Wilton Park

Wilton Park is the main park serving the bustling town of Batley in North Kirklees. There are two main areas to the park which are divided by a steeply sloping wooded area. At the top of the slope is Bagshaw Museum, which was built in 1875-76 as a family home for local businessman George Sheard, reputedly costing him a staggering £25,000.

The house, together with the grounds were auctioned in 1909, sold to Batley Corporation for the princely sum of £5, and Wilton Park was born.

Next to the house , which is now Bagshaw Museum, can be found the Kirklees Butterfly House which is a leading centre for finding out about native species of British butterflies, and is very popular during the warmer months.

The larger, and more formal, park can be found at the bottom of the slope alongside Bradford Road. This area is home to most of the main attractions in the park, including the large lake, which is more accurately a dam across the small beck which flows through the park, and is home to hundreds of water birds throughout the year. The new park saw the construction of the bowling greens and tennis courts, together with a paddling pool and lots of new planting around the site. There was once a railway line through the site, parallel to the main road. This was closed many years ago, but its path is evident, as is the bridge which is directly in front of the main entrance.

In more recent times, the paddling pool has been filled in and is now a very popular children's play area, with a new play area for older children near the floodlit tennis courts.

Facilities include a Basket ball court, Bowling green, Café, Children's play area, Crazy golf, Orienteering course, Ornamental gardens, Ornamental lake, Putting Green, 5 Aside football, Tennis courts, Woodland walks and summer events.