On Friday evening 9th September the Mytholmroyd Historical Society met for the first of its monthly Winter programme of monthly meetings organised by Rodney Collinge ,the Speaker Finder. The speaker for this meeting was Mr Peter Thornborrow whose title was “ 17th century Yeoman Farmhouses and oak furniture of the Upper Calder Valley. This was a personal story an old semi – detached farmhouse in 1979 on the edge of the moors above Hebden Bridge and gradually “ doing it up” and eventually winning a Civic Trust award for the Best Restoration in the North West of England in 1975 the European Architectural Heritage Year.
As a student he started buying 17th century oak furniture which in those days was relatively cheap and was looking for some mullioned windowed house to put it in. By accident and perhaps a bit of cheek he found this house in the Old Town area and it was to subsequently change his life. He gave up a career as a music teacher and soon his enthusiasm and a PGDiplo in English Local History was appointed Calderdale’s Architectural Historian and following his researches and various surveys was appointed the Historic Buildings Officer for West Yorkshire. He recently moved back from South Yorkshire to Mytholmroyd and is near to completing a book on “Halifax in 50 buildings”.
Peter gave a very interesting and enthusiastic talk to an audience of about 35 people and focussed especially on the part of the Yeoman Farmhouse he bought and two others. These were called Akroyd House Wadsworth ( Ak meaning Oak and Royd as in Mytholmroyd meaning a clearing; Peel House at Warley and Howroyd at Barkisland.
At Akroyd House Peter bought the wing of the house which was once the Parlour and he mentioned that Akroyd House and Peel House had the feature of a cross passage and an inner and outer door to shelter people entering or leaving the houses from the elements. The detail of the houses such as spine beams and blocked up doorways and passages by stone masonry etc and various oak furniture and their carvings are too extensive to detail here.
Deputy Chairman Mrs Margaret Collinge gave the vote of thanks and also in her introduction spoke that the Queen’s death which was marked by a two minute silence was in a way pertinent to the talk in that Peter’s talk brought together the Charles 1 and II reign with. her now successor Charles III
The Society meets the second Friday of each month in St Michaels Church Hall, New Road, Mytholmroyd at 7.30 pm. All welcome, members free and non- members (£3)
Mike Darke (Press Officer)
