This walk is based on the work of Steve Bingham who wrote 'A walk around Oakworth' (originally entitled 'Oakworth History trail') which has been left very much as the original, but expanded and updated in 1997, and again in 2003 by Helen & Andrew Wade).
Other sources used are:
Oakworth in my Time' By Frank Wigglesworth (Bradford Libraries, 1992)
'These Lonely Mountains' by Peggy Hewitt (Springfield Books, 1985)
Photographs by Frank Wigglesworth, Dr Ian Dewhirst, and Helen & Andrew
Wade. All photographs are protected by copyright.
(Click on each picture for a larger view in a new window)
(Instructions for the walk are in green
text, details and notes in black
italic text)
This is a walk of about 4 miles which takes in the central part of Oakworth, along which most of the historically interesting sites of the village are to be found. The route starts and finishes at the gates of Holden Park.
Walking along Chapel Lane away from Keighley the modern building on the left is Holden Hall.
Holden
Hall was opened in 1974 and replaced the Mechanics Institute, which
occupied the same site and bore the same name. The Institute was opened in
1891 and contained several classrooms, a library, reading room, billiard
room and public slipper baths. the Institute was built on the site of the
first Methodist Chapel, built in 1822.
First Wesleyan Methodist Chapel
Continue heading west along Chapel Lane (B6143). The large building on the right is Oakworth Social Club.
Oakworth
Social Club was formerly the Liberal Club and was opened in 1899. It lost
its political ties in 1933. The adjacent shop premises were, for many
years, Gill's Shoe Shop. The shop across the road, now closed, was a
butchers shop until 1979: the outbuildings at the rear were formerly a
registered slaughterhouse.
A
little further along the road is to be found Oakworth Hall.
The
old buildings around the garage forecourt constitute Haggas Fold. The
building with the external staircase was used as a wool warehouse by James
Haggas, who purchased the Oakworth Hall estate in 1742. Oakworth Hall
itself is a 17th century building and has been used as a farm, bank and
private house. Set into the wall are carved heads of Celtic origin and a
tablet detailing charges for the former toll road of Providence Lane. the
shop premises were formerly the grocery and drapery departments of
Oakworth Co-Operative Society, founded in 1862, and merged with Keighley
in 1907.
Cross
Providence Lane and continue along Mill Lane to the mill complex known as
Lane Ends Mills, or Oakworth Mills.
James
Mitchell purchased a small mill at Lane Ends in 1837 and built a large
spinning mill on the site. This mill was bought by James Haggas in 1860
and further enlarged. The engine house contained a 500 h.p. steam engine,
the two cylinders bearing the names William and Sarah. The mill once
employed 350 people. Behind the mill offices stood a gas holder, as many
mills had their own gas generating plants. the pit has now been filled in,
but the site of it is clearly visible on the left, enclosed by a circular
wall. the long building facing Oakworth mills is known as Clough house
Farm, and dates back to before 1660.
Opposite the junction of Mill Lane and Bridge Street was a dam, now drained, which served Oakworth Mills. Turning left up Bridge Street we pass a row of cottages on the left. Two of these were for many years a public house.
Lane Ends, about 1925
The 'Foresters Arms' closed in 1970 but re-opened in 1971 as the 'Fab Thirties Club'. this closed in 1974 and the building was divided into private houses.
Further
up Bridge Street is the former Primitive Methodist Chapel and Sunday
School.
Oakworth
Primitive Methodist school was built in 1863 at a cost of £1620, and
replaced the original chapel built in 1832. The Sunday School opened in
1909. The Chapel closed in 1942 and was converted into flats. The Sunday
School closed in 1948 and was latterly a garage.
Retrace
your steps along Bridge street and continue along Lane Ends (or Commercial
street). The former shop premises on the right, now converted into flats,
were once the premises of the Lane Ends Co-operative Society.
Lane
Ends Co-operative Society was formed in 1867 and was absorbed into
Keighley Co-operative Society in 1910, at which time it had 152 members.
Just across the road is the 'Golden Fleece' Public house.
This
old inn was once known as just 'The Fleece' and has extensive cellars
which it has been suggested were once used as the village lock-up!
At
this point there is an optional detour of about 2 miles. Turn left
alongside the pub and continue up the lane behind the cottages.
This is
Grey Scar road, which continues into Turnshaw Road. Follow it uphill past
the junction with White Lane, past a cottage on the left, until you come
to a small pond and a memorial stone set into the wall. (The lane itself
carries on until it reaches the 'Grouse Inn').
The Golden Fleece public house
On 2nd January 1944, six young Canadian airmen on a training
flight from Ossington lost their way in fog and crashed into the hillside at Tewitt Hall Wood.
In 1993, following a suggestion from the village Society and thanks to a generous donation from an anonymous villager a memorial stone was erected on the site of the tragedy On the first Sunday in
January a short memorial service is held at this site.
Retrace your steps back down the hill past the Lane Ends Reservoir, take the stile on the left and cross the field which leads to Griffe Wood.
The path continues through the wood, across another field and emerges onto Slack Lane. The hamlet in front of you is Newsholme. Turn right alongside Oakworth Cemetery, right into Wide Lane, passing the Oakworth Cricket Club on the left. At the junction with Low Bank Lane carry on downhill, turning right at the end of the field, back to the Golden Fleece.
From the pub continue left, along Church Street. The large building at the head of James Street was for many years used as the Conservative Club.
Christ Church - Oakworth Parish church
The Conservative Club was formed in 1886 and originally met in rooms opposite James Street. The Club moved to James Street in
1905 and stayed there until 1979, when they moved to the former school building next door The Club finally closed in
1986.
The premises referred to as the last home of the Conservative Club were originally those of the National School.
The Anglican community spurred on by the success of the Wesleyans, opened the National School in
1845 to cater as a day and Sunday School for 200 children, with a staff of three. The building continued as a Sunday School only from
1937 until 1977. The site of this is now occupied by the "Snooty Fox" public house.
The church beyond the "Snooty Fox" is Oakworth Parish Church.
Christ Church was opened in 1846, having been built on a site given by the lady of the manor at that time, Mrs. S. Ferrand, of St. Ives, Bingley. The building is Early English in style, consisting of chancel and nave, with a square clock tower with one bell. It celebrated its
150th anniversary in 1996.
Continue along Goodley and Colne Road. The large building on the left, below Sunhurst Drive, formerly housed the offices of Oakworth Urban District Council.
The Parish of Oakworth was divided from Keighley in 1844. It covered an area of
9125 acres (12 square miles), had 26 miles of roads, and was administered by a board of
12 members, covering the wards of Oakworth, Stanbury, Oldfield and Laycock. The offices were erected in
1875. In 1938 Oakworth UDC was absorbed into the Borough of Keighley.
Oakworth U D C Offices. The surveyors house is next door
Oakworth U D C Offices, 2003.
Across the road is Oakworth Manor, once the home of William Haggas, and now a residential home. Turn right down Providence Lane. The outbuildings to the rear of Oakworth Hall were once used as a bacon factory by the Co-operative Society.
Continue
down Providence Lane. Just past Providence Crescent, on the right, is the site of a former corn mill, now occupied by houses.
A corn mill stood on this site for many centuries; in 1891 when the mill was for sale, over
half of a 999 year lease had expired! The mill was powered by the stream at the rear a small dam, now drained, being used to regulate the flow In. the middle ages tenants were obliged to grind their corn at the mill and give one-twentieth to the lord of the manor.
Continue down Providence Lane until the wall alongside the path gives way to a grassy area on the right: this is the site of Higher Providence Mill.
Higher Providence Mill was built by Mr. Leach of Halifax in 1803 for spinning cotton. It was bought by James Haggas for his sons, William and John, who introduced worsted yarn spinning in 1812. After John's retirement William carried on the business until 1825, when he sold the mill to Hiram Craven. Craven re-built the mill, putting in two large water wheels, one above the
other; and built a very large dam. The construction of the earth dam can clearly be seen where the bank has been breached. In 1834 Thomas and Hiram Craven, Craven's sons, went into partnership with William Sugden. The firm of Craven and Sugden had their warehouses and offices at Higher Providence. They sorted wool, delivered it to handcombers and handloom weavers, spun yarn and had some power looms at Providence and at another mill at Ebor. The business failed in 1850 and the mill was occupied for a few years by James Mitchell, until it was bought by George Hattersley and Sons in about 1860.
The buildings below the site of the mill were once the
premises of Roper and Pickles, Monumental Masons. Cross the road and take the
rough path uphill from the chimney, and to the rear of the site of Lower Providence Mills.
Lower Providence Mills were built in 1806, again by Mr. Leach, for John Sugden and James Hey. Initially there were only three spinning frames, each attended by three or four girls. Weaving was done by outworkers and the finished goods were sold at Halifax Piece Hall where Sugden and Hey had two rooms.
The firm became John Sudgen and Sons on the retirement of Mr Hey in 1822, and in 1839, on the death of John, became known as Jonas Sugden and Ross. Jonas was a noted Methodist preacher who vowed that he would never employ "gamblers, drinkers or people who had fallen into sin"!
The mill was bought by George Hattersley and Sons shortly after Higher Providence Mill and was greatly expanded. Latterly the mill was used as a warehouse and was demolished, apart from the chimney and cottages, in
1984.
