History
The Friends of Longley Woods was founded by Stephen Priest and Margaret Clements in the autumn of 2003. They held monthly meetings at Longley Park Golf Club, and at the Flyboat pub in Aspley.
In the winter of 2008 the Friends of Longley Woods unveiled the distinctive decorative steel signs welcoming visitors to the woods. They are still in place and looking great on Kings Mill Lane, Wood Lane and Dog Kennel Bank.
For a decade, the Friends campaigned to improve access, protect wildlife, and clear fly-tipping. They ran activities for local people including building bird and bat boxes, fungus forays, tree and bulb planting, worked on ponds, paths and organised litter picks. They held a Teddy Bear’s Picnic and linked up with local organisations like the Huddersfield Sea Cadets, local schools and Kid’s Clubs to encourage people to visit and care for the woods on their doorstep.
A website documenting the activities of the Friends was updated until the summer of 2013 and is still available to browse. It is a wonderful record. Sadly, in the spring of 2015 Mr Priest died.
Louise Galvin took up the reins in the summer of 2015 and with a Facebook page and a Facebook group for members, her energy and enthusiasm meant that the Friends continued to organise litter picks, action a woodland management plan, encourage walks focused on bats, bird-watching, children’s fun and much more.
In Autumn 2017 the Lose Yourself woodland trail was designed by Get Out More CIC. At eight pauses along a self-guided trail, walkers were encouraged to try a sensory activity such as listening to woodland sounds or using peripheral vision, or simply taking time to pause and reflect. There are still some QR codes positioned along the route. Unfortunately, these no longer link to the trail.
In Spring 2025 the Friends of Longley Woods continue to organise activities such as litter picks and we hope that this website and the development of some promotional material will encourage more people to get involved.
We very much hope that the Friends of Longley Woods will continue for decades to come and that local people will continue to look after the woods that are so precious to all of us.
Join us as a committee member or simply come along to one of our activities.