The brick blast wall erected in front of three arches just below the steps to the left of the Dryclough Road entrance to the Park was built in early 1940 for protection of park gardeners in the event of an air raid by the German Luftwaffe flying down the Holme Valley to bomb the David Brown Gear Industries factory at Lockwood.  As it made gears for tanks the factory was a vital part of the war effort.

The brickwork pattern was English bond with alternate courses of headers(end face) and stretchers (side face).  A brick and a half in width it was 33 feet 10 inches in length and 6 feet 4 inches high at the highest point.  Brick was not the natural material to use in the park so it was possibly built at the lowest cost as it would be considered to be a temporary structure to be demolished at the end of the war which ended in 1945.

Sixty seven years later Kirklees Council and the Friends of Beaumont Park agreed to its demolition as it served no useful purpose, attracted litter left by undesirables who used it as cover for illegal activities and was a hindrance to walkers using the pathway.  The bricks at the base of the wall had deteriorated as they were constantly wet so it was becoming a Health and Safety issue.

31 January 2012