BURTON DEAN

Burton Dean and the Community Field

Burton Dean is the main valley running through the heart of Kirkburton. It follows the course of Dean Bottom Dike from Dean End at the village centre near All Hallows Church, north westwards to Penistone Road at Dean Bottom.

Kirkburton Civic Society succeeded in acquiring the site of the former Carter Mill in Burton Dean following a period of fundraising and in 1985 the deeds were presented to the Mayor of Kirklees, on the understanding that the area would be developed as an informal park. This was done, but years of minimal maintenance saw the area become neglected and overgrown.

In 2003, Burton Environment Group became involved and injected that vital ingredient of local care and commitment. BEG had a vision of the site as a valued green space at the heart of the village which lead to a bid for grant assistance from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which gained approval in 2006.

Kirkburton Civic Society succeeded in acquiring the site of the former Carter Mill in Burton Dean following a period of fundraising and in 1985 the deeds were presented to the Mayor of Kirklees, on the understanding that the area would be developed as an informal park. This was done, but years of minimal maintenance saw the area become neglected and overgrown.

Weeding work

In 2003, Burton Environment Group became involved and injected that vital ingredient of local care and commitment. BEG had a vision of the site as a valued green space at the heart of the village which lead to a bid for grant assistance from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which gained approval in 2006.

Through 2007 works were undertaken to repair site features and improve accessibility. A boules park was developed and wooden bridge rails renewed. The site gained new sign-posts and is accessible from North Road via Carter Row. A local history interpretation programme recorded the story of Burton Dean for future posterity.

Grassed glades contrast with the wooded embankment and copses with ash, sycamore, elm, willow, elder, holly thrive whilst guelder rose provides an under-storey. Herbs such as dog’s mercury and bistort grow alongside wild garlic.

Repairs to the old stone walls and the addition of new dry stone walls, constructed via training courses, have provided opportunities for our volunteers to get involved in the site restoration and learn a craft. Training was provided by craftsmen wallers from the Dry Stone Wallers’ Association.

Further maintenance and improvement work in 2018-2019 was funded by Yorkshire Water and Kirkburton Parish Council when the disused boules park was refurbished by creating disabled access, repairing and extending the dry stone wall and a high quality new playing surface was laid. The entrance to burton Dean Park was also improved to allow access for all by improving the footpaths and boundary walls.

The local history programme included a series of lectures tracing the development of Kirkburton and Highburton from Domesday to the present, including the industrial heritage which underpins that development. Also included were fascinating insights into Kirkburton through the Great War 1914-1918, the history of All Hallows Church, and Storthes Hall Remembered. Local history is about people as well as places through time, and the lectures were supplemented by some reminiscence research. These dimensions of the project have informed the on-site interpretation, a printed leaflet and these webpages.

Bridge being repaired
Tidying up Boules Park area

BEG’s ongoing maintenance of Burton Dean Park includes simple but important tasks such as regular removal of weeds from between the cobbles near the mill pond, clearing decaying vegetation from the mill pond rill, repairing and replacing wooden fence/bridge posts and painting all fences and bridges with wood preservative.

We also ensure the information board is kept clean and regularly clear away any litter. We have created refuges from fallen twigs and branches which have become valuable homes to small mammals, amphibians and invertebrates.

Cleaning up cobbles
Repairing stone wall
BEG team at work
Tidying Burton Dean

The Community Field

BEG’s first project in the Community Field, grant funded by Cobbett Environment Ltd. through the Landfill Communities Fund and Kirkburton Parish Council, began in 2019.  It aimed to help improve accessibility and the well-being of the local community by widening and resurfacing the perimeter footpath to create a good all-weather surface, and installing 3 exercise stations near to the allotments.

Much needed new drains were installed and  a picnic bench was added. A seat was also set further up the path to enable the many visiting walkers to take a rest and enjoy the beautiful views across the valley. Much of the work was carried out by a small, hardy bunch of BEG volunteers and has since been greatly appreciated by the community especially during the Covid 19 lockdown.

Community Field  grassland

Biodiversity

The area inside the perimeter footpath had been grazed by horses many years previously and showed evidence of mixed plants and grasses on land varying from dry scrub to naturally boggy wetland. BEG felt that this would be an ideal site to help increase bio diversity in our area through the simple idea of increasing the variety of wildflowers. Although not experts, members volunteered to begin a baseline survey to confirm what already existed. This encouraged further volunteers to join us and their expertise helped formalise our observations which are now recorded on an international website called IRecord.  Volunteeers have raised new wildflowers from seed, have planted them into various locations around the Community Field and continue to raise even more. At the end of each summer, the flowers are left to self-seed then they must be cut down and removed by hand raking – a lovely pastoral sight for passers-by! A plant named yellow rattle has been widely sown in these flowering areas to try to keep down the native grasses to give the wild flowers a better opportunity to become established. Yellow rattle is parasitic and draws its nutrients from grass roots, weakening them through this process. Local school children and Brownies have also become involved in sustaining nature by building bug houses around the field. The bio diversity group also undertakes surveys of other natural elements such as trees and wild birds so that a comparison may be made with the wildlife numbers in the future in the hope that we have helped their increase.

Along the Dean Bottom Dike side of the field an area of trees was planted in 2011 which has recently created new opportunities for volunteers in terms of learning to coppice. This involves cutting down trees which are overcrowded or with split/leaning trunks and allowing new shoots to form around the stumps. This not only lets in light to the woodland floor enabling different wildflowers to thrive, but encourages more insects and even sequesters more carbon.

Tree cutting
Volunteer cutting down tree
BEG planting saplings
Community Field grassland

Between autumn 2021 and spring 2022 our volunteers were heavily engaged in planting 400 native tree saplings along the edge of the woodland. Once these saplings have around 6 or 7 year’s growth they will be “laid” to create a diverse, natural hedge which will attract a wider variety of insects, small mammals and birdlife to the Community Field.

This bio-diversity project in the Community Field is an exciting, vital part of BEG’s role in helping to protect and support wildlife in our local environment while making a contribution to reducing climate change.

The Community Field is also home to the village’s community orchard. This holds apple, pear, plum and cherry trees for all to enjoy. BEG volunteers prune and mulch the trees in order to keep them at their most productive.

In summary, BEG have carried out two main phases of work at the Community Field. The first improved accessibility and general well-being by creating an all-weather track for walkers and three exercise stations, close to the village and open to all. The second stage, which is ongoing, aims to improve the biodiversity of the area and make a contribution to reducing climate change. The group also continues to carry out regular maintenance work across this area.

Community Field  grassland
Community Field  grassland