Nature Walks

If you want to find out what was happening in West Yorkshire 300 million years then there are few better places to go than Beaumont Park in Crosland Moor, Huddersfield.

Close look: John Ross @ Beaumont Park

It's not surprising, then, that we asked geologist Alison Quarterman from the Huddersfield Geology Group to guide us through the park's hidden secrets. We were also accompanied along the way by John Ross, former Project Manager for the Friends of Beaumont Park. As someone who has spent many hours working all the year round in the park he is something of an expert on the wildlife that can be spotted there; he's also worked on a long-term development plan for Beaumont Park.

We asked John and Alison what they like about the park.

John believes restoration work will make people realise what a valuable resource it provides for the town. He says: "It's about people being made to feel safe in these parks again. They've become a bit gloomy. They've become overgrown with rhododendrons and laurels and I think they should be much more vital places. They're worth two doctors surgeries in terms of spiritual uplift, and a boat load of librium as far as I'm concerned."

For Alison the area's appeal is that "the rock which underlies this area is a particularly tough sandstone which gives features that are cliff-like and this is quite unusual in this area. The park also overlooks the Holme Valley which is spectacular and has a quite different set of rocks. What interests us is both the landscape and the underlying rock."

Cliffs: Beaumont Park landmark

In the future Alison "would like to see the rock faces exposed and interpreted. It's a very good teaching resource. The geological heritage of Huddersfield is fundamental because Huddersfield is an industrial town. Is growth depended on the textile industry but out of this grew the chemical and the engineering industries, and all of these required some geology."

John adds: "I think the building stock in Huddersfield is as good as any town in Britain but I think a lot of people who have lived here all their lives don't understand that, and as an outsider I was stunned by it when I first came here. I think the works of a park like this are a sort of reflection of the terrific stone masons that would have worked round here. It is fantastic and I think in the future it needs celebrating."

And in the future John would like to see the park restored to its Victorian glory but in a 21st century context with a multi-purpose visitors' centre with space for both education and exhibitions. He says: "I would like to see the park fully restored, fully revitalised. I would like to see all the pathways completely reinstalled to the original specifications, not tarmacked. I would like to see the park cherished by a lot more people."

Want to find out more about Beaumont Park?

Click on the link below to take the full 'Walk Through Time' at Beaumont Park...

...and click on the audio link below to listen to John and Alison talking to Martin from the website team as they walk at Beaumont Park.