P.T.Burniston

Could this be at the bottom of Old Pool Bank as it comes into Pool in Wharfedale? Chimney to left would be near the old mill and the hill rising in the background would be Almscliffe Crag.

paulburniston@hydrotecltd.co.uk

P.T.Burniston

Over the last few weeks I have studied carefully the detail in this photograph and have come to the conclusion that it is taken not on Old Pool Bank as I thought but on WEST CHEVIN ROAD looking down over Otley and across to Almscliffe Crag, the hill rising in the background. The photograph is dated 1900-1904 and is thought to be in Arthington. The road from which the photograph is taken is going down hill, a hill is rising in the background to the left of the road and a chimney to the left of the hill. This led me to think that the photograph was taken on Old Pool Bank. Almscliffe Crag in the distance, with the chimney on the left being the one at the mill on the right hand side of the main road coming out of Pool towards Otley. However working, driving and cycling around these parts, the alignment with the chimney and the Crag has not seemed right from Old Pool Bank and there are no indications of ever any houses being on the left hand side of Old Pool Bank towards the bottom of the bank as shown in the picture. So I have re-assessed my thoughts on the photograph. A chimney would indicate a mill, and a mill would need a work force. The only other chimneys in this area are and were in Otley, there was one at the mill on the Ilkley Road out of Otley, (most of which has been removed now) and there was others, there still is one at the paper mill by the River Wharfe at the weir. Any road going down hill with a hill in the distance in this area would have to have been coming down off the Chevin. This lead me to look at West Chevin Road which is doing just that and has Almscliffe Crag in view (be it threw the trees) and the potential for chimneys to the left of the crag. The house on the left in the photograph has a distinctive gable end and twin attic gables at 90 degree’s to the roof line. Building on right of road threw the trees, appears rather long and shows a possible gable end. Road is going down hill and bends left at the bottom. If the hill is Almscliffe Crag and the chimney one of those in Otley then West Chevin Road would be at the right location. Recently I went to look at West Chevin Road with the printed picture and while the tree growth to the sides of the road is quite extensive and you cannot get a clear view of Almscliffe Crag it looks very much like the photograph with the exception that the fence has been replaced with stone walls. Looking on Google Earth, when you zoom down to the West Chevin Road, you will find on the left, as this road goes into Otley, a house with a roof line that matches the picture (it has a gable end and twin attic gables), off to the right, a long stone building with an apex roof, (that would show as a gable on the end.) is used as a stables. If you zoom out and find the location of the paper mill by the river and the location of the crag they are in the correct alignment. You have also check the alignment with an Ordinance Survey map and the direction of West Chevin Road, with the mill chimney and Almscliffe Crag are in the correct alignment as in the photograph. Not certain which chimney this would have been. But I suppose I could still be proved wrong. P.T.Burniston

paulburniston@hydrotecltd.co.uk

S D Simpson

This is the bottom end of Creskeld Lane taken from the lodge below Creskeld Hall. I would suggest the chimney to the left was probably part of Browns factory at Riffa.

28-Feb-2009

steverhannigal@aol.com

P.T.Burniston

Well done S.D.Simpson,in spite of my Sherlock Holmes explaination I think I have been proved wrong. I had never thought of Creskeld Lane as I had no idea about a chimney that would have stood on the Riffa site on the Harrogate Road. I think you are absolutely correct, on google-earth everything lines up. House to bottom left matches, five bar wrought iron fencing to Creskeld Hall grounds still there. If you save the image and look closely there appears to be a horizontal line across the photo half way up the chimney - which would be the railway embankment and the viaduct across the Wharfe. Does anyone know the origins of the chimney and the Riffa site? I would be interested in knowing.

10-Mar-2009

paulburniston@hydrotecltd.co.uk

C. and R. McRae

The chimney in the background appears too close to be Riffa. It is much more likely to belong to Arthington pumping station, which would have been operating in 1900. This was situated at the bottom of Warren lane (opposite Creskheld lane).

04-Oct-2009

Not displayed

Nora Heslop

this is a picture of Creskeld Lane,coming down the lane from Creskel Hall.The gate on the left, is the garden gate of the head gardeners cottage .The house on the bottom of the lane is Home Farm .I lived their fifteen years.the trees I believe are now gone .The whole estate used to be a real show place ,My father was the farm manager when Mr Parkinson was living.He built up the herd and helped other farmers in England and Scotland build theirs into pedigree herds.It was a wonderful time for farming,Creskeld Herd won many ,many ,silver cups and ribbons,and was really a show place.The woods and bridle paths were wonderful ,not a bent or broken fence on the whole estate.I now live in Florida and have been back several times to Arthington and was shocked to see it, as it is today.Oh progress.Just ask Caroline and John. It is the pumping station in the back ground.

09-Apr-2010

DickandSue@bellsouth.net

Tom S-S

It is indeed Creskeld Lane a view from by The Lodge towards Cresked Home Farm. It would be wonderful to be able to return the farm to immaculate state it was in in my great grandfather's time but sadly the farm's income and the decline of the textile industry which funded the estate in its early years of my great grandfather's ownership does not permit this - something my brothers and I are determined to try and reverse! The avenue of trees has sadly gone although some replacements have been replanted.

27-Jul-2011

Not displayed