The cascade area is just below the Richardson Street entrance at the side of the cafe. This was to be a rock garden with water cascading into a pool. Joseph Rowntree said it “Symbolised Life’.
Betty Metcalfe recalls that originally it was a grass slope. There was a horse show shaped bed filled with red geraniums. It the centre there was a tree of some sort. The stone that is currently there is said to have come from the old York prison wall around 1934. There was originally a small amphitheatre in front of the cascade. The aviaries and sun shelter were added in 1930 and located where the tennis court is now at the side of the cascade.
The cascade area was repaired as part of the restoration of the Rowntree Park in the early 2000s, funding by a Heritage Lottery Grant. The cascade area is current CYC area of responsibility and is a little overgrown at the moment. The water hasn’t been running for the last two years as repairs are needed. The Friends have planted the ‘fairy circle’ of Spring flowers in the patch of grass at the bottom and usually have pots of wildflowers out to encourage bees and butterflies. It is a lovely area!
