SE0028

Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   Text © Copyright January 2012, Humphrey Bolton; licensed for re-use under a Creative Commons Licence.
Images also under a similar Creative Commons Licence.


[map SE 00 28]
To see old 1:2500 and six-inch / mile maps the best site is National Library of Scotland, but for maps published in the 1950s and 60s you need old-maps.co.uk. Modern large scale mapping with a rights-of-way layer can be seen on the Calderdale Council website and with listed buildings on the Historic England website.

Chiserley

SE0028 : View of Chiserley, Wadsworth by Humphrey Bolton
Chisley up to 1964, but changed to Chiserley on the OS map by 1969. From being a loose hamlet of farms, mills and terrace houses for mill-workers it has grown to be a village.
by Humphrey Bolton


The earliest mention of Chisley was in 1296. An early form is Chesewaldley, and one can imagine the broad expanse of hillside being used for dairy farming, and cheese being made. Why the name was changed to Chiserley in the 1960s is a mystery.

Chisley Hall is dated 1617, and has a two-storey porch with a room over the entrance. It was the home of Thomas Dent Hoyle in 1905. He was one of the owners of James Hoyle & Sons Limited, Cotton spinners and manufacturers of Acre Mill, on Billy Lane.

Walker Lane

SE0028 : Old Town Methodist Church, Chiserley by Alexander P Kapp
The Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was founded in 1863, and a Sunday School built whilst services were held in the Club Houses. The chapel opened in 1872. The carving around each of the six windows was by a different stone mason, each giving his services free.


SE0028 : South end of the Methodist Chapel, Walker Lane, Chiserley, Wadsworth by Humphrey Bolton
The entrance to the chapel is on the first floor at the top of a curved staircase.


SE0028 : Club Houses by Alexander P Kapp
The Club Houses were built in the early 19C as an investment by a local funeral club. The upper storey was used as a communal weaving shop and each cottage had an internal communicating door on each floor. (from Malcolm Bull's Calderdale Companion). There is a footpath passing the houses and going down to Nutclough.


SE0028 : Houses, Walker Lane, Chiserley, Wadsworth by Humphrey Bolton
These concrete-clad council houses were built in the early 1950s when rapid building methods were needed to deal with a housing shortage. They are part of a housing estate between Walker Lane and Billy Lane.


SE0028 : Green End, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
Green End is probably so named because it is near to Old Town Green.


SE0028 : Work and play, Wadsworth by Humphrey Bolton
This is Old Town Green, with the mill in the distance.
by Humphrey Bolton

Old Town Green, so named on the 1850 map, was given by Baron Kinnaird and Robert George Hogarth to Wadsworth Parish Council in January 1940 as a recreation ground. Presumably the Baron was Lord of the Manor, but I have not been able to confirm this.

Old Town Lane

SE0028 : Old Guide Stone by Old Town Mill Lane, Wadsworth parish by Milestone Society
Guidestone at the eastern end of Old Town Lane.


SE0028 : Old Town Mill Lane, Wadsworth by Humphrey Bolton
Old Town Lane looking towards Walker Lane.



Billy Lane

The Primary School, the post office, and the site of Acre Mill are on Billy lane.

Acre Mill was founded by James Hoyle in 1859. One of his sons, John, brought prosperity to the firm by manufacturing the very strong cloths used to line Dunlop tyres. He lived at Summerfield, a large house on the southern edge of the housing estates. Cape Asbestos took over the mill in 1939 for manufacture using asbestos, initially to make the filters for gas masks. After a while there was a series of deaths of workers from asbestosis and lung cancer, and an investigation took place that led to the closure of the mill and its demolition in 1987. There is a commemorative plaque and tree on the site. See LinkExternal link .

SE0028 : Bowling Green, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
Looking down onto the bowling green from Billy Lane.


SE0028 : Wadsworth Post Office, Chiserley by Mark Anderson
The post office is also the village shop.


SE0028 : Old Town Primary School by John Slater
Old Town Primary School, but in Chiserley, not in Old Town.


SE0028 : The Hare and Hounds, Chiserley, Wadsworth by Humphrey Bolton
The Hare and Hounds is at the road junction at the eastern end of the Billy Lane.



Footpaths in the village

There is a network of public footpaths between Walker Lane and Billy Lane.

SE0028 : Wadsworth Footpath 75, Link 3, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
This path is on a road that leads to eight of the houses on the estate and also one of the houses in Chiserley Hall.


SE0028 : Wadsworth Footpath 75, Link 3 by Humphrey Bolton
Here the path narrows past Chiserley Hall.


SE0028 : Wadsworth Footpath 75, Link 4, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
It leads to a junction where you can turn right to cross the other driveway to the Hall.


SE0028 : Overgrown hedge obstructing Wadsworth Footpath 75, Link 1 by Humphrey Bolton
Or you can turn left to pass a hedge that needed a haircut.


SE0028 : Track to Billy Lane from Wadsworth Footpath 75, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
This path crosses this lane, then goes past the Green End terrace to Walker Lane.


SE0028 : Bowling Green, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
The lane passes the side of the bowling green.


SE0028 : Original driveway to Chisley Hall, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
This is the original driveway to Chiserley Hall, redundant now that the Old Mill Ridge housing estate road crosses it.


SE0028 : Chiserley Field Side by Humphrey Bolton
This is Chiserley Field Side, down a lane from Billy Lane next to the post office.


SE0028 : The back of Old Town Primary School, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
This view is looking up from Chiserley Field Side across its access lane to the back of the school.


SE0028 : Wadsworth Footpath 75, Link 8, passing Lower Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
A footpath passes Chiserley Field Side to Lower Chiserley.


SE0028 : Wadsworth Footpath 76, Link 8, Chiserely by Humphrey Bolton
The path leaves Lower Chiserley and goes between fields in a curve.


SE0028 : Wadsworth Footpath 76, Link 2, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
A branch path goes up path Top o’ th’ Croft to Billy Lane, past a block of six houses that was an industrial building. Was this a car museum many years ago?


SE0028 : Wadsworth Footpath 76, Link 6, passing Foot Kiln, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
Another path passes Foot Kiln, a terrace of six houses.


SE0028 : Remains of a penstock on a watercourse, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
Turning west, a hole in the path contains the remains of a penstock that diverted stream flow via a drain to Ibbot Royd Cotton Mill (on the 1850 six-inch map), later Martin Mill (1930 1:2500 map).


SE0028 : Boulder wall alongside Wadsworth Footpath 76, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
Alongside the path there is a boulder wall, presumably very old.


SE0027 : Wadsworth Footpath 75, Link 10, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
Turning southwards, a path goes down steeply to Walker Lane.


SE0027 : Wadsworth Footpath 76, Link 5, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
Continuing westwards a level path goes under a canopy of trees to Walker Lane.


SE0028 : Stile on Wadsworth Footpath 75, Link 9 by Humphrey Bolton
Turning northwards, there is a stile on the path back to Chiserley Field Side.



The countryside north of Chiserley

SE0028 : View across the valley above Chiserley, Wadsworth by Humphrey Bolton
This is taken from the Old Town Reservoir. There is a broad valley above Chiserley with a network of paths amongst the fields and farms or former farms. The moorland at Keelam Edge is in the background.
by Humphrey Bolton


Lanes and paths lead from Billy Lane and Old Town Green across the area of pasture fields to the moorland beyond.

SE0028 : Site of Rock, Wadsworth by Humphrey Bolton
From Old Town Green there are two ways to Rock, where there was a row of four cottages, probably homes for quarry workers, and another cottage called Little Rock.


SE0028 : Old Town Reservoir, Wadsworth by Humphrey Bolton
Above Rock, on Wall Stones Flat, there is a reservoir that presumably belongs to Old Town Mill. It seems to have been constructed c.1895 as it is shown on the six-inch map of that date but not on the 1:2500 map of 1894.


SE0028 : A row of Rowan trees alongside Wadsworth FP28, Old Town by Humphrey Bolton
From Rock there is a footpath along the hillside; this view is looking towards the site of Rock.


SE0028 : Ditch carrying water down from Old Town Reservoir, Wadsworth by Humphrey Bolton
A ditch comes down to a culvert under the path. The culvert discharges into a paved channel. It seems likely that this took water from the reservoir to Old Town Mill, and is probably disused now.


SE0028 : Channel down the hillside towards Old Town Mill, Wadsworth by Humphrey Bolton
This is the channel descending the steep hillside.


SE0028 : Wadsworth FP28 on Wall Stones Flat by Humphrey Bolton
There is a footpath across the southern side of Wall Stones Flat.


SE0028 : Wadsworth FP57 on the driveway to Allswell Farm, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
The driveway to Allswell Farm continued to a junction of several paths on Latham Slack, which is a remnant of the former moorland.


SE0028 : Allswell Farm by Chris Heaton
Allswell Farm was formerly called Bog Eggs (I wonder why they changed the name?!)


SE0028 : Wadsworth FP58 passing Hebden Bridge Equestrian Centre by Humphrey Bolton
Allswell Farm now provides horse riding and holiday cottages.


SE0028 : Wadsworth FP57, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
A bridleway crosses Latham Slack to reach the moor near Old Hold.


SE0028 : Wadsworth Bridleway 56 on the moor by Humphrey Bolton
The bridleway continues on the moor, but is indistinct; it is called Brigg Well Head Gate and goes up onto the eastern end of Bog Eggs Edge, meeting the bridleway that passes the spring and then continues to Luddenden Dean.


SE0028 : Gate on Wadsworth FP57, Moor Side by Humphrey Bolton
There is pasture between the moorland of Wall Stones Flat and Bog Eggs Edge, and it is crossed by a footpath.


SE0028 : Wadsworth FP59 by Humphrey Bolton
Various paths go along the lower edge of the moor. This one is part of the Calderdale Way.


SE0028 : Stones over a channel downstream of Brigg Well, Wadsworth by Humphrey Bolton
A paved channel, alongside a bridleway, collects water from Brigg Well Head Spring, which seems to have dried up. I suspect that it was made to channel flow to the reservoir. Why the stones across the channel?


Old Laithe Lane

SE0028 : Wadsworth FP58 on Old Laithe Lane, at Billy Lane, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
This is the driveway to Old Laithe, but is also a public footpath up to the moor or Allswell Farm or Old Hold.


SE0028 : Wadsworth FP58 on Old Laithe Lane, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
Further up the lane. It is easy walking as long as a car doesn’t come!


SE0028 : Wadsworth FP58, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
This is the path from Old Laithe to Allswell Farm.


Footpath from Billy Lane to Old Laithe

SE0028 : A boggy part of Wadsworth FP74, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
This path is not straightforward. I discovered the hard way that you have to start by going on the left side of the fence, not the right side as the map suggests. After turning right at the corner you come to this wet patch and then turn left.


SE0028 : Wadsworth FP74 going through a gap in a wall, Chiserley by Humphrey Bolton
At this gap in an old wall the path bears left to Old Laithe, where the path seems to be blocked.


SE0028 : Wadsworth FP58 by Humphrey Bolton
You can go round the top side of the house, but the path is rather overgrown.


SE0028 : A branch of Wadsworth FP59 by Humphrey Bolton
Alternatively you can go on this path eastwards to Dick Ing.


Footpath from Billy Lane to Dick Ing

SE0028 : Stile on Wadsworth FP73 by Humphrey Bolton
This path goes past the Acre Mill site.


SE0028 : Stile on Wadsworth FP73 by Humphrey Bolton
A stile on the footpath; Dike Ing is in the distance.


SE0028 : Wadsworth FP73 entering the garden of Dick Ing by Humphrey Bolton
The path goes through the garden past the house.


SE0028 : Stile on Wadsworth FP59 at Dick Ing by Humphrey Bolton
You can go along the lane to Popples Lane or go over the stile and on a field path up to Latham Lane.


Popples Lane

SE0028 : Popples and Popples Lane, Chiserley, Wadsworth by Humphrey Bolton
Popples is shown on the 1850 six-inch map. The house on the right looks to have been a barn, and has a small oval window in the apex of the gable. The lane is the access road to several houses and is a public footpath. On the right there is a stream in a deep ditch.
by Humphrey Bolton


SE0028 : A junction of driveways, Wadsworth by Humphrey Bolton
Here you can go left to Latham Lane and Keelam Lane, fork right on a footpath that passes Keelam Farm, or double back to the right down Dike Lane, which is a rough track.


Latham Lane

SE0028 : Wadsworth FP59 on driveway to Latham and Old Hold by Humphrey Bolton
This is at the top of the lane, just before it reaches the moor and joins Brigg Well Head Gate.


Keelam Lane

SE0028 : Keelam Lane, Wadsworth by Humphrey Bolton
The lower part of Keelam Lane is wet, and covered by rushes.


SE0028 : Stile on Wadsworth FP61 in Keelam Lane by Humphrey Bolton
Further up the lane is a broad marshy strip of land that was perhaps used for driving cattle or sheep onto the moor.


Dike Lane

SE0028 : Dike Lane, Wadsworth by Humphrey Bolton
Dike Lane between Popples Lane and Claytons.


SE0028 : Stream in Dike Lane, Wadworth FP61 by Humphrey Bolton
Dike Lane south of the driveway to Claytons.


SE0028 : Dike Lane, Wadsworth by Humphrey Bolton
There is a footpath to the moor from Dike Lane, It goes through the gateway on the right.


SE0027 : Stile on Wadsworth FP71 by Humphrey Bolton
This stile is on the path, which then turns left and follows the wall up to the moor.


SE0028 : A branch of Wadsworth FP71  by Humphrey Bolton
The branch path past Claytons has been blocked.


Bibliography

Colin Spencer, The History of Hebden Bridge, Hebden Bridge Literary & Scientific Soc. 1991
ed. Bernard Jennings, Pennine Valley - a history of upper Calderale, Otley, 1994
The South and West Yorkshire Village Book, South and West Yorkshire Federation of Women's Institutes, 1991 (see section on Wadsworth)

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