Diverse’ is probably the best way to describe the £4.5 million makeover of Shibden Park, in Halifax, and the skill-set that the York based builder employed to comply with Calderdale Council’s requirements to bring the park’s grounds, gardens and historic buildings back to their former glory.
Alongside the refurbishment of existing buildings such as the Gate House Lodge, and Rangers Barn, Birch constructed a new £1.4 million interpretation centre based on sustainable principles, in addition to an extensive children’s play area. The soft landscaping included complex planting and ground remodelling to rival many other municipal parklands, with complimentary land drainage and dry stone walling, as well as the formation of new roads and paths. As if there wasn’t enough to keep the team busy on site, a couple of unforeseen interruptions, namely regular flooding (from heavy downpours into the park’s river course) and historical mining issues, added to the challenges for the entire project team. However, the contract was still completed on time.
Birch had already been established for 52 years when Shibden Park was first opened in 1926 by Edward VIII, and unusual projects of this type appeal to Birch’s strong sense of history, craftsmanship and community links.
Birch construction director, Paul Goyea, said: “Projects like Shibden Park are few and far between. It has been a real pleasure to work with Calderdale’s John Bates, Deborah Comyn-Platt and their design team. Our site team considered it a privilege to help re-shape such a wonderful amenity and provide better facilities for both local residents and visitors to the area, especially for a company like ours, which shares such a rich heritage. I’m pleased to say that everyone involved with the scheme is delighted with the end result and we hope that generations of people to come will enjoy the park!”
Birch is known for the quality of its historical restoration work, which has included award-winning projects for English Heritage and the National Trust amongst others, and this contributed to them being awarded the contract. Jonathan Buckley from Golder Associates, the landscape architects for Shibden Park , said: “Birch’s track record not only with historical refurbishments but new build projects too, definitely made them the best-suited principal contractor for this project.”
