SunnyVale-SunnyBunces

SunnyVale- aka SunnyBuncers was a very popular park and entertainment centre at one time.

This video titled 'Trip to Sunny Vale Gardens at Hipperholme' (1903)

Summertime laughs and larks at a West Yorkshire pleasure gardens.

Proprietor Joseph Bunce opened Sunny Vale Pleasure Gardens on the 1st of May 1880, at Hipperholme. Originally Bunce bought the land to create a market garden.

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The Pleasure Gardens became a great attraction. At one point, the gardens attracted about 100,000 people per year.The attractions included a miniature railway, two boating lakes, a roller skating rink, swings and a maze all within a 40-acre park.

Buy the book by Chris Helm here

The lakes were Alexandre (Upper, larger lake) and

Victoria (the lower, smaller lake - ice rink when frozen)

from John Blagbrough collection

There were 2 lakes: the smaller, lower Victoria Lake and the larger, upper Alexandra Lake. One of the lakes has dried up and one remains

from John Blagbrough collection

There was also roller skating in the 1950s. Here's another short video

Stock Car racing - this was once held down at Sunny Vale after its days as an entertainment park and lake. See video here

This picture shows how neglected Sunny Vale became, a sad sight after years of pleasure and beauty of the past.

But wait

There is some very good news

There are signs of a revival

A recent project to resurrect the beauty of the valley as well as making good use of the area have been in development in the form of an activity centre.