MEMORIAL GARDENS

H — STOP 1

HOLMFIRTH REMEMBERS

You’ve found the first H and reached Stop 1 of the Holmfirth Trail.

You’re standing in the Memorial Gardens, a peaceful spot in the heart of a town with plenty of stories to tell. Take a moment to look around and begin discovering the people, events and places that have shaped Holmfirth.

Holmfirth grew from a small settlement in the Holme Valley into a busy mill town, shaped by its river, surrounding hills and generations of people who lived and worked here. The buildings, streets and landscape around the gardens all hold clues to that past, so don’t forget to look up as well as around you.

Three Things to Discover

1. Explore the Memorial Gardens – Take a moment to look around and discover the stories commemorated here.
2. Look up for Bamforths – Spot the Bamforth and Co building and remember it for later in the trail, when you’ll discover more about Holmfirth’s pioneering screen history.
3. Look back at the town – Notice how the landscape, buildings and streets fit together around you.

Did You Know?

The Memorial Gardens was used as the Parish Church graveyard from 1763 to 1860. It was then transformed into the Memorial Gardens we see today 100 years later in the 1960s.

Although its purpose has changed, the gardens remain a place for Holmfirth to remember its past, pause in the present and look towards the town around it.

When the gardens come alive

The gardens are peaceful on an ordinary day, but they also become a gathering place during Holmfirth’s festivals and community events. Depending on when you visit, you might find music, dancers, performers, art installations or even the Roaming Noras bringing the space to life.