Ownership of the Sites
Shelley Whins is an area of common land, which came into Kirklees Council ownership as part of a land swap when the Shelley Park estate was built. In June 1998 Shelley Community Association took an interest in the site as part of the Huddersfield Millennium Challenge. In 1999 a separate group, the Shelley Conservation Group, was formed to look after the site, in partnership with Kirklees Leisure Services. The Group aims to manage the site for the benefit of both wildlife and local people.
Shelley Bridle is owned by the Shelley Educational Foundation, which provides grants for Shelley students. The land was once let for grazing, but is now open space, a mixture of woodland and open grassland. Both the Whins and the Bridle are steeply sloping sites and offer wonderful views. From the benches on the Whins (installed by Group members) you can look across to Holme Moss, West Nab and the northern end of the Peak Park. From the newly installed bench above the path across the bridle there are pastoral views across the valley to Shepley and Cumberworth.
Looking up the bridle path,
February 2005.
