Hirst Lock - Hirst Wood, UK - UK Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Hirst Wood is a community of just over 600 households to the west of Shipley and Saltaire in West Yorkshire. It is an area surrounded by great natural beauty, including the Leeds-Liverpool canal, the River Aire and the ancient woodland that gave the area its name.

Hirst Wood Regeneration Group was set up early in 2000 with the aim of improving facilities in the neighbourhood and building a sense of pride in our community. It is they that placed the information board next to Hirst Lock.

The board is illustrated with picture and has reference to them in the text.

HIRST LOCK
Hirst Wood Farm (above and below) was situated next to the entrance to Hirst Wood where the car park is today. It was probably built in the 18th-century. In the 1881 census it is described as a farm of 22 acres, occupied by John Jowett. He was still the tenant in 1911 when the Lord of the Manor put his Shipley properties up for sale but by then it is described as 'desirable pasture extending to about 6.691 acres.' In the sale, the farm is descnbed as a 'stone-built and stone-slated homestead', comprising:

'THE GROUND FLOOR - Wash Kitchen; Scullery; Kitchen; Sitting Room, and Cellars

`THE UPPER FLOOR - Three Bed Rooms and Lumber Room

There is a privy and ashpit outside.'

Attached to the farm were a 'two-stall stable, with loft over; barn with mistal [cow house] for 12 with loft over and mixing chamber.' And a separate 'Midden with mistal for 4 (at present used as a fowl house); and Fowl House.'

The Jowetts were eventually replaced by the Whincup family and then Frank Bagshaw who became very popular in the area for serving refreshments, including delicious ice cream which many older residents still remember fondly. The farm was pulled down in 1962.

There used to be two cottages on this site, both of which are something of a mystery because they don't seem to have anything to do with the canal. The 'canal-side' cottage (above right) was built before the first Ordnance Survey map was surveyed in 1847/8 when the cottage, which later contained a tea bar (above left), appears to be a mere shed. However the latter, which may have been divided into three dwellings at one stage, is shown complete in the 1889 map. It would appear they might have been built by the owner of Hirst Mill for his staff or perhaps by the owner of Hirst Wood Farm. Salts Mill, who owned the farm by 1915, wrote to the canal company complaining that a lack of fencing along the by-wash meant cows kept getting stuck in there.

The only certain, written reference to the canal side cottage is in the 1861 census when it is occupied by cabinet maker John Anderton, his wife Leah and four-month-old daughter Margaret. The last reference to the shop is in a 1927 trade directory when it is run by George Edward Simmons. We know from maps that both buildings were demolished by 1934.

The picture below is believed to be of an early 20th century lock-keeper. He would probably have lived at Dowley Gap and looked after both locks, just as today's lock-keeper does. Although the current bridge was only installed in 2008, it looks very similar to the one back then and you can still see remains of the wall in the right centre of the picture.

Archaeologists digging in Hirst Wood discovered what they believed to be the remains of a shepherd's cottage dating bock more than 2000 years. It would appear that people have lived in this area ever since, although records are scarce.

In his study of The Water Mills of Shipley, Bill Hampshire shows that Hirst Mill can be traced back to the 13th century. It was originally for grinding oats and later as a fulling mill for the woollen industry that dominated Shipley. By the time the Leeds & Liverpool canal was built towards the end of the 18th century, it was mainly used as a paper mill.

`The initial impetus for the Leeds and Liverpool came from East of the Pennines, from landowners and merchants around Bradford who were anxious to increase the supply of limestone to their coal mines in the Bingley and Bradford area where it could be burnt to produce Lime for land improvement and building purposes. They also wanted a cheap means of delivering coal to the limestone quarries in the Craven district to reduce the price of lime for the improvement of grazing lands in the area. Lastly, and very significantly' they felt a canal would be a reliable and speedy through route for local textile products to the developing ports of Liverpool and Lancaster and the markets beyond.'

(From The Leeds a Liverpool Canal by Mike Clarke, published by Carnegie Publishing 1994)

The section of canal through Hirst Wood was part of the second phase of the project and, after a great deal of wrangling over the price of the land, a letter from his steward to the Lord of the Manor of Shipley reveals the navvies started digging through Hirst Wood in June 1772. He later complains that it is hard to get labourers for other work because the canal company are paying higher wages and in April 1773 says that a prodigious amount of soil has been removed from the wood 'for lining the sides and the bottom of the Canal.'

This board was erected in 2010 by Hirst Wood Regeneration group with the help of Shipley Area Committer pictures courtesy of Mr Peter Randall.

Type of Historic Marker: Stand alone information board. Historical Marker Issuing Authority: Hirst Wood Regeneration Group Related Website: [Web Link] Give your Rating: Age/Event Date: Not listed

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