May 8th 2013

Thanks to Bradford Council for providing two new sturdy waste bins on Station Road and at the top of the steps by the bridge to replace the ones which were vandalised.  Members of the Practical Task Group will continue to empty these each week. 

February 6th 2013

Chairman Stuart Tordoff, Vice Chairman Geoff Twentyman, Treasurer Mary Twentyman, PTG Co-ordinator Alan Williams, and Committee Member Peter Todd attended the official presentation of the cheque from Masonic Charities - Lightcliffe Lodge by proposer Bert Barrand. 

We thank Masonic Charities - Lightcliffe Lodge for our new high visiblity  jackets and take this opportunity of showing them off before they get dirty!

19th December 2012

We are pleased to announce that at long last we have been able to install two bins for dog poo bags in the woods. People have been asking us for a long time why there are no bins. The problem is that someone has to empty them and we have not been able to get new bins added to the council's emptying programme.
After discussion with the council the FoJW have paid for two containers and will supply bags on a regular basis. Members of the Friends Task Group have agreed to make sure they are emptied regularly and new bags supplied.
One is located at the Norwood Green end of Station Road where there is no litter bin and the other at the top of the steps down to Judy Bridge off High Fernley Road in Low Wood.
We hope dog walkers will use these bins and put an end to the sight of abandoned poo bags in the woods.

Do you remember the Woodman's Hut?

This photograph has just come to light in some slides belonging to the late Charlie Sharp of Wibsey.  For those of you of tender years - this hut stood at the junction of High Fernley Road and Royds Hall Lane.  You can still see plants which were escapees from the garden in this vicinity.  The hut, with smoke rising from it's slender chimney, was a feature on the woods up until the early 1907's. 

Look who it is! Yes, Varsha, our new Fungi Expert and the other three look familiar too.
Varsha went down to the RSPB reserve at Ynys-hir where Springwatch is being filmed and met Michaela Strachan, Martin Hughes-Games and Chris Packham - lucky girl!

The first two sections of our exciting new Photo Trail were launched at our "At Home" event

The idea is that with the help of the maps and photos you scour the woods looking for the red and white control points
The number in the red portion will correspond to a  photograph taken near the location of the control and you should note the reference letters in the white portion on the answer sheet.

We are indebted to PALZ (Play and Learning Zone) who had the idea in the first place and thank them for putting the control in place.

At the moment there are trails completed for Low Wood and Old Hannah Wood.  One for Royds Hall Wood will follow shortly. Click on the links here or the downloads page to open the pages for printing.

We hope you enjoy challenging your family and friends to see who can complete the trail first!

Following the far stile on Station Road being demolished by a falling tree in the winds a couple of weeks back the fence has been reinstated and a new stile installed.  Thanks to the council for prompt action.

After leading our wild flower and fungi walks since the Friends started in 2002 Joan Dobson has decided this will be the last year she will officially be involved. As a "thank you" we have presented her with a voucher and framed memento from the Friends. Thank you Joan for sharing your knowledge in such an enjoyable way over the past ten years.

Photo shows treasurer Mary, Joan with her gift and chairman Stuart

We've just had this 3D map of the area around the woods made for us Mr Tony Davies of Elland. It has been given by Mrs Mary Shepherd of Ellistown in Leicestershire in memory of her late husband John who loved to walk his dog in Judy Woods.
We are hoping to find a permanent place for the map and will let you know when a home for it is finalised.

Thanks to the council for funding the new chestnut fencing beside the steps up from Judy Bridge alongside High Fernley Road. We appreciate the contribution of Ian Butterfield of the Forest of Bradford to making this possible.

1 December 2011

Don't forget to renew your membership. This year it's gone up a whole 100% to the dizzying heights of £2 so we can cover postage. There's a form on the download page which you can use.

If you are a member and you've not received the Winter Newsletter either through the post or an email reminding you it's available for download, please contact info@judywoods.org.uk

14 November 2011

Another Information Board has been erected, this time at the Woodside end of the woods. Thanks to Grass Roots Grants for the funding and Bradford Parks and Woodlands for erecting it for us.

10 October 2011

We're on the Map!

For some time the Friends of Judy Woods have been frustrated that the words "Judy Woods" do not appear on Ordnance Survey maps.  It's very awkward when trying to describe where we are to some who is unfamiliar with the area.  On some larger scale maps the individual names of the woods such as Low Wood, Old Hanna, and Royds Hall Great Wood do appear. Even the tiny Judy Wood (the small wood behind Judy's field at the bottom of Royds Hall Lane across High Fernley Road from the steps) gets a mention on some very large scale maps, but the name by which the public knows the woods, does not appear.

So a number  of years ago we wrote to the Ordnance Survey and asked if it would be possible to include the name on maps seeing it was the third largest woodland in Bradford Met!  They wrote back to say that if and when they updated printed maps the name would appear.  We didn't hold our breath!

If you want to look at it go to

http://labs.nationalarchives.gov.uk/wordpress/

then click on Valuation Office map finder and put Bradford in (Bradford, Bradford is the choice) and navigate down.

So at last we on the map!

Dry Stone Walling Course June 2011

Nine members of the Friends attended a three day Dry Stone Walling Course held over two weeks. Our tutor was Nick Milsom from B.E.E.S. (Bradford Environmental Education Service). We practised on a wall down the banking to the right just inside the entrance nearest Norwood Green on Station Road, Wyke. The topping ceremony to replace the coping stones was carried out in a heavy downpour and our photographs look as if they were taken at midnight!

As a result of a Grassroots Grant received last year we have just erected a new information board in Station Road to replace the old one which had been vandalised and became unreadable. Another grant received last month will enable us to buy a similar sign for the Woodside entrance.

In case you're wondering what it says, a copy of what is on the board can be accessed by clicking here.

Mary and Geoff celebrate that at long last our new notice boards have been installed. This is the one on Station Road Wyke. There is another just inside the entrance to Royds Hall Great Wood at Woodside.

Pictured are four ladies from a walking group who were passing by and took great interest in the new board.

Sue, Marilyn, Diana and Glynis of the Kirklees NHS Retirees Group

Our Top Ten
Bradford Community Broadcasting 106.6 FM
12 noon on Tuesday October 19th 2010

Your intrepid Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer will be on BCB's Our Top Ten programme.
This is where you get to hear from local groups and organisations about what they do and why they do it. Along the way you will get to listen to some of our favourite pieces of music.

Please tune in if you can or listen online at http://www.bcbradio.co.uk

24th July 2010

A new "horse friendly" gate has replaced the one which was stolen from Royds Hall Lane by the entrance to Old Hanna Wood.

Judy Woods (and husband Barry) inspect the sign near to the new gate. This is their second visit from Australia. We're honoured that the woods are worth coming so far to see!

21st May 2010

Shelf Junior and Infants School did a Sponsored Walk from Station Road. The photo shows Mr. Sykes checking the children in at the entrance to Judy Woods.

24th April 2010

More good news from Grass Roots Grants. We have new funding to enable us to replace the defaced information board on Station Road which gives the history of the woods.

18th March 2010 AGM Thursday

Peter Walker, our chairman told us at the 2009 AGM he would not be seeking re-election this year. We are very pleased to tell you that Stuart Tordoff was elected to this office. He has been an active member of the FOJW for several years, and much of the work done by the Task Group has been the result of Stuart's initiative and drive. He will be continuing as an active member of the Task Group, along with several other committee members and volunteers. The official Task Group representative on the committee is now John Reilly, who himself has done some sterling work over the last few years.
Our grateful thanks go to the retiring Chairman, Peter Walker. Peter chaired the group from its formation in 2002 and has been involved in all aspects of its work, including liaising with Bradford Council, organisations, the media and many members of the public. He has not retired from the committee, however, and will no doubt be just as active in the work of caring for Judy Woods.

12th March 2010 More leaflets

Bradford Council has reprinted the Judy Woods walks leaflet in their "A Breath of Fresh" series.
It's still available as a download from this site, but paper copies can be picked up from Wyke Library of at FoJW events.

Monday 15th February 2010

At very short notice we opened Tinker's Trail on Monday 15th February. Councillor Anne Hawkesworth cut the ribbon assisted by members of Barrie's family.
Photograph shows Mrs Janet Tinker and children Hannah and John

December 3rd 2009

We've just heard that we have been awarded another Grass Roots grant - this time to cover the cost of a new vandal proof notice board to replace the one on Station Road which has been damaged. 

November 19th 2009

We have applied and been accepted, for funding from the Bovril Great Outdoor Revival.  Any money we receive will be used for repairs to walls in the woods. We need your support and should be obliged if you would cast your vote by visiting the website http://www.bovril.co.uk/revival/ using the project code: YHOT000065

November 6th 2009

Our new wheelchair/scooter access gates add the finishing touches to the new 'Access for All' Path.

The top photograph shows the gate at the entrance to Royds Hall Great Wood, the photograph right shows the gate at the entrance at Ullswater Drive.

November 1st 2009

Our new, revamped website went live on November 1st - with more pages, more links, bigger and better images and new sections including a downloads page. We hope you like it!
Our thanks to Steve Gaunt of CalverleyInfo for his efforts.

October 2009 - Access for All path from Ullswater Drive, Woodside

If you go down to the woods today you're in for a big surprise.... no, not teddy bears, but our new Access for All footpath. It was made possible by support from a Community Spaces Grant, part of the Big Lottery Fund. The path will give access for wheelchairs and motorised scooters. Two specially adapted gates are due to be installed within the next few weeks and later picnic benches and resting posts will be added. A leaflet is being prepared which can be download from this site.

A new Performance area has been laid out at Woodside in Royds Hall Great Wood. No doubt this will prove very useful when organising events in the woods