Community Survey
Following expert advice and with consents and approvals, the overgrown conifers in the centre of the Rose Garden have been removed enabling a scheme of further improvement to be progressed.
The Village Council is seeking residents’ views and suggestions on how best to treat this central area. Previous resident suggestions have included: –
- Replacement with a single, native tree in keeping with the garden design (several species suggested including English Yew and Hornbeam).
- Planting of a number of fruit trees, possibly in a geometric design around a walkway or paved area.
- Establishment of a paved area cutting across the centre of the garden, to be used as a sitting and picnic space and to make it easier to walk across the garden directly (avoiding the need to walk across the grass).
- Construction of a central space for small events and gatherings, possibly including a bandstand type structure.
- Addition of a sculpture, memorial, monument or flagpole feature.
- Addition of a natural stone feature e.g. a large ‘Oxenhope Stoop’ stone pillar.
- Construction of a fountain or other water feature.
- Addition of raised or other beds, planted with flowering shrubs.
Clearly, some of these suggestions will be more popular than others and some would require significant investment requiring the Council to explore available grant funding.
At this stage no decisions have been made. We want to hear from you. Please take the time to complete the survey and share your views.
We hope this consultation will help inform the next phase of this work and ultimately lead to the design and creation of an attractive central feature in this prominent village location.
(or email comments to clerk@oxenhopevillagecouncil.gov.uk)
About the Rose Garden
Oxenhope Rose Garden is located at the corner of Hebden Bridge Road and Station Road (Muffin Corner).
The Rose Garden gives an important first impression of Oxenhope to many visitors and is a valuable open green space, in the centre of the village.
The land for the Rose Garden was donated to the former Keighley Borough Council in 1968 by a local family, the Greenwoods, on the basis that the land be used as an Ornamental Garden for the benefit of villagers. Keighley Council did the work in 1972. It was originally laid out as a lawn with rose beds and with a border of 12 Cherry trees and with several other deciduous trees on the western boundary.
The Rose Garden is within the Oxenhope Station Road Conservation Area.
Recent History & Improvement
Oxenhope Village Council maintain the Rose Garden under a 99-year lease from Bradford Council following a Community Asset Transfer completed in 2019.
In 2018 the Village Council secured funding from the Ovenden Wind Farm Fund to begin improvement works within the Rose Garden. This was subsequently used to provide new bench seating, a welcome to Oxenhope information sign and repairs to stone walls. Fruit bushes, herbs and bulbs were planted with improvements to borders, including removal of overgrown shrubbery and planting of new perimeter cherry trees.
A Norway Spruce ‘Christmas tree’ was planted at the top of the site, funded through voluntary donation by a local family. This tree is now semi-mature and was illuminated for the first time over the 2024/25 festive season.
As funds have allowed, further incremental improvements have progressed in the garden. More recent expenditure includes footpath resurfacing, Christmas lights replacement and additions and cherry tree maintenance works, in addition to routine grounds maintenance and grass cutting. Access to the garden has been improved with a new entrance at Muffin Corner, an improved accessible entrance and new steps and handrails at the West Drive entrances.
A few images of the land before establishment of the Ornamental Garden (click on a thumbnail to open a gallery).
