Brief round up of older projects

Save the Bottoms

With other local groups the Society campaigned to stop the Bottoms area between St.Peg Lane and Balme Road being designated as an industrial estate. Not only did this succeed in 1982 but the area was added into the

green belt. Over the following 4 years Mann Dam was dredged, hundreds of trees planted on the overlooking hillside and the viaduct itself was "listed" by English Heritage to prevent demolition.

Tree Planting

In the 1990s the Society planted many trees here and there around the valley, for example the two large rowan trees which can be seen in Westgate Cleckheaton between Iron Street and Stone Street. In 1996 Ring Wood in Hunsworth Lane was created using 1500 trees planted in a circular arrangement. These trees are now a prominent feature of the landscape.

Westgate Bridge

In 2001 the unsightly corner with Tofts Road had its advertising hoarding removed thanks to the Society. Members then removed ten tonnes of rubble, bottles, cans and crisp packets, paved the area with concrete blocks and placed a specially made steel seat there featuring two railway wheels. A plaque explains that in XX two ral wagons fell off the bridge onto the butcher's shop which once stood there. The bridge itself was cleaned one sunday by sand blasting.

Local Maps

In 1990 society mambers walked all public footpaths in the area and published a detailed footpath map which also showed historic buildings and places of iterest. a new edition entilted "Out and About in Spen Valley" The map was republished in 2001. A new edition is planned for 2013.

Historic Sign 

In 2005 Society members totally renovated the "finger" post at the top of Hightown Road. This road sign gives local distances in miles and fractions of a mile and the post is cast iron.