Greenfield Valley Heritage Park facts for kids

The park grounds

Greenfield Valley Heritage Park (Welsh: Dyffryn Maes Glas) is a large country park in the United Kingdom. It covers about 70 acres. You can find it in Greenfield, near Holywell in North Wales. The park is famous for its beautiful woodlands, reservoirs, and old buildings. It also has a rich history from the time of the Industrial Revolution. Many old factories here played a big part in making things.

Old Factories

A historical reenactment event at the park

Many factories in the valley were built in the late 1700s. They used the power of the Holywell Stream to run their machines. Most of these factories closed down by the 1960s. You can still see some of their buildings today.

Battery Factory

The Battery Works was a factory where local people shaped pots and pans. They made them from sheets of brass. The term "Battery brass" meant brass sheets made by hammering. This was long before electricity was common. A large water wheel provided the power for this work. The water came from the nearby Battery Pond.

Next to the Battery Factory, you can see the ruins of Battery Row. This was a row of homes where many factory workers lived. The Battery Factory itself is now in ruins next to Battery Pond. The National Welsh Heritage Lottery Fund helps to support this historic site.

Meadow Mill

The Meadow Mill was built in 1787. This factory made rolled copper sheets. These sheets were used by companies owned by Thomas Williams.

Lower Cotton Mill

Cotton manufacturing started in Greenfield Valley in 1777. John Smalley built the Old or Yellow Cotton Mill. He was a partner of Richard Arkwright, a famous inventor. This was only the second cotton mill built for this purpose in the whole country. The first was Cromford Mill.

The valley was a great spot because the stream was very reliable. It rarely flooded or froze. This helped make high-quality cotton thread. Smalley's mill was built using stones from the nearby Basingwerk Abbey ruins.

After Smalley passed away, his wife Elizabeth teamed up with other business people. They built three more cotton mills in the valley. These were the Upper mill, Lower mill, and Crescent mill.

The Lower Cotton Mill was designed by Peter Atherton. It was built incredibly fast in the summer of 1785. It took only ten weeks to build! It was originally six stories tall. A large water-wheel powered it.

People were amazed by the Lower Cotton Mill. One writer called it a "most magnificent cotton works." He said it seemed to appear "as if by magic." Another visitor called it one of the "finest Mills in England." By 1787, the factory was making so much thread that it caught the attention of newspapers. The Times reported that enough thread was spun in one day to go around the world!

The factory building still stands today. However, visitors are not allowed to go inside. You can still see parts of the old machinery outside the building.

Abbey Wire Mill

The Abbey Wire Mill made copper and brass wire. Most of this factory has been destroyed over time. Only a few parts of the ruins are still visible today.

Basingwerk Abbey

Abbey ruins

The park is home to the ruins of Basingwerk Abbey. This was an old religious building. You can explore the remains of this historic abbey within the park grounds.

Old School

The old school

Near the visitor centre, there is an old village school building. It was originally built near Holywell town. Later, it was carefully moved and rebuilt in the valley. Today, visitors can go to sessions run by museum volunteers. These sessions show what school life was like during Victorian times. It's a fun way to learn about history!

Visitor Centre

The visitor centre is where you start your visit to the park. It is the entrance to a farm and a museum. The centre also gives you information about many activities. You can learn about woodland walks, educational programs, and even bird watching. There are also places for fishing in the area.

Near the ruins of Basingwerk Abbey, you'll find a farm and museum. Visitors can enter for a small fee. The farm has reconstructed local buildings. It also has animals and fun activities especially for children.