Park Facilities and Attractions

Football Pitches

There are 3 grass football pitches in Thornes Park. Hire details can be found on the Wakefield Council website and by contacting Street Scene Services on 01924 307332 or by email: streetscenestates@wakefield.gov.uk

Gardener’s House

The ‘Gardener’s House’ also probably dates to the late 18th century. It is situated towards the south-west corner of the park, adjacent to the former kitchen gardens of Thornes House and is said to have been the home farm house. It is constructed of red brick with a grey slate roof. A small extension to the right (north) is single storey with two windows and a lean-to roof. A high brick wall runs north from the house to form the west side of the rose garden and enclosed greenhouse area (former walled gardens). John Wilson, the head gardener to the Gaskell family of Thornes House, lived in the Gardener’s House with his family in 1913. At that time, there was a pig sty, goathouse and stable behind the house. In 2020, a blue plaque to commemorate Lady Catherine Milnes Gaskell (1836-1935) was placed on the wall of the house.

Golf

There are two ways to play golf in Thornes Park. There is a small putting green adjacent to the ticket office and also a pitch and putt course. Fees apply and tickets are available from the ticket office in Thornes Park in the summer months.

Holmfield House

In 1833. The 14 acre Holme Field estate was acquired by Thomas Foljambe, a Wakefield lawyer, Clerk of the Barnsley Canal and land speculator, and Holmfield House was built in 1833-34 as a centrepiece of the estate. He lived there with his wife and family until his death in 1851 and his wife continued to live there until her death.
[Read more…] about Holmfield House

Lake

When the parkland of the Thornes estate was opened to the public in 1924 it included two lakes with a number of islands on them. There was a smaller lake upstream of the present lake which extended almost as far as the Gardener’s House and this was filled in around 1970. A boathouse stood at the lower end of the large lake until about 1960. Now Canada Geese, mallards, moorhens and swans are the main birds to be seen on the lake. On the larger island in the lake once stood a statue of Pandora in a small temple which was eventually destroyed in severe weather in 1970.