Baker Acre and Baker Stonecote

On Saturday 12^th November 2011, the Baker Family gathered in Scammonden to donate and plant 1000 trees, as a memorial to the Bakers who are no longer with us, on an area which was part of Deanhead Farm, which Frank Baker and his family farmed for nearly 40 years.

We were guided and helped by Guy Thompson of the White Rose Forest Partnership and also helped by members of the Longwood Scout Group ( who were spending the weekend in the activity centre).

The area is in the field bordered by Sledge Gate and the old farm lane ( now part of the Kirklees Way).

In the centre of this area were the remains of a stonecote, built by Frank Baker in the early 1930’s as a hen cote, and the Baker family have had the walls and floor strengthened and a stone built into the wall engraved BAKER STONECOTE. This will, in future, become a viewpoint overlooking the valley, the church, Scammonden Water and the M62 motorway.

The trees planted were Oak, Rowan, Alder, Hawthorn, Ash, Red Oak and Scots Pine.

The area planted covers 1 acre ( 0.40 hectares) and we have located a large stone boulder at the top of this area, engraved BAKER ACRE, and this can be seen from the junction of Sledge Gate and Kirklees Way.