Crow Wood Park, Sowerby Bridge

Crow Wood Park, Sowerby Bridge is a public park built on the site of the former Crow Wood Mansion. Situated at Upper Bolton Brow the park is approx. 5.49 hectares in size and features a skate board area in the former bandstand, bowling green, gardens, tennis courts and children's play area. The park was renamed on the 4th August 2014 to Crow Wood Centenary Park to mark 100 years since the start of the first World War.

The park was originally the site of Crow Wood Mansion and during the World War 1, it was used as a hospital which was closed on the 5th March 1920. In May 1919 the then Sowerby Bridge Council recommended the purchase of the house and estate for use as a public park, maternity home and child welfare centre. The house stood near what are the modern day tennis courts and gardens and was demolished prior to the opening of Crow Wood Park in April 1923. The Memorial gate was unveiled at the park on the 10th November 1929 to remember those who died during the Great War, and now commemorates all the dead of both world wars who served from the Sowerby Bridge area. The park had a bandstand added in 1930 which gives a good view across all the surrounding park land, this is now a skate board area, not being used for bands as long as I can remember. There was also a paddling pool at the park for some years but this has been removed and is now a car park near the garden area.

The pictures were taken on New Years Day 2020 with a Nikon d3300, clicking any image will open a link in another window to the un-watermarked, higher resolution image on Clickasnap.

The Memorial gate which was unveiled on the 10th November 1929. The towns annual remembrance day parade congregates here.

The parks former band stand now part of a skate park. The bandstand was opened on the 4th May 1930, despite living in the area for over 45 years, I don't recall the bandstand being used regularly or having a roof covering the whole octagon.

The cobbled walkway leads down from the park in the direction of Pye Nest Road.

Thanks for looking, please take a moment to follow and share on social media. Clicking any image should open a link in another window to a higher resolution, un-watermarked version of the image on Clickasnap.

All the images remain the copyright of Colin Green.