Northowram Historical Society

Northowram Historical Society Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Northowram Historical Society, Hipperholme.

A place where you can connect with Northowram old township historical content to either share your past stories and old images or link to our extensive archive.

A SPECIAL EVENT TO INTRODUCE FAMILIES TO THE PAST HISTORIES OF THE VILLAGE THEY LIVE INLOTS OF EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE DAY...
14/08/2025

A SPECIAL EVENT TO INTRODUCE FAMILIES TO THE PAST HISTORIES OF THE VILLAGE THEY LIVE IN

LOTS OF EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

CHILDREN’S PAINTING COMPETITION

The Painting competition is open to two age groups.

5 years to 10 years and 11 years to 15 years

The theme of the competition is to depict something or someone that is historically related to the past history of Northowram.

Some painting subject suggestions: Older houses. Working people such as quarrymen, weavers of textiles or coal miners. People who dressed differently in years gone by. Transport from the past that used the village roads. Oliver Heywood and the Methodists or a religious theme from earlier times.

There will be a prize for the winner in each category. Plus some consolation prizes for the runners up.

Please put your name and contact details on the artwork. Additionally adding an email address would be helpful to contact if the young artist/family who cannot make it to the Heritage Open Day on Saturday 6th September.

Completed paintings for judging need to be handed in on the morning of the Open Day from 10am to 12pm. Saturday 6th September 2025.

Judging will take place at 2pm by our guest judge, Jane Austin a well known working local artist.
Prize winners will be announced at 3pm on the day.

Paintings can be produced in a variety of media but must be the original work of the artist.

If you need any more clarification please email [email protected]

TIMETABLE FOR THE EVENTS ON THE DAY

10am Doors open.

On going events:

CHILDREN’S TREASURE HUNT - 10.00am to 2pm. - maps are available together with the answer form. This is a walk through the central part of the village from Heywood Church to Landemere Syke and returns by a slightly different route to complete back at the church. Approximately 60 to 90 minutes duration. Free entry. A small prize for the first 20 entries. All completed entries will go into a draw for prizes for both child and parents. 2pm for last entries to be able to hand in the completed answer form by 3.45pm.

Children’s Painting Competition - Entries received from 10am to 2pm. Judging at 3pm. Prizes for both age groups.

HORRIBLE HISTORIES - 10 minute presentation/talk at various times during the day in the Bentley room given by David Rawlings.

DISPLAY OF OUR ARCHIVE IMAGES AND ARTIFACTS

HELP WITH FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH- Our specialist will be on hand all day

REFRESHMENTS - available throughout the day.

TIMED EVENTS

PRESENTATION SHOWING IMAGES OF OLDER HOUSES OF NORTHOWRAM. 11am to 11.30am 11.45am to 12.15pm - A presentation given in the Bentley room by Mike Beecham, expected to last 30 mins. It will be repeated if there are more than seating allows.

GRAVEYARD TOUR - 2pm - Alan Rushworth tells interesting stories about the Heywood graveyard residents where some were heroes and some were villains!

JUDGING AND ANNOUNCING OF PAINTING COMPETITION- 3pm - Prize giving.

4pm - Event ends

JOIN US AT OUR NEXT PRESENTATION AT HEYWOOD CHURCH LOWER MEETING ROOM. THURSDAY 16th MARCH. 7.30pm START
15/03/2023

JOIN US AT OUR NEXT PRESENTATION AT HEYWOOD CHURCH LOWER MEETING ROOM. THURSDAY 16th MARCH. 7.30pm START

OUR FIRST PRESENTATION OF THE NEW YEAR IS ON THURSDAY 19TH JANUARY 2023.David Cant will be talking about the buildings o...
09/01/2023

OUR FIRST PRESENTATION OF THE NEW YEAR IS ON THURSDAY 19TH JANUARY 2023.

David Cant will be talking about the buildings of Halifax that started life as older timbered framed constructions and later stone built buildings that appeared due to the abundant raw materials in our area.
David is a an experienced historian who has extensive knowledge of many of the historic building in our area. It will be a fascinating talk which will feature many illustrations.
We hope to see you there on three night. Everyone welcome. £3 for guests, members are free, no charge for under 16s.

NORTHOWRAM NEW BOOK NOW FOR SALE - ONLY £15The Historical Society have just published a new hardback book titled, People...
23/11/2022

NORTHOWRAM NEW BOOK NOW FOR SALE - ONLY £15

The Historical Society have just published a new hardback book titled, People of the Twentieth Century in Northowram. It is in colour throughout and contains stories relating to people from the start of the twentieth century and covers 224 pages with 400 copies available. We have kept the price down to a minimum as it is selling at only £15. If it sells like our first hardback book it will sell out quickly. The previous book sold all 750 copies and now changes hands at £70 a copy if you can get one!

The content of this book features more social aspects and covers some amazing and interesting stories. Chapters include people stories from Heywood Churchyard. First World War soldiers from the village and their contributions to the war, a boys life in the village in the 40s. Changing lives of people and social change from 1899 to 1906 and shopping in the 1930s with older pictures of the village at that time. It concludes with earlier aerial shots showing the village before the building of houses took place in the many fields surrounding the village.

We will be selling the book at our last research meeting at Heywood Church Lower Meeting Room at 7.30pm to 9pm on Wednesday 30th November 2022 and at our Christmas Social on Thursday 15th December at the same venue and time.

If you prefer you can pick up a copy at Towngate stores.

Please email: [email protected] if you want a copy delivering to your door if you live in the village. We will do our bet to arrange it.

A LOST HOUSE OF SHIBDEN VALLEY - HAGSTOCKSShibden Valley has one of the largest selection of seventeenth century propert...
02/11/2022

A LOST HOUSE OF SHIBDEN VALLEY - HAGSTOCKS

Shibden Valley has one of the largest selection of seventeenth century properties in the Halifax area. Dam Head, Scout Hall, Staups House, Whiskers, Field House and Limed House to name a few are still visible and lived in properties. Some others such as Water Scout and Upper Shibden Hall are just ruins now. No evidence remains of High Sunderland a major property of the district. Also one other leading house that is very difficult to see any evidence of is Lower Hagstocks house/farm, a few bricks just visible in the grass and trees of the site. This property was situated on the opposite side of the valley from the Shibden Mill Inn to the left-hand side of Lee Lane.

The name possibly comes from 'hags' the old name tree stumps that would have been prominent when this royd was cleared for building on in very early times.

It can be seen from the images here that it was a beautiful proportioned house. At the time of this image being taken it was in a slight state of disrepair. A 'hen run' can be seen leading up to one of the blocked off windows of the main body of the house. It was an 'aisled house' design in which the main part of the house was open, with a parallel aisle at the rear and outside the main body of the hall but under the same roof.

Its history goes back to the Stancliffe family who built one of the first halls of the valley of which ruined parts can be seen attached to the back of Scout Hall built by John Mitchell in 1680. Lower Hagstocks house is shown in the hands of Nicholas Stancliffe in a survey of 1595, making it possible that this house dated back even further in time. Eventually it came into the hands of William Walker of Crow Nest, which resulted in the property coming under the ownership of Ann Walker, Anne Lister's companion and lover.
Upper and Lower Hagstocks together with two cottages were farms were leased to James Dean and Samuel Hebblesthwaite who were paying £25 and £54 as rent). There was a cottage listed as 'Oizel Hall' and this is likely to be at Ousel Hall on Lee Lane in Ann's ownership. It was sold later by the Walker family.

The demise of the property was more than likely due to the poor access by modern vehicles rather than horse drawn transport. Although it must be said that investment in renovating older properties like this one wasn't a desired option in the not too far distant past as it has been in more recent times. Unfortunately it was cheaper to pull it down this type of property. Mike Beecham. Chairman. Northowram Historical Society.

THE NEXT PRESENTATION IS AT HEYWOOD CHURCH FEATURING ANNE KIRKER TALKING ABOUT LAURA ANNIE WILLSON.This lady was born in...
02/11/2022

THE NEXT PRESENTATION IS AT HEYWOOD CHURCH FEATURING ANNE KIRKER TALKING ABOUT LAURA ANNIE WILLSON.
This lady was born in Halifax was a pioneer in the suffragette period and later was responsible for large house building projects and also involved in engineering. Please come along to Heywood Church lower meeting room for a 7.30pm start. Thursday 17th November 2022. everyone welcome. members free and under 16s too! guests £3. Refreshments available.

CALDERDALE HERITAGE WALKSInterested in the history of our area then please join us for a walk with plenty of historical ...
13/10/2022

CALDERDALE HERITAGE WALKS
Interested in the history of our area then please join us for a walk with plenty of historical facts.
Booking is not required, please turn up as directed. Walking shoes or boots are recommended. Charged at £4 per person.
On Sunday, 16th, Mike Beecham will be taking a walk round his home village called ‘North Northowram ladies in court’. Seventeenth century court cases of Elizabeth Baxter and the abduction of a young lady from Marsh Hall. With Landemere and the old Yew Tree Inn too.
Meet Mike at the small car park at the bottom of Baxter Lane. Halifax. HX3 7EF at 2pm.
The following Sunday, 23rd, Steve Crabtree is leading a walk round part of Southowram. Called ‘A walk around Bank Top’ this is a stroll around the village of Bank Top in the ancient township of Southowram. This walk will take in some of the history of the village, including Law Hill School where Emily Bronte taught, the story of Jack Sharp, some of Anne Lister's tenancies, the Halifax Beacon, and a former Observatory.
Meet Steve Crabtree at the War Memorial on Pinnar Lane HX3 9QQ near Law Lane at 2pm.
The Winter programme is now available on our website.
https://calderdaleheritagewalks.org.uk/atrium.html

NORTH BRIDGEA PRESENTATION AT HEYWOOD CHURCHThursday 13th October 2022.If you have an interest in the history of North B...
05/10/2022

NORTH BRIDGE
A PRESENTATION AT HEYWOOD CHURCH
Thursday 13th October 2022.
If you have an interest in the history of North Bridge the area where Northowram Old Township joined in to the Halifax Township....then please come along to our next presentation given by the chairman of the society Mike Beecham. Plenty of interesting facts and some older images, some that older residents will remember these changes to the area around the bridge. 7.30pm start with refreshments later. All welcome. We look forward to seeing you there.

Village history walk discovering Oliver Heywood connected properties. Thursday 18th August starts at Heywood church at 7...
10/08/2022

Village history walk discovering Oliver Heywood connected properties. Thursday 18th August starts at Heywood church at 7pm. Free to Northowram Historical Society members others £3. Under 16s free. Everyone welcome.

Our next presentation will feature Bob Horne who will be sharing some interesting images and stories related to Waltercl...
15/07/2022

Our next presentation will feature Bob Horne who will be sharing some interesting images and stories related to Walterclough Valley. This is the side of the valley that stretches down from Southowram towards Hipperholme and has lots of facinating history attached to it. Please come along to Heywood Church lower meeting room and join us at 7.30pm on Thursday 21st July 2022. Everyone is welcome.

The next presentation is this coming Thursday 16th June, not the 23rd as previously advertised. Our speaker is Kim Pears...
14/06/2022

The next presentation is this coming Thursday 16th June, not the 23rd as previously advertised. Our speaker is Kim Pearson who will be explaining further research about the Wainstall Waifs. Everyone welcome. 7.30pm start. £3 for guests, free to members and under 16.

Heywood 350th Anniversary EventEveryone is welcome to our special event on Saturday 25th from 10.30am to 4pm. We will be...
14/06/2022

Heywood 350th Anniversary Event
Everyone is welcome to our special event on Saturday 25th from 10.30am to 4pm. We will be having a small history walk that takes in houses associated with Heywood along Towngate and on to Baxter Lane starting at 10.30am. Throughout the day there will be old images of the village and books for sale alongside having a cream tea in the lower meeting room. Later there will be a small presentation by Sheila Graham at 2pm that will focus on the new book Sheila has just published about Oliver Heywood. Also another chance if you missed the Graveyard tour by Alan Rushworth that takes place at 3pm. We would love to see you all especially families who want to know more about the village history.

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Hipperholme

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