Ella and Catherine from Open Country:
News
The Flower Garden is blooming!
The Flower Garden is blooming!
The formal flower beds in Thornes Park have now been planted out with summer bedding. The layout was designed by Stephen Brear, the Council’s horticulture training officer. The Friends Group, using money raised from Car Boot Sales etc, bought about 20,000 plug plants. The plugs were “potted on” by trainees from the Council’s Day Care Opportunities service and looked after in the greenhouses by the trainees together with volunteers from the Friends Group.
Last week the Council staff planted the flowers out, with help from all those who had been looking after them for the last two months.
All we need now is the right amount of rain and sunshine to produce the stunning display of colour that we have had in previous years.
Many thanks for these lovely photos provided by Chris Welch, Friends of CHaT Parks, and Tom McCullen, one of the hard working planters. It is thanks to everyone involved that our Park continues to give us all such pleasure in the summer months with these wonderful displays.
Help us to bring back Thornes Park bonfire and firework display
Help us to bring back the Bonfire and Fireworks at Thornes Park
The Friends of CHaT Parks, backed by the Wakefield Express, are launching a fundraising drive to bring back the community bonfire and fireworks display at Thornes Park this year. Supported by Melvyn Eddy Funfairs, the group needs to raise funds by the end of this month (May) in order to purchase fireworks in time for November. Already Wakefield-based estate agent Richard Kendall has pledged £1000 to help and the organisers of the annual South Elmsall, South Kirkby and Upton bonfire display have offered their expertise and equipment. Any donation – large or small – can help us to bring back a much-loved event in the Wakefield calendar that has been a fixture for many years. To help us in this appeal, please contact Ian Deighton on 01924 314222 or email info@chatparks.org.uk
Lowe Hill Project Updates
We’re appealing for volunteers to help us with the Lowe Hill project. As you may know the Friends have been working with Wakefield Council and the archaeological experts to ensure that the Forgotten Castle on Lowe Hill becomes a key feature in the future of the Park. This requires co-ordination with WMDC Streetscene ,and the provision of volunteers who understand the principles of archaeology,who can, initially,undertake some ground clearance work.(Training will be given). Please email info@chatparks.org.uk or message on Facebook for more information. If you are interested in the first stage of this project, why not watch the excellent film produced by One to One Development Trust on the Friends of CHaT Parks website:
Multi Faith Tree Planting Event 2016
Wakefield Interfaith Group enjoyed a successful afternoon’s multi-faith tree planting in Thornes Park on November 16th 2016. The Mayor and Mayoress of Wakefield, Cllr. Harry and Janet Ellis, also took part along with WMDC park staff, Roger the Tree Warden, local councillors and community police. There were representatives from at least four Christian denominations plus four other faiths – Brahma Kumari, Muslim, Pagan and Sikh. After the tree planting ceremony refreshments were provided at St James Church, Thornes where attendants were able to share views about trees and the environment.
A Forgotten Castle
The Friends of Clarence, Holmfield and Thornes Park have undertaken an exciting project funded by Heritage Lottery to work with West Yorkshire Archaeological Services to do a geophysical study of the site. The Friends group extend out to the local community involving schools and other community groups in the project. The 23 minute film tells the story of Lowe Hill and significance as a cultural heritage site in Yorkshire.
Update on our Projects
On 12th February 2015 we held our opening meeting of the year.
In the first part of the meeting members were brought up to date with the News of the archaeological investigation on the site of the mediaeval castle on Lowe Hill, or Cannonball Hill as many know it.
Experts from the West Yorkshire Archaeology Service, helped by members of the Group, spent last Monday doing non-intrusive survey work and the results of this will help to decide what further investigation is needed. Members responded enthusiastically with suggestions as to how to make the site more accessible and more understood by visitors.
The Group then discussed several of the other projects being undertaken in the Parks.
The Three Parks Walk, which will link up the several paths in the Parks to give a complete circular pathway around the three parks.
The formal flower gardens in Thornes Park for which the bedding plants have been ordered and the Group, together with service users from the Council’s Family Services Team will grow the plants until they are ready for planting out to give the colourful displays which everyone looks forward to.
The Glasshouse/Conservatory has been refurbished to make it safe for public access, but it cannot be opened yet because of problems with the heating system. The use of temporary heaters mean that it is not safe to allow the public in.
The Children’s Playground near the Skate Park – the removal of the climbing net for health and safety reasons led to much disappointment amongst young visitors to the Park. We are glad to learn that this is going to be replaced soon, although not in time for this half-term.
Working Parties
There is a lot that the Friends can do in the Parks without replacing staff from the Council.
Litter Picks
Taking their cue from the Wombles, our volunteers do their bit to improve the look of the Parks by spending a couple of hours on occasionally Sunday mornings picking up litter. Keep posted for our next proposed date.
We know that litter is a continuing problem, not just in the Parks, and we are grateful to the members who come along and show they really are friends of the Parks.
Pruning and Weeding
Sunday 4th March 2012
We held a Working Party to clear away some undergrowth in the “Little Wood” near to the Lake.
The area is now much more open and less forbidding for walkers.
It is also much easier for the Park staff to mow the grass among the trees. It is hoped that this part of the Park will now be more attractive.
Sunday 5th February 2012
Although the weather forecast was for heavy snowfall, some members of the Friends of CHaT Parks decided to ignore the experts and met in Thornes Park.
Helped by the Scouts from 17th (Outwood Church) Group we trimmed away some of the undergrowth round trees.
The wooded area above the lakeside is now much clearer and the Park staff will now find it easier to keep the area mown and tidy.
The Park also looks much more attractive now and we hope this will encourgae people to use the area.
Unfortunately the ground was too frozen to allow the planned tree-planting to go ahead, but everyone enjoyed the bright, but very cold, morning and the Park looks better for their efforts.
12-14th October 2012 – Love Your Park
As part of Keep Britain Tidy’s “Love Where You Live” campaign, we worked to “Clear the Paths” on Lowe Hill.
With the help of Wakefield Council, the Music Collective, the Tree Wardens and the Sea Cadets we cut back the undergrowth, brambles and laurel bushes to open up the pathway again to bring the area back into use.
We hope to hold many more events in the future. Want to get involved? Call us on 0777 560 3809 or email info@CHaTparks.org.uk
Find out more about events in the Parks by clicking here or email events@CHaTparks.org.uk
Are you already a member? If not, why not find out more about joining the group and helping to protect and preserve Clarence, Holmfield and Thornes Parks? click here for more information
Car Boot Sale Thanks, April 2023
These events have been very successful and we are pleased by the amount of people attending and the number of enquiries made about them.
Thank you to everyone who turns up and makes it a really enjoyable, if not early, morning.
When we have dates for future Car Boot Sales they will be announced on here, on Social Media and on a banner on Denby Dale Road near where the entrance to the Car Boot Sale will be.
Start: sellers 7.00 am, buyers 8.00am Finish: 12.00 noon
Cost: Cars £10.00. Vans £12.00. Trailers £2.00
Access: off Denby Dale Road opposite St James’ Church
Secret Garden
The Secret Garden in Thornes Park was opened to the public on Sunday 3rd June 2012.
For over a year, volunteers from the Friends of CHaT Parks and others have worked hard to restore a large, old, formal garden that had been abandoned for over a quarter of a century.
Hundreds of hours of work have gone in to cutting through the weeds and brambles to reveal the Garden’s former glory and for the first time in the history of the Park the general public now have access to this area.
As part of the extensive restoration works, with the assistance of staff from Wakefield Museum, we have been able to display and make a feature of two of the columns from the old Market Cross in Wakefield and what is thought to be a pinnacle from Wakefield Cathedral.
Financial assistance from WREN (Waste Recycling Environmental Ltd) under the Landfill Communities Fund has meant that we were able to call on the assistance of UK Earthworks to help with the heavy construction work and the work of a large number of volunteers completed the rest.
Many of the plants from the former garden have been able to be saved and these have been complemented by new plants donated by Friends of the Park.
Ian Deighton, Chairman of the Friends of CHaT Parks, said “We are very proud to be able to add this large new area to our already attractive city park. It is the first major addition and extension to the Park in my lifetime and will be a fantastic legacy for future generations”.
As with all major garden projects, the work is never finished and the Secret Garden is no exception. We are still looking for volunteers to help develop the Secret Garden and for other urgent work in the Parks. If this is of interest to you, visit our Volunteering Pages orContact Us
The Secret Garden will be open most days from 9am to 6pm and can be accessed directly from Thornes Park.
More photos of the Secret Garden, including images from the 80’s and of the official opening, can be seen on our Facebook Page – www.facebook.com/FoCHaTparks
