Bingley St Ives facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bingley St. Ives |
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| St. Ives Estate | |
Bingley St. Ives Golf Course
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| Type | Country Park |
| Location | Harden, Bingley, West Yorkshire |
| Area | 550 acres (2.2 km2; 0.86 sq mi) |
| Created | 1929 |
| Operated by | City of Bradford, Parks and Landscape Services |
| Visitors | 300,000 people per year |
| Status | open all year round |
| Website | friendsofstives.org.uk |
Bingley St. Ives, also called St. Ives Estate, is a huge park covering 550 acres (about 2.2 square kilometers). It's located between Bingley and Harden in West Yorkshire, England. This beautiful park used to be a private estate. Now, Bradford Council owns it, and it's open for everyone to enjoy!
It's a very special place. It's listed as a Grade II historic park, which means it's important for its history and design. It's also recognized as an "Accredited Country Park" by Natural England, showing it's a great natural space.
Many different groups use the park. These include the Bingley St Ives Golf Club and the Sports Turf Research Institute. The Bradford Independent Care Group, Bingley Angling Club, and Aire Valley Archers also use the space. About 300,000 people visit this country park every year.
History of St. Ives Estate
People have lived in the St. Ives area for a very long time. We know this because of old tools and items found from the Stone Age or Bronze Age. Long ago, before 1540, the land was split between two groups of monks. They were from Rievaulx Abbey and Drax Priory.
In 1540, a man named Walter Paslew bought the land. Later, the Laycock and Milner families owned it. The main house, St. Ives Mansion, was built in 1616. In 1635, the Ferrand family bought the estate. Back then, it was known as Harden Grange. In 1858, the names switched, and it became St. Ives.
There are old stories about a link to General Fairfax and the English Civil War. But we don't know much for sure about this connection. Sarah Busfeild (who was born a Ferrand) inherited St. Ives from her uncle. She and her son, William, changed their family name to Ferrand. When she passed away in 1854, her son William Busfeild Ferrand took over the property. In 1929, the local council, Bingley Urban District Council, bought the estate and the mansion.
Exploring the Landmarks
Near Coppice Pond, there's a tall stone pillar called an obelisk. It honors William Busfeild Ferrand (1809–89). He was a Member of Parliament and a judge, and he once owned the St. Ives Estate.
Coppice Pond was first built to supply water to a mill. A mill is a building that uses water power to do work, like processing cloth. Later, the Ferrand family made the pond look nicer, and people used it for boating. Today, you can go fishing there. There's also a special bird hide where you can watch birds, and a pier for feeding ducks. The archery club is on the north side of the pond.
East of Coppice Pond is the old mill building. There has been a mill here since the early 1300s! It's probably the oldest building on the estate, even though it's been changed over time. South of Coppice Pond is Baxter's Pond, which was fixed up in 2003. It gets water from both Coppice Pond and the mill.
East of the mill is Home Farm. It has a cafe, a coach house (where horse-drawn carriages were kept), and stables. Behind it, you'll find a large barn and a car park.
Near the golf club's clubhouse, there's a kidney-shaped ornamental pond called Crayfish Pond. It sends water south to the Round Pond. This Round Pond is on the St. Ives Mansion garden lawns and has a fountain that doesn't work anymore. The Round Pond then feeds the Upper Pond. Here, water flows down a rocky cliff into a shallow pool. Both the Upper Pond and Baxter's Pond feed the much larger Lower Pond, which is easy to get to.
The St. Ives Mansion House used to be a special home for young people with disabilities. Now, it has been turned into apartments. North of the mill, there's a new center for horse riding. It has both indoor and outdoor areas and is used by people with disabilities and the public. Just east of the mansion house, you'll find a children's play area and toilets. The main offices for the Sports Turf Research Institute are north of this area.
On the road leading out of the estate to the east is Betty's Lodge. All around the estate, especially in the woods, you can find a sculpture trail. These are carvings made from wood using a chainsaw. There are many of them in Bell Bank Wood, near the car park at the east entrance. This car park can hold 56 cars and four horse boxes. Many buildings on the estate are listed as historic buildings.
The golf club started in 1931. The golf course was designed by famous golf course designers, Dr Alister MacKenzie and Bobby Jones. It first had nine holes, but it was made bigger to 18 holes in 1935.
Images for kids
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Western entrance and St. Ives Lodge
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Lady Blantyre's Rock
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Coppice Pond
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Baxter's Pond
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Former coach house or stable block
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Altar Lane
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Druids Altar
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Betty's Lodge
