Farnley History

anthonydna · Post by **anthonydna** » Thu 18 Nov, 2010 1:31 pm

My Grandparents lived at Intake Farm, opposite the Mission Room on Low Moor Side Lane, his father moved from Low Moor to work at the Fireclay. I remember the mill well, they always called that hill the Matty Barker, for some reason...I shall have a dig around and see what pictures we still have. Cud Hill is the hill in-between The Woodcock and The Cockersdale inst it ? I didn't know their had been a pit there, but there is the air shafts in Sykes wood which I suppose could be related.

history · Post by **history** » Thu 18 Nov, 2010 1:52 pm

Hi, thats right it is the hill up from the cockersdale and it was a pit which was owned by farnley iron company and a 4 foot bed of iron stone was the main extraction, it was ongoing from the mid 1850s, later it become a petrol station before my farther bought it. ive seen the air shafts in the wood...if you go down the side of the valley they used to be a lake there where people used to go boating on.I hope you manage to find some old pics that would be fantastic, i am heading to york and wetherby now on buisness so hope to chat again sooncheers....History

Post by **chameleon** » Thu 18 Nov, 2010 2:13 pm

You might just fine something of interest in this thread:http://www.secretleeds.co.uk/forum/Mess ... ht=1'fraid there's quite a bit of reading!

grumpytramp · Post by **grumpytramp** » Sat 20 Nov, 2010 1:45 am

history wrote: If there is anyone who can help me in relation to getting information or pictures of what was cud hill pitt (near the woodcock on whitehall road) or its sorrounding area i would be very greatfull I have had a root about my usual sources for information on Cud Hill Colliery ........ unfortunately there isn't a huge amount of information available.Cud Hill Colliery had a short life having come into production in 1891 before being abandoned in 1905. It was sunk and operated, to be strictly correct by the Farnley Iron Company (which at this time was part of the Leeds Fireclay company). The production of the pit was presumably feedstock for its Farnley Ironworks. The Farnley Iron Company were one of the West Riding's great victorian iron masters (founded in 1844 by the four sons of James Armitage) alongside the Low Moor and Bowling companies. I believe that it became part of the Leeds Fireclay Co. empire about 1889. The ironworks at Farnley ceased production in 1919 in the face of stiff competion from steel works fed by ironstone from Leicestershire and Lincolnshire.The only other solid information that I can provide is that in 1896 the officials of the pit were Jos. Sheard, Colliery Manager and J. Wilkinson, Undermanger and that the colliery employed 78 men below ground and 9 at the surface. It also records that the pit produced coal suitable for manufacturing and cokingIf you use www.old-maps.co.uk you will see that the pit is shown on the 1908 edition of the 1:2500 survey (and recorded as an ironstone and coal mine)The colliery would have been sunk to and worked the Black Band Coal and Ironstone. The Geological Survey's memoir "The Geology of the Country around Huddersfield and Halifax" published in 1930 describes the Black Band in the vicinity of Farnley as Quote: Around Farnley the lower part of the seam is an inferiorstone coal (Johnnies) and the good coal 15 to 24 in. The ironstone from the overlaying shale was normally won in a secondary operation It is possible that the workings extended below the Black Band to the superb quality Better Bed, but I suspect that this had been long worked out before the end of the nineteenth century, such was it's importance to the West Yorkshire Ironmasters

Steve Jones · Post by **Steve Jones** » Sat 20 Nov, 2010 7:48 pm

a very brief bit on information on Cud Hill pit here;http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/mhn/1896-45.htmIt gives details of the manager etc in 1896.

history · Post by **history** » Mon 22 Nov, 2010 11:03 am

grumpytramp wrote: history wrote: If there is anyone who can help me in relation to getting information or pictures of what was cud hill pitt (near the woodcock on whitehall road) or its sorrounding area i would be very greatfull I have had a root about my usual sources for information on Cud Hill Colliery ........ unfortunately there isn't a huge amount of information available.Cud Hill Colliery had a short life having come into production in 1891 before being abandoned in 1905. It was sunk and operated, to be strictly correct by the Farnley Iron Company (which at this time was part of the Leeds Fireclay company). The production of the pit was presumably feedstock for its Farnley Ironworks. The Farnley Iron Company were one of the West Riding's great victorian iron masters (founded in 1844 by the four sons of James Armitage) alongside the Low Moor and Bowling companies. I believe that it became part of the Leeds Fireclay Co. empire about 1889. The ironworks at Farnley ceased production in 1919 in the face of stiff competion from steel works fed by ironstone from Leicestershire and Lincolnshire.The only other solid information that I can provide is that in 1896 the officials of the pit were Jos. Sheard, Colliery Manager and J. Wilkinson, Undermanger and that the colliery employed 78 men below ground and 9 at the surface. It also records that the pit produced coal suitable for manufacturing and cokingIf you use www.old-maps.co.uk you will see that the pit is shown on the 1908 edition of the 1:2500 survey (and recorded as an ironstone and coal mine)The colliery would have been sunk to and worked the Black Band Coal and Ironstone. The Geological Survey's memoir "The Geology of the Country around Huddersfield and Halifax" published in 1930 describes the Black Band in the vicinity of Farnley as Quote: Around Farnley the lower part of the seam is an inferiorstone coal (Johnnies) and the good coal 15 to 24 in. The ironstone from the overlaying shale was normally won in a secondary operation It is possible that the workings extended below the Black Band to the superb quality Better Bed, but I suspect that this had been long worked out before the end of the nineteenth century, such was it's importance to the West Yorkshire Ironmasters Thats a great help, our deeds and a geological survey shows where the shafts was including depths ect, over the years we have found the shafts and dug around the tops of them to find each of the bricks had a slight radius to them, also we have come across a large bricked surface which we think may have been where the head gear was, i only wish i could find some photos of it all, my grandma could remember all the slag piled up when she was a little girl

Broady · Post by **Broady** » Sat 11 Jun, 2011 9:16 am

This is attentioned to Pashy relating your previous post,I am Leslie Broadbent, second son of Squire Broadbent. I returned from the Second World War in 1945 and emmigrated to Australia in 1959 with a family of 3, one boy and twin girls.I found your post very interesting as I grew up at the farm you dicscribed. I also found it interesting that the farm was still operating and attracting keen workers like it did many years ago when I was there.I also knew Dr Carr as well as many other older people in the district so its fantatsic to read your knowledge of the area as it brings back many memories.I hope to read any more information you may have.Les

pashy2 · Post by **pashy2** » Mon 13 Jun, 2011 9:06 am

BroadyWhat an amazing coincidence.I actually worked at you Dad's farm as a kid in the late 50s.Your son Leslie 2nd was in my class at school at Lower Wortley PSand I remember once you and you wife coming to school to complain that Leslie had been bullied.I think you had the same physique as you father, shortish with broad shoulders and wore a brown sports jacket. Bloodyell this is over 50 years ago. Your brother Squire 2nd was a slighter build and had a hearing problem. I also knew your nephew well, Squire 3rd he went to Lower Wortley and a couple of years ahead of me at West Leeds Boys.We also came to Australia (WA) in 64.I used to go with your Dad delivering milk(in bottles) from the back of his old ute. My grandmother and mother remember him supplying milk round New Blackpool from the back of a horse drawn cart from a churn and dipper- you supply the jug.In the same ute we would do the rounds of shops to get food for his pig swil. Penny's fish and chip shop on Branch Rd to get old fish and spud peelings-- same with Kytes on Whitehall Rd. Meat offcuts from Hamer's butchers on Cow Close Rd and old veges from Stringer's.With the days grub loot he would boil up an evil brew in an old cast iron bath between the midden and the chook shed. Even after 50 years I could still draw the layout of the farm.I could go on forever talking about haymaking at Stanhopes Mill,ginger beer in his cold room, cow clap on the streets and your Auntie's shop adjoing the farmhouse. I think her name was Mrs Goodhall. We could get sweets 'on tick' if you worked for Squire.You might have known my mother's family, her maiden name was Stoker.Other kids who worked there then were David Swain, David Dawson, Michael Buttery.Squire was a true dour Yorkshireman. Hard to part with his hard earned brass and a wicked sense of humour. I liked and feared him a lot.I remember all this so vividly because they were top days of my life.Secret Leeds is one amazing site.CheersAndy Pash

fenderbender10 · Post by **fenderbender10** » Mon 03 Feb, 2014 4:36 pm

history wrote: I was born on branch road opposite doctor cars surgery, you may know my farther then who owned the land opposite the surgery...he was a builder, he was the chap who bought the old petrol station what once was cud hill pit if you can remmember it been a petrol station, it was Texaco who had it and prev to that it was regent. i used to play as a kid on the fordge and can remmember when the back bit of what now is whitehall estate was dug out, i also used to spent many days playing on the shale hills just up from long row and remmember it catching fire apx 30 yrs ago..it burned for ages after, i used to know a guy who had goats ect on there called Loyd Linsey..if you know him I know its a long time since the posting, but my parents were very good friends of Lloyd Lindsay, my mother was related i think. Lloyd was a wagon driver for Troydale mill and during the school hols he would take me on the back of his wagon to Harrogate laid in between the bales of wool.He would come to our house in Old Farnley quite often with his shotgun under his arm. Allways wore a brown boiler suit and wellies apart from when he had his annual visit to the Great Yorkshire Show.A real character.he had a very broad yorkshire accent, was known to utter the odd racist comment and had a black dog called N****R.I visited him just before he died, he hadn't changed.