Conservation Report - Revision history

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	[[Conservation Report - Key Characteristics]]		[[Conservation Report - Key Characteristics]]

	[[Conservation ~~Repory~~ - Key Buildings]]		[[Conservation Report - Key Buildings]]

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	Draft April 2013		Draft April 2013




			[[Conservation Report - Religion and Non-Conformism]]

			[[Conservation Report - Education]]

			[[Conservation Report - Local Administration]]

			[[Conservation Report - Location and Topology]]

			[[Conservation Report - Key Characteristics]]

			[[Conservation Repory - Key Buildings]]




	1. Introduction		1. Introduction

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L7j1li at 16:50, 16 December 2024

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	~~'''Key Characteristics'''~~


	~~Strong sense of enclosure, narrow streets, pinch points, sudden views.~~

	~~Evolution of the village settlement over 2000 years, where the two packhorse routes into Lancashire from the Bradford area and from Halifax crossed the Luddenden Brook.~~

	~~The tightly packed huddle of stone buildings are the historical answer to the geological and climatic conditions of the area.~~

	~~The village later developed in a more straggling form up the valley sides.~~

	~~Traditional local building materials.~~

	~~Distinct village envelope with an open aspect to the north and east.~~

	~~An exceptionally close relationship with the tightly enclosed village and the surrounding and penetrating fields and woods.~~

	~~Number of key views and vistas.~~

	~~Good examples of local vernacular architecture.~~

	~~Local stone used in structures and walls.~~

	~~Predominance of two storey developments.~~

	~~Unique mix of building types and architectural styles.~~

	~~Local stone slate roofs on earlier properties and blue slate roofs from 1850s.~~

	~~Traditional window detailing with stone surrounds and mullions common, and transoms on some properties.~~

	~~Original stone paving, setts and walls.~~

	The Built Appearance of the Conservation Area The physical appearance of Luddenden, in terms of its structure and spaces, is due largely to the building materials available locally, the traditional local construction styles and techniques, the relative prosperity of the individuals living there at different periods in its history, and the need for housing for the workers employed in the local mills. The Conservation Area contains a mixture of buildings of different types, including houses from the 17th century onwards, although predominantly Victorian, as well as chapels and churches built from local materials in various architectural styles.

	Domestic properties are mainly of two storeys, and respecting the vernacular norms of design and proportion. These local vernacular styles predominate, with either narrow mullioned or sash windows, dependent upon age, and distinctive lintel details often making an important contribution to local identity and the special character of the area.



	~~Building Materials~~

	The principal and traditional building material in Luddenden is natural stone. Most of the buildings within the village are constructed of local stone, with either stone or welsh blue slate roofs, depending upon age. Most buildings feature coursed local sandstone, and this has often weathered and blackened with age, which adds to the overall character and appearance. In some cases, stone has often been cleaned and in some cases, strap pointed. Both stand out visually and affect the character of the area, as well as often damaging the stone. The practice of painting walls within the Conservation Area adversely affects the surroundings, and should be greatly discouraged.



	~~Roofs~~

	~~Locally quarried stone slate was used as the roofing material on all the earlier buildings, and this gives the roofline its characteristic colour and distinctive profile.~~

	This complements the colour and texture of the stone walls. Recycled stone slates of this type are now becoming quite rare, and when re-roofing takes place, other materials are often used. Chimneys are also an important feature of the architectural character of early houses and add greatly to the roofscape. Dormer windows are almost totally absent within the Conservation Area, and these should not typically be permitted. Similarly, end extensions to buildings should not generally be allowed unless they are of an acceptable design and usually subsidiary.



	~~Windows, Doors and Rainwater Goods~~

	Timber is the traditional material used for the doors, windows and gutters of the older properties in the Conservation Area, which date from the 17th-19th centuries. These materials used are liable to change, and many have been replaced by modern alternatives such as uPVC. Where early details have survived, they contribute greatly to the integrity of the built form and quality of the area. The glazing styles of windows depend greatly on the age of the building. Much of the glazing has now been replaced with uPVC double glazing, and many mullions have been removed. In 23


	many cases, however, re-glazing has been carried out in sympathy with what was there originally, and this is always preferable. The practice of removing mullions is generally detrimental to a building’s character, can be structurally unsound and should be avoided.


	~~Paving, Boundary Walls and Railings~~

	~~Originally, the village’s streets and pavements, if~~
	~~formally surfaced, would have been laid with~~
	~~stone sets and flags. A number of areas of~~
	~~original paving materials still survive, notably the~~
	~~whole of Old Lane, and the ‘ginnel’ alongside the~~
	~~river from the car park in the centre of the village~~
	~~to Spring Bank, both of which are setted. Many~~
	~~areas still have stone paving flags, and this is an~~
	~~important local feature.~~

L7j1li at 16:47, 16 December 2024

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	~~'''Location, Geology, Topography'''~~

	~~The Luddenden valley is set in the Pennine chain of hills. About 300-350 million years ago, much of what is now northern England was covered by a river delta.~~

	Large amounts of sand were deposited by the river, and at times the land was above the water, whilst at others, it was submerged. At the end of this period, the land started to rise in what is known as the Armorican mountain building period, and the Pennine hills were pushed up, much higher than they now are. The apex of the Pennines runs in a north-south direction. To the east, the hills dip down towards the plain of York, and there is a similar but steeper dip to the west. The Calder Valley roughly follows this dip slope to the east, whilst the Luddenden valley lies north-south, but with the upper portion deflected westwards, as the stream follows the dip to the east.

	The solid rock of the Pennines consists of an alternation of grit, sandstones or flagstones with soft shale or mudstones. This frequent alternation of hard and soft beds, combined with the easterly dip, gives rise to the characteristic type of scenery when viewed from a distance, as shown below.

	~~The Luddenden valley has been formed by the stream from the edge of the plateau cutting deeply into the soft rocks.~~

	Just below Luddenden, however, the region where the Kershaw estate is situated was formed much more recently. At the end of the Ice Age, perhaps 10,000 years ago, melt waters from a big ice sheet in Lancashire flowed down from the Rochdale direction and the Burnley direction to join at Todmorden, and thence eastwards, cutting out the Calder Valley as they came. The waters carried vast amounts of sand and stones, and when they had all flowed into what is now the North Sea, great piles of this rubble were left deposited in what is called glacial moraine. The round-backed hill between Upper Foot and the Kershaw estate is one such. Some years ago, when a garage was being built on the estate and foundations were being dug, a large, perfectly round stone the size of a football and weighing about 10Kg was dug out.

	~~This could only have been made perfectly round by being carried and worn away in water, similar to pebbles on a beach.~~

	The moorland on the summit is formed of recent drift material and peat. Below this outcrops a rock called the ‘rough rock’ and below this the millstone grit, where there is this succession of hard and soft beds of sandstone and shale. Locally, this hard layer of millstone grit is called the Midgley bed, and both the rough rock and Midgley beds have been extensively quarried in the Luddenden valley for flagstones and for building stones respectively. Even within the Conservation Area itself, there are small areas where this gritstone has been quarried to use in house building, for example at Snail Quarry on the left 50 metres past the junction with New Road on the bottom road into Luddenden, behind Quarry House.

	'''Key Characteristics'''		'''Key Characteristics'''

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	~~'''Local Government Administration'''~~

	As mentioned previously, Luddenden has always been in a slightly awkward position as far as local government administration has been concerned. Right from the time of the Domesday survey, Luddenden has straddled two administrative areas, with the Luddenden Brook being the dividing line. The area to the east of the river was in the Warley Township, whilst that part to the west was in the Midgley Township. The main administrative duties of the Townships were carried out by four main officials -
	~~the greave (or grave), constable, surveyor of highways and the overseer of the poor.~~

	The job of the grave was to organise Township work, collect fines and rents and present offenders in the courts. Because Midgley Township was sub-let, there was a Township court for those who transgressed in a small way. More serious crimes were taken to the court of the Lord of the Manor of Wakefield. Those who transgressed in Warley would be taken to the Wakefield court, although there would be local sittings in Halifax. The last Midgley Township Court was held at the Clarence Hotel in Brearley (now14 Brearley Lane) when Thomas Riley was Lord of the Manor in the 1850s.

	Minor misdemeanours would often be punished by the constable placing a person in the stocks. The Midgley stocks were along Towngate where the replica is positioned, and the Warley stocks were at the bottom of Stocks Lane. The constable would also place either seized animals or stray animals in the pinfold. The Midgley pinfold is on Chapel Lane at the top of the village, and the Warley pinfold at the top of Stocks Lane. The overseer of the poor was allowed to levy a rate on the annual value of land and buildings. An Act of 1723 allowed for the setting up of workhouses for the homeless and poor. Paupers who refused to enter the workhouse were then refused poor relief. The Midgley workhouse was just below the moor at New Earth Head farmhouse (still called Workhouse Farm by locals). The Warley workhouse was along Workhouse Lane just above Newlands Five Lane Ends.

	The modern system of local government began to develop in the 1850s. Elected Local Boards of Health, usually known just as Local Boards, were set up to deal with drainage, highways, street lighting and building regulations. They were allowed to levy a rate. The Midgley Local Board was set up in 1863, but was abolished in 1894
	when the Midgley Urban District Council (UDC) came into being, as did the Warley UDC. The latter only lasted until 1900, when it was absorbed into the Halifax Borough. Midgley UDC lasted until 1939, when it was absorbed mainly by Sowerby Bridge Urban District, thereby bringing to an end almost 900 years as a separate administrative unit. In 1974, the Borough of Calderdale was formed, which incorporated Halifax Borough and all the smaller urban and rural councils.


	The division of Luddenden for so many years had quite strange consequences at times. Children who had been brought up together at Luddenden School would suddenly find, at the age of 11, that if they lived at the Warley side they would go to a Halifax School, whilst children from the Midgley side would go to Calder High.

	~~Similarly, many other services were run separately leading to many similar situations~~
	- ambulance services, fire engines and so on. The advent of Calderdale certainly standardised this much more, although which way standards went depended on which of the previous authorities had the better service and which the worse.

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	~~'''Education'''~~

	It would appear that there was a church school in Luddenden well before the first school was built in 1825. In the Archbishop Herring’s visitation returns of 1743, it reads that “We have a school house repaired at the expense of the chapelry but not endowed wherein about twenty children are taught to read English, and catechism.”
	It also appears from papers relating to Midgley Township, that a school existed between 1752 and 1767. There is no evidence as to where this school was sited, but obviously no less than 20 children were being taught to read from 1743. It is also worth remarking upon the fact that the subscription library attached to the Lord Nelson Inn operated from 1776 and presumably was patronised by people who had had some education.

	In 1811, the National Society under the Church of England started providing schools under church auspices. The then curate of Luddenden, the Rev. Thomas Sutcliffe, who had charge for over 30 years from 1792, began to collect subscriptions for building a church school. The school was built and opened in 1825. By 1834, it was 13

	recorded that they had 40 scholars. During the first half of the 19th century, most children would be in work, and the only education they got was in the Sunday schools. The Free Methodist Chapel, for example, had Bible, Testament, alphabet and reading classes. Education was minimal in that children were only there once a week, but they were given a start from which they could go on to educate themselves. Evidence given to the Assistant Handloom Weavers’ Commission in Bradford in 1839 suggested that about two thirds of the adult weavers could read, but only about one quarter could write.

	The 1844 Factory Act fixed the minimum age for starting work as eight, and children under 13 were to go to school half-time, spending either the morning or afternoon in school. This greatly increased the demand for school places, and led to an extension at the National School in 1856. By 1872, the numbers were such that a second Anglican Church School was opened. This led to a re-organisation, so that the new school took in the infants, whilst the earlier school took the older children through to school-leaving age. The 1870 Education Act allowed the setting up of School Boards, who were able to levy a rate and build the so-called ‘Board Schools’. As a result of this, the Midgley Board School was opened in 1877. This was very relevant to education in Luddenden. There had always been rivalry between the churches, and right through until the middle of the 20th century, it was always the custom that children whose parents attended the Methodist Churches would go to Midgley School, whilst those whose parents were Anglicans attended the Church Schools.

	'''Local Government Administration'''		'''Local Government Administration'''

L7j1li at 16:39, 16 December 2024

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	Finally, the arrival of mass transportation using the motor car has led to a complete change in the population of the village. Whereas most people resident in the village until as late as the 1960s had lived here or nearby for most of their lives, and either worked locally, probably at Oats Royd or certainly seldom further away than Halifax or Hebden Bridge, now Luddenden is mainly a commuter village. Very few houses possess somewhere to garage a car, and all the roads are full with parked cars in the evenings and at weekends.		Finally, the arrival of mass transportation using the motor car has led to a complete change in the population of the village. Whereas most people resident in the village until as late as the 1960s had lived here or nearby for most of their lives, and either worked locally, probably at Oats Royd or certainly seldom further away than Halifax or Hebden Bridge, now Luddenden is mainly a commuter village. Very few houses possess somewhere to garage a car, and all the roads are full with parked cars in the evenings and at weekends.


	~~'''Religion and Non-Conformism'''~~

	The first mention of religion occurred in 1460, when Richard, Duke of York, gave permission for a Chapel of Ease to be built. At that time, everyone was forced to go to church on a Sunday by law, and the nearest was the Parish Church at Halifax. It is not known where this Chapel of Ease was situated, but in 1496 a licence was granted for a priest to say mass. In 1535, Archbishop Cranmer granted letters for a chapel to be built on the present site, and to be named St. Mary’s Chapel. Again, it is not known when this was built, but it is shown on Saxton’s map of 1599. In 1624, the chapel was given full parochial rights - the right to marry and bury people. In 1814, this church was demolished, and the construction of the present church finished two years later in 1816.

	In 1689, Parliament passed the Toleration Act, which allowed the setting up of Protestant non-conformist churches (those which shared the basic beliefs of the Church of England and had been approved by it). Non-conformist churches quickly began to spring up, particularly in the industrial areas of the north. The predominant of these was the Methodist Church, which had been started by John and Charles Wesley, who paid many visits to this area. In 1787, a small preaching house was set up in Luddenden, on the site of the present playground at the bottom of Halifax Lane.

	As this became more successful, a chapel was built across the road - Ebenezer Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, and was opened in 1812. Numerous splits occurred in the Wesleyan Movement, and in 1837 half the congregation left to build a Free Methodist Chapel across the road at the junction of Halifax Lane and High Street. By the end of the 19th century, the members of that chapel decided that it was too small, and a new, larger chapel was built across the valley, at the junction of High Street and New Road. However, the decrease in church-going during the 20th century eventually led to the closure of both chapels - Ebenezer in 1961, and what was originally the Free Methodist Chapel but which by now was called the Midgley and Luddenden Valley Methodist Church, in 2011.

	Midgley and Luddenden Valley Methodist Church		Midgley and Luddenden Valley Methodist Church

185.149.211.231 at 09:38, 13 December 2024

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185.149.211.231: Created page with "Luddenden Conservation Area Appraisal and Mana gement Plan Draft April 2013 www.calderdale.gov.uk Contents Contents .................................................................................................................... 1 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 2 What is a Conservation Area? ................................................................................."

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Created page with "Luddenden Conservation Area Appraisal and Mana gement Plan Draft April 2013 www.calderdale.gov.uk Contents Contents .................................................................................................................... 1 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 2 What is a Conservation Area? ................................................................................."

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