Friends of Friarwood Valley Gardens was established in 2012 to address concerns about the perceived neglect of Pontefract's Valley Gardens. We have achieved a great deal over the years in improving the infrastructure and its importance to the community.
Sensory Garden Rose Garden Urban Art Project
- 2013 - entrance signs and a notice board at the Friarwood Lane entrance
- 2013 - Tree Trail established with information board installed at the Friarwood Lane entrance
- 2013 - Sensory Garden restored supported by a grant of £1000 from the Yorkshire Gardens Trust. The original 1960 "Scented Garden for the Blind" had been grassed over years before.
- 2013 onwards - new benches installed. A total of 30 new benches have replaced the old dilapidated utility seats.
- 2013 onwards - events reintroduced in the Valley Gardens: Liquorice Festival (July), Yorkshire Day and Friarwood Festival (August) and Lantern Festival (October).
- 2014 -15 - Rose Garden restored. All 31 rose beds were cleared and replanted from autumn 2014 to spring 2015.
- 2015 - Children's Playground installed and opened in May 2015. Funded by grants from WREN and Wakefield Council.
- 2015 onwards - Picnic Tables installed. A total of 5 picnic tables are in place.
- 2015 -16 - renovation of the former aviary and conversion to the Pinhole Camera which has been in use since April 2016.
- 2015 - Magna Carta schools project - To commemorate the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta we installed collages on the steel shutters of the building depicting the events of 1215, created by local schools, .
- 2015 - Information boards installed around the Valley Gardens.
- 2016 - Urban Art Schools Project. Local schools were involved in creating murals on the lockup container.
New Stage Giant Pinhole Camera Friarwood Festival August 2019
- 2017 - Outdoor Stage Reinstalled with a grant from Tesco "Bags of Help" fund. The original stage installed in the 1950s had been removed years ago by the Council. A large removable canopy has been purchased for use at events.
- 2018 - Friarwood Festival established: a music event in August. 4,000 attendees in 2019.
- 2019 - Children's Playground extended.
Our work has been supported by donations and grants. Click here to see the spreadsheet showing grants received since 2013
- .
- 2020 - Covid Circle of Hope installed
- 2021 - Commemorative granite benches installed
- 2022 - Jubilee Bench, Tree Carvings, and thermoplastic Play Trail installed.
- May 2023 - Jubilee/Coronation commemorative garden