Northcliffe Park

The main entrance to Northcliffe Park is situated on the busy Bradford to Keighley road at Shipley. The upward path from the park gates takes you away from all the traffic noise, past playing fields and allotments and onto this high ground, very pleasant, even on a dull autumn day.

Sir Norman Rae

This brass plaque is mounted on the gateway of Northcliffe Park. The park entrance stands next to the busy Bradford to Keighley road at Shipley. I have lived in the Bradford and Shipley area for my entire life and have to confess that I didn't know anything about Sir Norman Rae. After a little bit of research I disvcovered that he was a mill owner, a former member of parliament for Shipley and a philanthropist. He purchased the land that the park now stands on and donated it to Shipley Council to be used 'as an open space for the recreation and benefit of the public forever,' I like the use of the word 'forever'.

Northcliffe Park Meadow - Wild Flowers

I must have driven past the gates of Northcliffe Park hundreds, if not thousands of times over the years, I decided to pull over and take a stroll the other day. The entrance to the park is on the very busy and very noisy Bradford to Keighley main road, but once I had passed through the gates and followed the uphill pathway the traffic noise soon disappeared and within ten minutes I came to a large area of undulating meadowland with extensive views over the Aire valley. It was a very hazy day so I don't have a picture of the view, but I managed to take a few pictures of the wild flowers.