Exploring the past and present along Mixenden's interactive trails

In August 2024 the Wild Walk and History Hike were installed following various steps of co-design and co-production. Each trail is just over 1km long, making them approachable and inviting for everyone to try. An interpretation board has been installed at the start of the trail followed by 12 wooden posts which guide you around the circular routes.

The Wild Walk starts at the entrance to Seed Hill Woods on Mill Lane and takes you around the top part of the woodland passing by the Hebble Brook. Along this route, you can hear from animals such as the Drakester the Mallard Duck, Wood Yaffle the Green Woodpecker, and Hipster the Hedgehog.

The History Hike starts at the top of Slippy Lane, off Mixenden Road and takes you down into the woodlands and back round through the Urban Park. Along this route, you can hear local history brought to life including hearing about Mixenden Treasure, Mixenden Bowling Club and Jumples Mill.

A collaborative journey

The development of these trails started early in the year.

Co-design sessions were held in February 2024 at Holy Nativity Church where residents, historians and nature enthusiasts helped to shape the trails. During these sessions, community members chose which animals would be featured on the Wild Walk and picked out which pieces of local history were most significant placing them along a timeline. Assemblies were also held at Ash Green Primary and children voted which animals they would like to see on the nature trail through interactive activities. Social media was also used as a tool to engage members of the community through the dedicated History of Mixenden and Mixenden wildlife pages. This collaborative effort ensured that the trails truly reflected the interests and heritage of the Mixenden area.

Bringing the trails to life with local voices

In April 2024 the recordings for the trails took place. Residents, children from Ash Green Primary, their headteacher, the local vicar, a Staying Well worker, and Calderdale College students all took to the stage to read scripts about nature and history. The recordings can be accessed via the QR codes on the interpretation boards and each waymarker on the trails.

Activity sheets have been created for both trails and handed out to local organisations. These sheets can be used if people don’t have access to a phone to scan the QR codes providing opportunities for all. The activity sheets also provide a further layer of fun with interactive activities to complete as you go round the trail providing excitement on multiple visits. The activity sheets for both trails can be downloaded below:

mixenden_activity-sheet_history-hike (1).pdf

Download PDF • 3.81MB

mixenden_activity-sheet_wild-walk (2).pdf

Download PDF • 4.17MB

At the Mixenden Party In The Parks event in September, Active Champion Gillian led groups of people along the history hike as an introduction to the trails and their interactive features. Watch the video below for a taste of what residents encountered on the History Hike.

What the residents said

There were over 1000 people in attendance at the event and 95% of people who completed the survey confirmed they had or would use the history hike and wild walk. Some of the feedback received about the trails included:

“It was fantastic, it was good. Loved how it was good for the kids, they seemed excited.”

“Good scenery, found info engaging and entertaining. Overall good. I would do it again.”

“Completed the history trail. Interesting and fun.”

“Gorgeous trail, great history. You learn something new every day!”

“Walk was lovely and interesting. Love the nuggets of history using QR code. Loving having someone talking us through. Love the sheets, not too long.”

Have you tried the History Hike or Wild Walk trails in Mixenden? We'd love to hear your feedback. Please E-mail us your thoughts at activecalderdale@calderdale.gov.uk.