How do you get from this

To this

Simple: vision, planning, determination, money and lots and lots of hard work

To be honest, Hirst Lock was something of an embarrassment. People who came to enjoy the ancient woodland that gives the area its name scarcely ever ventured lockside and those who did, hurried on. There was nothing to stop for. But HWRG had an idea that this could become a facility that both residents and visitors could enjoy. It could become a place where people wanted to spend time. Having set our minds on the goal - an attractive garden with seats and an information board - we started to seek out the cash and we were fortunate in getting enthusiastic support from Northern Gas Networks, Bradford Council Community Chest and and the Area Investment Fund. We were then able to employ the lads (and the dog) from Hudson’s Landscape Services who did a stunning job, not only doing all the heavy, rock-moving, weed- clearing work, but treating with respect the archaeology of what had gone before and finding a  way of incorporating it into the scheme. But, as any gardener will tell you, clearing the site, laying the lawn and planting the beds is just the start. The secret of the Lock Garden’s success has been the work of volunteers in maintaining it to a high standard so that it has become one of the  highlights of a trip to the canal