Welcome to The Briercliffe Society Forum

I found my notes (silly me), so here's Roger's talk on Lane Bottom from last week (as best as I can remember it)...

Arncliffe (Hill End) was previously known as Honey Holes.
Thirsden also has a 'honey' connection.

Hill End House was large, had four chimney breasts and was built around 1680.
The Smiths owned it and the farm house behind it. They also owned Pig Hole and Lane House (as well as two other farms).
The weaving at Hill End House took place behind its many windows. http://www.briercliffesociety.co.uk/Pho ... %20End.htm http://www.briercliffesociety.co.uk/Pho ... 0House.htm

Once the Briercliffe family had died, the Smiths were the 'top' family in the area.

"Ext"(wistle Hall?) was built in thelate 1840s. http://www.briercliffesociety.co.uk/Pho ... 0Hall1.htm

The weavers from Lane Bottom went up the 'nook' stairs at the back of Arncliffe to get to work. http://www.briercliffesociety.co.uk/Pho ... 20Nook.htm
In Briercliffe, with one exception, none of the weaving buildings made weavers do their work in the cellar.

Briercliffe weavers worked with wool originally and thus they didn't need the dampness that the cellar would provide thus they did their hand-looming in their own houses. Upstairs doubled as both weaving room and bedroom.

The (modern day) Police Station is where Hill Factory was build in 1777. There were supposed to have been 20 looms there.

Thicker Biggins (aka Higher Building) is now the cottages on the left as one travels to Lane Bottom from Haggate. This was also used for weaving.
These were seven cottages originally. Three houses were 1 up, 2 down. Three houses were 2 up one down, and another was (most likely) just the one room. http://www.briercliffesociety.co.uk/Pho ... ldings.htm http://www.briercliffesociety.co.uk/Pho ... dings1.htm

Sandbec row is to the left of the police station. http://www.briercliffesociety.co.uk/Pho ... ottom2.htm

Barker Row was so named after the rent collector Mr. Barker who worked that row. He lived at No.12. Barker Row was once, and is now, called Sparrable Row (named after 2 spring wells).
There was a shop at the end of Sparrable row. http://www.briercliffesociety.co.uk/Pho ... %20Row.htm

Lane Bottom contained many trees. Rooks roosted on these trees, hence they were a very good source of rook meat!

The 7th cottage (an ex-barn) at the end of Banks was for weavers and was below ground. Six months of the year, the farm was used for...farming! The other six months it was used for weaving.

Walverden Road contained 4 cottages and an out-house convert.

"1848 mill - 1st one indistinct with all weaving on one level." - not sure what this refers to.

In 1869, the Briercliffe riots took place. The Rvd. Littlehales had kicked all this off by trying to shut down a few too many pubs; namely at Thirsden, Robin Lane and Slack Farm, which were all closed that year.

The Hill was a building containing three houses.
Holt Hill was a farm build around 1730. http://www.briercliffesociety.co.uk/Pho ... 0Hill1.htm

The Robin cottages had been known as Hanging Field and then Hindlefield. The 3rd of the cottages was the Dog & Gun Pub.

Hope this is of some use to some of you!

Great, thanks Stephen.
I'll try to slot the picture links into your text (where possible) later

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

Thanks Stephen.

_________________
Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

Not a problem.

If only minutes of work meetings were as fun to type up!

I've linked to he images within your post Stephen.

Thanks for the notes. Something I never think to do!

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

I can't *not* do it, really. Roger says such useful and interesting things, and there's no way I'd remember them any other way!

We rely on you Stephen to remember for us

_________________
Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.