EARLY TIMBERED BUILDINGS
OF THE HUDDERSFIELD DISTRICT
BY JAMES WALTON B.Sc., F.S.A.
PREFACE
Among the first of the handbooks contemplated by the Tolson
Memorial Museum was one entitled Local Domestic Architecture,
to have been written by H.P. Kendall, J.W. Cocking and Legh
Tolson. This never materialized, however, and over twenty
years later, when my book on Homesteads of the Yorkshire
Dales was published, the reviewer in The Huddersfield Examiner
concluded that the statement that “one would like
to see an extension of the author’s studies to this
part of the county, where he would doubtless find valuable
material in the Pennine architecture of hall, cottage, farmstead
and hand-loom weaving homestead”.
I had at that time made a fairly thorough study of the
domestic architecture of the Southern Pennines but certain
details were still required. Before I could collect them
I took up an appointment in the somewhat remote territory
of Basutoland and it was not until 1952, when I returned
for six months leave, that the additional information could
be obtained. This handbook, dealing with the timbered buildings,
represents the first part of my study of the domestic architecture
of the district.
The area under consideration is that covered by the Museum’s
“Map of Huddersfield and District”, which is
essentially the drainage area of the River Colne and its
tributaries, extended eastwards down the Calder valley as
far as Dewsbury. In preparing the handbook I owe much to
the owners and tenants of the various buildings for their
willing co-operation and for so kindly allowing me access
to their homes and outbuildings. I am also greatly indebted
to the Director of the Museum, Mr. E.W. Aubrook, for his
untiring efforts in seeing the book through the press, and,
in conjunction with Mr. A. Broadbent, for drawing my attention
to a number of cruck-trussed buildings in the vicinity of
New Mill. This introduction led me to similar structures
around Hepworth and eventually revealed far more buildings
of this type than I ever suspected. Thanks are due to the
editor of The Huddersfield Examiner and to Mr. Albert T.
Pile for permission to use his delightful pen sketches of
Wormall Hall, Fenay Hall, Mirfield Old Rectory and Oldfield
Barn. I am grateful to Mr. A. Broadbent for the photographic
reproduction of Henry Sykes’ painting of Dives House
Barn and for much general help with the plates. I am also
indebted, as so many workers in the Huddersfield district
have been, to the late W.H. Sikes for his remarkable record
collection of local photographs upon which I have drawn.
Finally I would like to thank Mr. L. F. Salzman and Mr.
N. Teulon Porter for reading through the manuscript and
offering a number of valuable suggestions.
JAMES WALTON
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