Last month we told how camera crews were filming in Oakworth Park for YTV's Tonight programme. Here Kathleen Scatchard, a published poet and a member of the Airedale Writer's Circle, sheds some light on the park and its history.

Holden Park in the village of Oakworth has a quality of timelessness about it. Once, a large house - Oakworth House - stood on the area which is now a bowling green.

All that remains of the house is the stone entrance, which is a fine example of architecture. On the canopy are carvings of cherubs, and encircling the four supports are 25 carvings of small winged animals. The animals have bat-like faces, pointed ears and are winged like a bird. The entwined oak leaves which also are visible on the canopy are arranged round the initials S.I.H. - Sir Isaac Holden.

There is also a dragon's head with an inscription in latin underneath which reads EXTANT, RECTE, FACTIS, PRAENIA.

Keighley Library told me that the words meant something to do with King, outshine and above the rest, but was not able to give an exact translation.

The house was built by Sir Isaac Holden between 1864 and 1874. George Smith, of Bradford, designed the building, which was constructed out of local stone.

Sir Isaac himself was quite a controversial figure with diverse interests.

These included local politics, local industry, the environment, the arts and landscape gardening. He also invented the Lucifer match, which was the first safety match. He was Keighley's first MP and was quite strict about the rules regarding temperance.

If the house and its contents had survived the fire which destroyed them, Oakworth would have perhaps inherited a legacy in tourist attraction.

Fortunately the grounds may still give pleasure to visitors. With the help of skilled workers from France and Italy, he used the natural wilderness and landscaped it into a garden that was unusual in both style and content. He was ahead of his time in this respect and abandoned the formal aspects of gardening favoured by his contempories. The result was a garden which harmonised with nature. There is an abundance of animal and bird life in and around Holden Park today.

One feature which remains is the ornamental caves. These have a natural appearance and this includes stalactites, which overhang the front openings. The caves slope upwards, rising to a rock garden and recreation area and woodland. The natural woodland at the rear of the park was also part of Sir Isaac's estate.

Oakworth House

He added Norwegian spruce and Scottish pine to the deciduous trees.

The whole area is a contrast in light and shade, having a fairytale appearance in places. Other places, darker in tone and feeling, have a more sombre quality. It is certainly a place of contrasting moods of nature, which always seem to be at variance.

This article appeared in the KN MIDWEEK but unfortunately was part-obscured by the picture. We apologise to readers and to the author.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.