It’s almost a year since the culmination of the Tenterhooks project - a collaboration between the Marsden-born poet laureate Simon Armitage, his acclaimed band LYR, Marsden Mechanics, and most importantly the people of Marsden. 

It was a year-long project which began with the collection of people’s personal histories and stories about the Pennine village of Marsden in West Yorkshire, and led to a series of new poems and lyrics written by Simon Armitage and performed in the Mechanics on Cuckoo Day last year.

It was never planned to be a one-off event but the catalyst for creative and arts events which could lead to a deeper connect with community, and a stronger sense of place.

One such venture has been led by Julia Clark from Write Out Loud, who working with community-focused artist Angela Boycott-Garnett and local schools has helped to install a permanent art feature and focal point for poetry, outside Marsden library.

Louise Watson, glass artist and local resident - whose previous projects include two stunning community commissions in Rochdale town hall and the restoration of the stained glass windows in Manchester town hall - has provided the centre piece for Marsden Poetree Garden, five beautifully crafted stained glass panels developed from workshops with the local community and inspired by Simon Armitage’s Tenterhooks poems.

Louise said: “This has been a very moving and deeply personal project. It has been exciting to see how the poems have connected with people and inspired both beautiful artwork and a connection with personal histories and local environment. It has made me see Marsden through new eyes. It is great to see the work being displayed in the heart of Marsden and acting as focus for future poetry and creative projects.”

One of the stained glass designs selected to be made into a panel was by Marsden library volunteer Jane Barles. It was inspired by Simon Armitage’s poem ‘Cradle’, about the layers of landscape around Marsden, that was one of his original Tenterhooks project poems. Her photograph below shows a surviving stone tenter post outside Marsden. 

Beneath the panels is a permanent display space to showcase local poets' work. Next to this will be a poetry post box with a reliable postal service which has been set up with the support of Marsden library. 

And it wouldn’t be a garden without growing some plants! In addition to the beds outside the Mechanics, an exciting new project is under way with neighbouring Marsden Infant and Nursery school to develop the adjacent plot into a kitchen garden and forest school space.

Marsden Poetree Garden was officially opened by poet Louise Fazackerley on Saturday 25 April at Cuckoo Day 2026. On the previous evening, Friday 24 April, there was music and poetry in Katie’s Kitchen (opposite the garden) to celebrate its opening.

The project was made possible by the generous funding of One Community, Kirklees and The Cuckoo’s Nest in Marsden.

 

A surviving tenter post outside Marsden. Photograph: Jane Barles 

 

 

Background: Local lad Simon Armitage gives Marsden fresh inspiration