NEWSLETTER NO. 62 AUTUMN 2004

EDITORIAL

Welcome to another newsletter and season of Industrial History lectures. I hope that you all had a good summer in spite of the at times very wet weather. I have recently returned from the Association for Industrial Archaeology’s annual conference which this year was held early at the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield. Fortunately the weather was good when I was there and I attended some interesting visits to papermaking mills, the remains of the Luton hat industry, Waltham Abbey Gunpowder Mills and Bletchley Park. You may think “What Bletchley Park has to do with IA,” but it is regarded as the birthplace of the computer and hence the growing information technology industry. Next year’s conference is nearer to home and will focus on the IA of Derbyshire. A report of the Hatfield conference will be included in the next Newsletter.

Enclosed with the Newsletter are details of the 2004-2005 Lecture Programme and thanks to David George for organising what I’m sure will be a very interesting programme covering a wide range of topics. I do hope that many of you will be able to attend at least some of the lectures. However I need to repeat the request made in the last Newsletter – we need a new Lecture Secretary. Both David and myself have some suggestions which could be followed up and dates need to be booked for the Lecture Room and speakers. The task is not too onerous, but does need someone with the time to organise everything. Please give it serious thought.

You will note a change in the format of the sheet giving the lecture details. Instead of the tear off subscription request at the bottom of the sheet, I have included a Gift Aid Declaration which can be used if you are UK tax payer to enable the Society to reclaim tax. It is intended for section only members, since main Society members should already have been approached to sign a Gift Aid Declaration by the main Society Membership Secretary.

At time of writing, I have not been officially informed about the new subscription rates that will come into effect from 1 January 2005, but unofficially I am told the increase will be significant. Members may recall that at the Section AGM in April we felt that the proposed increase in the capitation fee from £4 to £8 and consequential knock on for the section only subscription was too high an increase to be paid in one go and we preferred a smaller increase but to be reviewed after two years. The subscription position should be clear by the time of our first meeting on 9 October, when the level of the increase can be discussed with members attending the meeting. I will then send out the new subscription reminders to section only members before the end of the year. Main Society members will receive their reminders direct from Claremont.

Also enclosed are the minutes of the AGM. If any members who were present have any corrections to the minutes, please let me know and they can be reported at next year’s AGM. Following the discussion at the AGM, I only had two members who wished to receive the Newsletters electronically, they will also be sent an electronic copy of the lecture details and AGM minutes.

The section had two excursions over the summer. I attended the May visit to the area which was very successful. Unfortunately I was unable to make the visit to the Castle Carr estate but from David Cant’s report this was also enjoyable. Ideas for excursions over the summer next year would be welcome and even better if you could make the arrangements.

A welcome to new member Mr D Johnson and farewell to two longstanding section members Margaret Mercer and Philip Purkis who regretfully have decided to resign. Finally I am aiming to produce the next Newsletter in early January, so please send me any news items, events information and short articles for inclusion by the end of December.

Margaret Tylee

NEWS ITEMS

Are any members interested in the history of famous buildings and construction projects and in particular the building methods? If so you may be interested in joining the Construction History Society. The Society was founded in 1982 and seeks to bring together people from a wide range of professional and academic disciplines who are enthusiastic about construction history. Membership is £18 per annum, renewable each January and members receive a copy of the Society’s journal Construction History, a refereed annual publication, together with quarterly newsletters and participation in various organised events. For more details contact the Secretary, Construction History Society, c/o Library & Information Services Manager, The Chartered Institute of Building, Englemere, Kings Ride, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7TB or visit the website at www.constructionhistory.co.uk.

The Mills Archive Trust is seeking financial support from anyone who is interested in the heritage of mills. A national archive specialising in mills and milling is being created. A good start has already been made using almost £20,000 raised from donations and a £50,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Trust now wishes to build up a regular income to enable it to continue to make some 500,000 records freely available to the public. For information on how to support the work of the Mills Archive Trust contact Ron Cookson, Watlington House, Watlington Street, Reading, RG1 4RJ or contact the website at www.millsarchive.com.

English Heritage have published the 2004 Buildings at Risk Register. This contains information on all grade I and II* listed buildings and scheduled ancient monuments known to be “at risk” through neglect or vulnerable to becoming so. Grade II listed buildings are included for London only. Amongst those listed in Yorkshire assessed as being “very bad” include Hunslet Mill graded II*, the 1st Leeds Cloth Hall graded II* and Manningham Mills graded II*. Those assessed as “poor” include Temple Works Gatelodge, Marshall Street, Leeds graded II* and Waterloo Mill, Silsden graded II*. The good news is that of the 176 entries in the 1999 Yorkshire Register 72 (41%) have been removed over the past 5 years as their future has been secured. Two examples from Yorkshire where improvements have been made are quoted in the Register. The first is Warehouse No. 4, Sowerby Bridge Canal Basin where workshop spaces have been created on the upper floors while accommodating the continued use of the ground floor for boat repairs. The second is Woodhouse Mill in Todmorden where a fire in 1994 gutted the interior and left it without an end wall. A local businessman has now converted it for residential use giving it a new life. Full details of the Register can be seen on the English Heritage website www.english- heritage.org.uk.

Continuing with English Heritage, they have developed an online picture library called ViewFinder. The images are from the National Monuments Record, which holds more than seven million images dating from the 1840s to the present day and includes many industrial views. Again details are available on the English Heritage website.

Have members been following the BBC TV's series Restoration? If so, you will know that Gayle Mill, situated just outside Hawes, came third in the final with 109,220 votes. The winner was the Old Grammar School, Birmingham with 113,326 votes. Gayle Mill is grade II* listed and built in 1776 as a water powered , later it was used for spinning flax and in 1880 was a sawmill. In 1879 the waterwheel was replaced by a turbine which is reputed to be the oldest in situ turbine of its kind. The mill closed in the 1980s having been operated by the same family since 1879. The mill contains important examples of woodworking machinery and the machinery that was used to generate electricity for Gayle village.

The National Coal Mining Museum at Caphouse near Wakefield re-opened its underground tour in early July. The tour had been suspended earlier in the year because of fears of flooding from the Flockton area. Readings from a borehole are being monitored daily and it is estimated that any increase in water detected would take 31 days to reach the Caphouse pit. The Museum is confident that its water pumping operation would be capable of dealing with an increased amount.

The Victorian Society magazine has reported that the Aerial Glide static fairground ride at Shipley Glen has been grade II listed. The ride was constructed in 1900 and consists of a steel frame in a continuous loop. It is thought to be the earliest surviving example of a static amusement ride.

The restoration of Gibson Mill on the National Trust’s Hardcastle Crags estate near Hebden Bridge is proceeding well. Work has begun on re-installing the mill turbine and installing photo-voltaic cells into place on the roof. These will be used to convert light energy into electricity for running the mill. The building work is scheduled for completion by May 2005. Perhaps a possible excursion next summer?

FUTURE EVENTS

13 Oct William Jessop: the real canal builder. Presidential address at the AGM of the Bradford Historical & Antiquarian Society. Central Library, Princes Way, Bradford. 7.15pm. Membership costs £10 per annum. Enquiries to John Allison, Membership Secretary ? 01274 787533

16 Oct Yorkshire Landscapes Past and Present A conference organised by the Society for Landscape Studies and the PLACE Research Centre at York St John College, York. For further details contact Dr Margaret Atherton, Director of PLACE, York St John College, Lord Mayor’s Walk, York, YO31 7EX. ? 01904 716753

23 Oct CBA Yorkshire Community Archaeology Day held at the Street Centre, York 9.30am –4.30pm. A day to celebrate community archaeology projects in Yorkshire with presentations and exhibitions. Price per head including morning coffee and lunch is £10. Cheques should be made payable to CBA Yorkshire and sent to John Sheehan Hon Secretary, CBA Yorkshire Group, 4 Arden Mews, Northallerton, DL16 1EN

6 Nov The Archaeology of Industrial Processes. Part 2. Conference organised by Ironbridge Archaeology and Pre-Construct Archaeology to examine the results of recent archaeological investigations into industrial processes and production sites. Part 1 of the conference covered London, Europe, South and East England. Part 2 will cover the results of work done in the Midlands, North of England and in the Atlantic World. To be held at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Coalbrookdate. For information contact Paul Belford, Ironbridge Archaeology, Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Coalbrookdale, TF8 7DQ.

13 Nov South Yorkshire Archaeology Day organised by the South Yorkshire Archaeology Service and University of Sheffield Institute for Lifelong Learning. Details from the Institute ? 0114 222 7000

18 Nov The Cotton Mills of Malhamdale – talk by George Ingle. Malhamdale Local History Group. Malham Village Hall. 8pm Visitors welcome with £2 admission.

20 Nov Archaeology in West Yorkshire Annual Day School held at Leeds Metropolitan University Beckett Park Campus. Lectures and displays. Cost is £10 with lunch an optional extra at £6.50. More details from Linda Birch ? 0113 2898280

Jane Ellis has sent me advance details of the forthcoming programme of Railway Ramblers walks

2 Oct Wintersett to Carlton Sidings 30 Oct Crigglestone 18 Dec The Wetherby Line – Cross Gates to Bardsey (Christmas lunch walk) 2005 29 Jan

The Rishworth Branch 12 Feb Ravensthorpe to Gomersal

For details of joining instructions etc please contact Jane ? 0113 249 4644

Details of the South Yorkshire Industrial History Society’s Winter Programme are given below. For those lectures marked with * there will be a minimum charge of £1 for non SYIHS members. For more information please contact the SYIHS Lectures Secretary, Derek Bayliss ? 0114 230 7693. Sheffield Programme *All lectures held at Kelham Island Museum and start at 7.30pm except where indicated.

15 Nov *The Great Sheffield Flood (1864) in contemporary photographs – Malcolm Nunn

13 Dec *The Story of Droving – Howard Smith

2005 17 Jan

*Bacon, Beer and Blanco: the story of Neepsend – Eddy Munnelly & Albert Jackson

21 Feb *The Restoration of Cromford Mill – Darrell Clark

22 Mar Reflections on BISRA – the British Iron & Steel Research Association – Don Spenceley. The 14th Dr Kenneth Barraclough Memorial Lecture. 5.30 for 6pm at the Holiday Inn Royal Victoria Hotel, Sheffield

18 Apr *”Like a strong and invincible serpent, coils itself around the world”. Cleveland Iron and Steel – John Harrison

16 May *Grinding and Tilting at Wisewood Forge, Loxley, Sheffield – Richard O’Neill

Barnsley Programme

29 Nov The Story of Wortley Top Forge – Gordon Parkinson. Held at Barnsley Central Library, Shambles Street, Barnsley. 7pm 2005 28 Feb The Development of the Miner’s Safety Lamp – Dr Jim McQuaid. Joseph Bramah Lecture held at the Cooper Gallery, Church Street, Barnsley. 7pm

Joint Meeting with Rotherham Local History Council

19 Feb Catcliffe Glass Cone and the story of South Yorkshire Glass – Hugh Willmott. Held at Rotherham Central Library & Arts Centre at 10.30am FOR YOUR BOOKSHELF

Early Railways 2 edited by MJT Lewis. Newcomen Society. 2003. 288pp. ISBN 0 904685 13 6. £31.50

The book contains 19 papers presented at the 2nd Early Railways Conference held in in September 2001. The conference defined early railways as “railways which were pre-mainline in concept if not necessarily in date” this definition contrasted with the one used for the first conference in Durham which set a rigid definition of railways before 1840. The papers reflect this looser definition which brings the study closer to the present day. The papers are grouped into four areas: history; infrastructure, mechanical and overseas. They are well illustrated with images, maps, diagrams and tables as well as many references. Included in the mechanical section is a paper by our section vice chair Sheila Bye on John Blenkinsop and the Patent Steam Carriage – we had a preview of this via the lecture that Sheila gave to the section in 2001/2 Lecture Programme. Other papers include recent research on early Shropshire railways, research into rope haulage and the evolution of the cast iron edge rail.

I have not seen a copy of the book myself but the information received indicates that it is well produced, however typical of most learned conference publications, somewhat expensive for the lay reader. Copies are available from the Newcomen Society Book Sales Department, PO Box 421, Elmswell, Bury St Edmunds, IP30 9XF

The Industrial Windmill in Britain by Roy Gregory. Phillimore & Co. Ltd. Scheduled for Spring 2005. 160pp.

Roy Gregory is a previous Industrial History Section member and more longstanding members may recall a section visit about 20 years ago to Skidby Windmill, where Roy had responsibility for the mill. He has a long association with the history and conservation of windmills and previously published a book on East Yorkshire Windmills. I have received advanced notification of this new publication due in the spring of next year. The book focuses on the windmill as a source of power for activities other than grinding flour and pumping water. More than twenty “industrial” uses have been identified including the extraction and processing of raw materials and the manufacture of various commodities. 263 windmills are identified as examples. In addition there is also a description of how the windmill evolved from post mills, little changed from the 12th century to tall brick towers with iron gearing and self regulating devices.

This looks like a very interesting book and will be casebound with over 60 black and white illustrations. When published the price is anticipated to be not less than £19.99, however copies are being offered to subscribers who wish to order at a pre- publication price of £15 post free. More details are available at www.phillimore.co.uk where orders can be made on line. Alternatively you can write to Phillimore & C0.Ltd at Shopwyke Manor Barn, Chichester, West , PO20 2BG enclosing a cheque made payable to Phillimore & Co. Ltd. The offer is open until 30 September 2004. I have asked the YAHS Librarian to order a copy for the YAHS Library using section funds and Roy may be a possible future speaker.

REPORTS OF VISITS, LECTURES ETC.

Industrial History Section Excursion to Lumbutts and Todmorden, 15 May 2004

Eleven members and friends met outside Todmorden Tourist Information Centre for the walk to Lumbutts Mill led by David George and Jonathan Orford (Actually there were nine because Mr & Mrs Tylee were late, having misjudged the time it would take to get to Todmorden – but we caught up!) The walk started along the Canal, the 33 mile long waterway that connects Sowerby Bridge to Manchester and completed in 1802. The first stop was by Woodhouse Mill, a steam powered cotton spinning mill built beside the Rochdale Canal in 1832. It was a five storey, ten-bay mill, which was extended in the 1850s. A packing room and cotton warehouse was added in 1921and designed by Edward of Todmorden. It was now converted into apartments. Climbing up the valley side we reached the site of Lumbutts Mill and its unique waterwheel tower. The Fielden brothers bought the site in 1796 for cotton spinning, it had previously been the site of a corn mill. They developed the site and increased the capacity of the mill dam. Between 1815 and 1817, they built a larger dam upstream of the old mill dam. The mill already had a 40 ft wheel and it was felt imprudent to fit a larger one. Samuel Fielden had the idea of mounting two smaller water wheels above each other and built a tower about 30metres high on the eastern side of the mill. Two 30 ft wheels were mounted in the tower; they had gear teeth around the rims so one could drive the other. In 1831, another dam was built above the other and a third 30 ft wheel was added above the other two. The mill operated until 1926 when due to competition from the spinning mills of East it closed down. In 1945 the mill itself was demolished, leaving the mill manager’s house and water wheel tower. The roof of the tower collapsed and the tower remained in a derelict state until 1960 when a local man bought it for breeding chickens. The windows were bricked up and floors were inserted. The venture failed and again the tower was left derelict with the internal floors collapsed and the structure subject to vandalism. In 1989 Fred Dibnah, steeplejack and TV personality, was engaged to repair the tower and it remains a distinctive feature in the landscape. Surrounding it is the Lumbutts Centre which has been built on the site of the mill and the mill manager’s house. The group were able to explore the site and the mill ponds as well as taking a close look inside the tower.

Following lunch taken in a nearby pub, we made our way back to Todmorden to start the afternoon walk around the town. We looked first at Todmorden Town Hall, an imposing building built in 1875, it sits astride the boundary between West Yorkshire and Lancashire and we noted the statues at the front – Lancashire represented by cotton and Yorkshire by engineering, wool and farming. We walked under the viaduct of the Manchester – Leeds railway opened in 1840 and engineered by George Stephenson.

We then passed the Abraham Ormerod Medical Centre opened in 1932 built on the site of a cotton mill owned by the Ormerod brothers. Unusually, Cumberland slate was used for the roof and the centre has the dubious claim to fame in that it was where Dr Harold Shipman had practised. The next building observed was the Olympia Cinema of 1932, an impressive building with a front elevation of cream faience. We passed the Edwardian Weavers’ Institute to look at one of the 13 mills built by the Fielden Brothers in Todmorden – a 3 storey mill, it is still occupied by Talisman Textiles. Nearby was a row of what had been weavers’ cottages with their distinctive top floor windows to let maximum light in for and in some cases fustian cutting. We reached Centre Vale Park, sold to Todmorden Corporation in 1912, the mansion in which had been the Fielden’s home was used as hospital in the First World War and then a museum before being demolished in 1953. The Garden of Remembrance had previously been the mansion’s kitchen garden. The park contains a statue of erected in 1863 to commemorate Fielden’s work, when he was MP for , to ensure the passing of the 10 Hours Act of 1847, as well as services to Todmorden. At the end of the park was the Fielden School built in 1872, adapted as an Art School and now a craft centre.

The last site we looked at was the site of Mons Mill, originally known as Hare Mill, which was demolished in 1986. This has been a steam powered fireproof cotton spinning mill designed by Stott & Sons of Manchester for the Hare Spinning Company Ltd. It was renamed Mons Mill in 1914. It was originally planned as a double seven storey mill with a 250 ft chimney, engine room and boiler house in the centre serving both halves. Only the first half started in 1907 was completed in 1911. The company were soon in financial difficulties, the second half was never completed and the mill was taken over by the Mons Mill Company Ltd, which eventually became part of . The mill was closed in the late 1960s but at its peak was producing 250,000 lbs of yarn every week. Photographs of the building show an impressive red brick structure and who knows if it had managed to survive another 10 years the building may have been adapted for re-use and saved. Further along the Road, the mill’s detached office block still remained with impressive Byzantine style detailing and green and white tiles still showing the HSC logo standing for Hare Spinning Company. The party then made its way back to the centre of Todmorden. Thanks to David George and Jonathan Orford for leading two most interesting walks. Margaret Tylee

Annual Conference on Regenerating Textile Mills, held at Leek, Staffordshire, 24 June 2004

The hosts for this year’s conference were the Moorlands District Council and it was held at their offices in Leek. After their officers had set the scene, the first speaker was David Fletcher of Pennine Heritage who talked about the market towns initiative in the Calder Valley which had involved local people in devising actions and improvement plans for the centres of Mytholmroyd, Sowerby Bridge and Todmorden. Next Stephen Battey of SKOPOS reviewed the progress of that organisation in utilising redundant mills in the shoddy/mungo areas of Dewsbury and Batley. 120,000 sq. ft. of retail space had been created at Cheapside Mill under the City Challenge Scheme. , a redbrick mill in Batley, was progressively being developed for craft workshops, a theatre and a heritage centre and there was a vision for a Yorkshire Mill Mile on the Bradford Road.

Ian Todd of the Todd Architecture Partnership discussed big buildings in small towns including the Globe Works in Sheffield, a concrete warehouse in Newark and the latest scheme they are involved in – the grade II* listed maltings at Sleaford. Here there were three processes giving rise to three types of functional buildings and a total of eight blocks – stores, germination floors and drying kilns. A mixed use plan had been developed including Lincolnshire County Council Offices, residential, work spaces and leisure facilities. Finally Chris Drage, Moorlands Council conservation officer, spoke on maintaining Leek’s industrial heritage. Most of the town’s mills were not listed, although some are in conservation areas and were designed by an associate of William Morris. Cross Street Mill which is architecturally distinct has been converted to mixed use with a restaurant and offices. Big Mill a six storey redbrick mill may become residential, but many of the mills are small with wooden floors and there is no obvious demand for them except for ground floor usage. The town needs a strategic plan for conservation and heritage.

Although the numbers attending the conference have fallen over the years, the meeting is still informative for archaeologists and conservationists.

David George

Visit to the Castle Carr Estate 27 June 2004

Set high on the moors above Halifax, this private estate included at one time a large, forbidding castle. Although medieval in appearance, it was built in the 1860s and was said to be the inspiration for Frender’s Folly in Halliwell Sutcliffe’s Man of the Moors. The acquisition of this estate and the building of the castle in the 19th century, together with the extensive water gardens complete with an impressive fountain, were described by Clive Lloyd and David Cant at a lecture to the Industrial History Section in January. Most of the castle was demolished in 1961 but the gardens, the fountain and other features in the landscape remain. David and Clive had arranged for members of the Section, together with other local history groups to visit the estate on 27 June. About a dozen Section members attended, but the groups from Todmorden and Mytholmroyd, together with other attendees brought the total to about a hundred. The weather was kind and despite a build up of cloud during the afternoon, there were only a few drops of rain.

The highlight was the spectacular fountain – which rises to 100 feet – second only to the one at Chatsworth in England. It is fed via a holding tank from Fly Flat reservoir high on Warley Moor and can run for about 10 minutes. As Clive explained,, the fountains, water gardens and rights associated with them are a legacy of negotiations in the mid 19th century. On one side were the Edwards family, who had acquired their wealth through their textile enterprises, on the other was the borough of Halifax who were desperate to provide clean drinking water for its growing population. The Edwards successfully forced the borough to provide extensive water gardens with fountains in return for the right to build reservoirs and pipelines on their land. Having admired the fountain, gardens and the associated buildings and machinery, the visitors climbed to the remains of the castle. Apart from the gatehouse, which carries the date 1860 on its oriel window, the rest of the building only survives at basement level. There are piles of large ornamental pieces of stonework, one was seen inscribed with the family crest “All Good the Gift of God”. David explained that when the castle was demolished following an auction in 1961, this decorative stonework was thought to be too difficult to rework. The ordinary blocks could easily be used for other buildings, but the best price was received for the lead - £3,000. One surviving artefact can be seen in Trevelyan Square in Leeds – the courtyard fountain supported by four large dogs - which “resurfaced” in the 1990s.

A recurrent issue for the owners of the estate has been rights of access. The Edwards family had a lodge built on the access road each side of the valley. At the one on the Warley side, although the arch over the road was owned by the estate, the flanking lodges belonged to Halifax Corporation, who housed their water workers there. On the Midgley side one half of the lodge contained a small gas works, which supplied the castle via a gasholder in the woods nearby. The group were able to visit the basin, which is still in good condition. Various valves and pipes connected to the water supply were still evident, but the gasworks were already redundant in 1932 when the last major social function was held at the castle. This was a birthday party for one of the sons of the Murgatroyd family who owned Oats Royd Mill in Luddenden, a steam powered worsted mill built in 1847. The Murgatroyds owned the estate from 1895 – 1961. The gasworks itself was converted into a dwelling in the 1980s.

This concluded the visit – Clive and David are now writing up the results of their research, which will be published in a future edition of the Transactions of the Halifax Antiquarian Society. This will update articles published by the Society in 1921 and 1976. For further information see the booklet in the YAHS Library and the local history collections at Halifax Reference Library and Leeds Central Library. George Sheeran wrote a short article in the Victorian Society West Yorkshire Journal in 1989 and the gardens are described in his “Landscape Gardens in West Yorkshire 1680-1880” published by Wakefield Historical Publications. 1990. -David Cant