Rowntree Park — Attraction in Great Britain

York Rowntrees Park Scarecrow Trail

I thought I would do the Scarecrow Trail in Rowntrees Park today which was put on by the volunteers of the park who do such great work at the park. There was a small charge to do the trail which goes to the volunteers work at the park.

Rowntrees Park was created in 1921 to commemorate the Rowntrees employees killed in the 1st World War. The first thing that hits you are the beautiful 18th century gates given by the company as a memorial to the people of York that died in the 2nd World War.

When we first came to York in 1961, Rowntrees Park was the first park that I visited. I can also remember swimming in the Rowntrees open air swimming pool which was closed in the 1980's and which was such a pity as it was popular.

It was also the park that I took our sons many many times when they were young as also grandchildren on a Sunday afternoon. And one visit which still stands out is with Robin when he was about 2 years old to sail his small motorised boat in the lake when he got excited and literally fell/dived into the lake. I was not popular with his mum when we got back.

I started from Walmgate Bar and walked along the Bar Walls to Rowntrees Park. It promised to be an interesting afternoon, as on the Walls was a pretty young Chinese girl and her fiancé who got engaged on the Bar Walls and they wanted some photos taken, so I duly obliged.

I picked up the trail sheet from the Cafe and my first scarecrow was to the "Tussock Caterpillar "which munches on oak, Birch and other trees and hedges. I then visited a few in the park, but many of them scattered all over the streets of South Bank near the park, also one in Trafalgar Street, our first house in England. I remember passing the house that my friend Derek lived in Bishy Road in 1961.9

Spoke to numerous people on my 5 mile walk picking out over 25 scarecrows, including a volunteer who works in the park and telling me about the flooding in the park this winter. There was also a retired policeman who was stationed in Whitby and was asking me about my Leki sticks, and I said it was great and helped me not to fall. When he then said to me that in all the sudden deaths that he was called out to, that over 50% were from falls.

I finished off with tea and sausage rolls in the Angel on the Green cafe on the...

Community oriented, green flag award winning public park, with artificial lake and centrally located cafe-restaurant, large grassed areas, mature trees and formal gardens. There is a separate, fenced, play area for children at the northern end, with swings, plus rustic and rope climbing frames, as well as other play features around the park; weekends find inflatables and trampolines located close by for much of the year. There is a skate-park, with ramps, for cycles, scooters & skaters, which can be accessed from the riverside entrance, with tennis courts, and bowling greens, and toilets also at the eastern side. Hedged gardens occupy the centre of the park, with flower beds, walk-ways, seating and a brick dovecote, adjacent to the central bridge over the lake, below the coffeshop. There is a grassed football area and a wildlife pond at the southern end of the park, a stream runs through a wooded area nearby reached by a narrow rustic foot-bridge from the pond, and by a wooden stile from the other side. A variety of local groups use the park for recreation, leisure, learning and social gatherings; community initiatives and events take also place. Dogs are welcome on a lead. Geese...

Beautiful park, lovely to have a walk around. Perfect for kids as there is a large play area with climbing frames, swings and slides. We had a picnic and sat on the grass near the smaller play area. I've been quite a few times as I live nearby. Sometimes, depending on the time of year the park is filled with geese, usually winter time, they poop all over and I mean all over. This place does have public toilets free to use, but my advice is to take your own toilet roll because there never is any. Also might want to take something to clean your hands with. They work but not the most pleasant. There aren't any other toilets near the playground. There's a beautiful little cafe near the tennis courts with a great selection of food. Plenty of seating inside and out with a little terrace overlooking the grounds. You could spend a full day in this park, it's a lovely day out to entertain the kids. There is often an ice-cream van in the carpark but it's a little pricey...