| Description | Five blocks of terraced houses built as part Edward Akroyd's development at Copley in 1849 53 (SE 08383 22529).
The terraced houses of Copley Village were the subject of an archaeological investigation by L. Caffyn in 1982 as part of the WYAS/RCHME Workers' Housing Survey. Caffyn produced a set of photographic images of the houses which is held by WYAAS. The field work report is summarised below:
These five blocks of houses are part of Colonel Edward Akroyd's development at Copley. Details of the construction of these houses is described in the Halifax Antiquarian Society of 1948:
'Mr Akroyd explains that the houses were erected not merely for the purposes of aggregating a sufficient number of operatives for the supply of labour, but also with an eye to the improvement of their social conditions, by fitting up their houses with every requisite comfort and convenience. A picturesque outline was adopted in a modified Old English style. The average cost of the thirty six houses in block No.1 (built for the best class of tenant) was £120 and the average rent was £5.25s.10d. Block no.2 (also thirty six houses) was built at an average cost of £100 and the average rent was £4.5s. Block no.3, consisting of forty houses, in consequence of a reduction in the price of materials was much cheaper at £90 per house and the average rental was £4. The total outlay was about £11,500 and Edward Akroyd said that the rentals would yield interest of about four and a half percent on the outlay' (Bretton, R.F. 1948. 'Colonel Edward Akroyd'. Halifax Antiquarian Society. Page 75).
The cottages of blocks 1 and 2 proved too luxurious and later blocks were built 'more in the common style of the country' (Hole J. 1866. 'Homes of the Working Class'). That is, with only one bedroom, parents using a box bed on the kitchen/living room.
Blocks 4 and 5 built about ten years later, follow the plan form of blocks 1 and 2 (i.e. two bedrooms; scullery at the foot of the stairs) and are the same size as these; but are built as two blocks of through terraced houses, with a backdoor under the stairs, rather than back to back. It is quite probable that they were built thus as a result of criticism from 'The Builder' journal of Akroyd's use of the back to back format in earlier houses.
The houses are all built of stone, with thin slate roofs and face north east/south west, fitting into an area between the River Colne and the railway embankment. The windows are mullioned and transomed, with quoined surrounds; the doors and corner blocks also have quoins. The windows are casements with small panes, with only central casement of the three light window openings; although the side light windows also open.
The end houses of blocks 1,2 and 3 have the same plan as the other houses in their row, but are placed end on, so that they project slightly and they are given a slightly larger scullery (and bedroom over).
Block 1 and 2 were the first houses built in 1849. Each block is of 36 back to backs. Entry is straight into the living room, with stairs leading off to the cellar and a step up into a small scullery, lit by a single light window, a sink beneath it and the stairs leading up from it. The cellar is small, with coals and stone shelves for keeping. There are two bedrooms on the first floor, the larger one with a fire place; the smaller one, above the scullery, lit by a single light window. The houses are mirror images of each other, so that in a pair the scullery and small bedroom windows appear from the outside to be one window. At this point the wall rises to a gable above the roof, so giving architectural interest to the facade.
The houses on the south west sides of the block have stone walled front gardens. The houses share a front garden in pairs, and in each garden was a W.C and ash house. On the rear of each block was a 'piggery' for each house (including the front ones). |