When the owner of Holmfield Estate died the estate was bought by the Corporation and opened in 1919 as Holmfield Park. Holmfield Park is the smallest of the three parks and is situated on the corner between Denby Dale Road and Thornes Road. This is where the Rhubarb Sculpure can be found. The house is now a pub, The Holmfield Arms, and has a hotel behind. Equipment for the bowling greens, tennis courts, putting green and pitch and putt in Thornes Park are available from the offices.
History:
Holmfield was built in 1833 by Thomas Foljambe, a Wakefield lawyer who had been acquiring land at Thornes. In 1863 the house and land were sold to Major Joseph Barker, worsted manufacturer, who enlarged the house in the 1870s with a stable block, entrance lodge, boundary wall, carriage drive and an avenue of chestnut trees. After Major Barker’s death in 1892 the house was first let and then sold to Alderman W.H. Kingswell, who like Major Barker had been one of the original Park Trustees. In 1918 Wakefield Corporation purchased the house and the surrounding 14 acres and on July 19th 1919 – national Peace Day marking the conclusion of the First World War – Holmfield Park was dedicated by the Mayor, Councillor George Blakey. From 1923, the upper part of the house was used as the first City Museum and the ground floor held a tea room. After the fire at Thornes House in 1951 the house was used for some years to accommodate schoolchildren. In the 1990s when the famous Holmfield House rockery was demolished to make room for the hotel, the pinnacle and Doric pillar were removed to the Secret Garden in Thornes Park. Now the house is used as a pub and restaurant.
[Source: by kind permission of Wakefield Libraries and Museums, www.twixtaireandcalder.org.uk]
