I've some friends who live at Low Moor in south Bradford, with whom I sometimes go walking. It's always good to explore a different area. I don't know that side of Bradford very well at all, only usually passing through to join the M62 motorway that runs to the south of the area.
We walked through Harold Park, their local park, little known outside the area but quite a pleasant space, with a pond and a large lake. Like most of our public parks it dates back to Victorian times, the 1880s, and was named after Harold Gawthorne Hardy, who sadly died aged only 32 in 1881. He was connected with the owners of the nearby Low Moor Ironworks, a huge site that in its heyday used locally mined iron ore and coal to produce pig iron and wrought iron. They made munitions that were used in wars against the French and in the Crimean War. They also made a variety of other products including iron columns for mill construction (quite possibly for Salts Mill, among others?), steam engine boilers, water pipes. At one time it employed over 4000 people in the works and associated mines. It was a dirty, polluting industry. The whole area used to be rather grim and grimy up until iron production ceased in the 1950s.
The park is unusual in that its gates have fancy iron gateposts rather than the usual stone. The original park keeper's lodge is a rather fine house too.
We need only look at the air pollution in China, now the largest global steel producer, to see what a poisoning filthy industry steel making is.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see the pond, and the lake.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a pleasant place for a stroll.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that the Victorians established so many public parks.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots.
ReplyDeleteAnother nice park!
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