This easy walk takes in two attractive parks with children’s play areas.
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The Route
From the car park at the rear of the Carlile Institute walk to the main road and turn right away from the centre of Meltham to walk down Huddersfield Road for 500 yards. Turn right into Robert Ashton Memorial Park. At the top of the drive and to the right is the Childrens Play Area. Turn left at the stone planter and follow the path down past the duck pond down to the road.
The park and hall were built in 1841 by William Brook and given to Meltham by Messrs CJ and TW Hirst in 1944.
Turn right along the road and at the junction with the shop on your right cross the road and enter into the Pleasure Grounds. Immediately in front is an enclosed childrens play area.
The shop you pass was the site of the first Co-Op after it moved here from opposite about 1829, being rebuilt in 1862. Also on this site there used to be a 300 year old oak tree, part of whose trunk was used to make the waterwheel axle for the mill opposite.
The Pleasure Grounds were created for the people of Meltham around 1850 by Charles Brook. When first built, the Pleasure Grounds were planted with many trees, ornamental shrubs and flowers and included an ornamental pond and waterfall.
Continue along the tarmac path to the top end of the grounds. Cross the road and turn right along Holmfirth Road Follow this road for 500 yards back towards Meltham village centre. Cross over the zebra crossing and turn right back onto Huddersfield Road and the car park where you started the route from.