'He that planteth a tree is a servant of God, he provideth a kindness for many generations, and faces that he hath not seen shall bless him.' Henry van Dyke
Part of the walk around Heaton took us through Heaton Woods, some of which is owned and managed by the Heaton Woods Trust, a registered charity founded in 1977 and run by volunteers. Their aim is to preserve, replant and improve this ancient woodland, which together with Northcliffe Park and woods, and the area around Six Days Only, forms a wonderful oasis of nature and fresh air between Bradford and Shipley. They have gradually acquired land so that now they own about 40 acres. It's largely thanks to such people of vision, now and in the past, that the area has not been swallowed up by development.
A wildlife pond has been developed and subsequently extended, on some of the land acquired early on. It is called Sean's Pond. Sean (1966-1990), the son of Jackie and Tony Emmott (one of the Heaton Woods Trustees), died tragically in a car accident. There is an attractive and interesting booklet with information about Heaton Woods - see here.
Thank goodness for such Trusts and their volunteers!
ReplyDelete"Oasis " of peace is really the first impresssion that comes to mind!What a wonderful place!
ReplyDeleteI can't help seeing the bench..( http://benchesonmyway.blogspot.com/ )
What fun to see these 2 posts. We used to live in Heaton in a terrace called West Bank, on the cobbled streets behind Highgate. It was quite an elevated row on the edge of the housing. First thing we did was to cheekily trim the trees on the common land next to us to improve our view. I think we could see right over to Penyghent.
ReplyDeleteYou not only have the Woods, but can easily walk down to the Park in Manningham and to Cartwright Hall. I hope your friends will enjoy living there, I have very fond memories of it.
I agree with martin. It is wonderful that people take on the responsibility of creating green spaces in our towns and cities.
ReplyDelete