It may have had to take place in the Centenary Wesleyan Church because of high winds and rain, but the celebration to mark the opening of Lowarth Holman in Camborne was testament to how much the new green space means to the local community.
Harriet Hills, the High Sheriff of Cornwall, joined Jon James, the Town Clerk, and Councillor Ed Chapman, Mayor of Camborne, in a public event that featured a half hour programme of singing from the Holman Climax Male Voice Choir, music from acoustic duo Bossa Nova Kernow, a circus skills workshop from Hotch Potch Performance, stalls and free refreshments.
Formerly known as Kerrier Way, the redundant brownfield site near Tesco was once home to the historic Holman Brothers factory. Now transformed into landscaped gardens featuring a grassed amphitheatre, accessible pathways, sustainable trees and shrubs, Lowarth Holman honours Camborne’s rich mining legacy with bespoke public art produced and designed by Create CIC.
One of ten projects to benefit from £23.7m in Government Town Deal funding, the development has been managed by Camborne Town Council and overseen by Cornwall Council as the Town Deal fund administrators.
“Lowarth Holman connects the past and future,” said Jon James, the Town Clerk, who compered the proceedings. “It’s a community space that current generations can enjoy whilst also celebrating the important legacy that previous generations left us.”
The High Sheriff congratulated everyone involved in bringing Lowarth Holman to fruition and the Mayor, Councillor Ed Chapman, said “this isn’t the end of the project but the beginning”, with more improvements likely as time goes on. He also paid tribute to Kirk Hough, Director of KHC Groundworks, who sadly died during the restoration process.
Val Dalley, Chair of Camborne Town Deal, was amongst the many people attending the opening event.
“It’s wonderful to see another of our ten projects completing,” she said. “Lowarth Holman is the gateway to Camborne town centre and the difference it’s already making is significant and impressive.
“There are many memories associated with the site and doubtless many more will be made now and in the future.”
A celebration cake was specially made for the occasion that was cut by the High Sheriff and the Mayor.
Several days later, when the weather was more clement, Cllr Zoe Fox and the Mayor planted a tree in honour of Lowarth Holman’s grand opening.
