| Description | These cottages were visited in 1982 by Lucy Caffyn as part of the RCHME's Workers Housing Survey. Although not mentioned in the subsequent publication, the following notes were made during the visit:
This is a row of (what was) 6 single storey cottages which face SE. They have now been converted into one house and garage. The garage was measured up, as this has been the least altered.
The earliest deed is of 1911, but they are on the 1840 map. They almost certainly belonged to the Stocks family of Shibden Valley who owned all the land around here. The Stocks had clay for bricks and coal mines in the Shibden Valley, lots of farms and also a brewery so these cottages may have been for miners or agricultural workers. They are probably not much older than 1840 going by general style and roof form.
They are stone with stone roofs and floors. The chimneys are brick (?) the windows and doors have stone surrounds. The windows were 2 light mullions and their cills were formed by a continuous band of projecting stone (owner has photograph of property prior to conversion). They were splayed on the inside; the lights were filled by small sash windows.
The roof is made of sawn timbers, well shaped. There are 4 purlins and a plank ridge, which support coupled rafters.
Each house has 1 heated room which is lit from both front and rear. Steps opposite the doorway lead into a small cellar; the roof of which was made by laying stone flags on iron girders. The cellar was lit by a small opening at outside ground level (could this have been used for coal? Probably not).
There were stone shelves projecting from the walls in the corner over the cellar steps. There was a corner cupboard between the chimney breast and front wall.
There are another 3 single storey cottages nearby at 29 Brighouse and Denholme Gate Road (SE 411661 428009).
A copy of the above information, including photographs and drawn floorplan, is held online at the offices of West Yorkshire HER. |