Historic Halifax - February 16th 2025

Historic Halifax - February 16th 2025

HIDDEN HISTORY

The Heptonstall Cloth Fair (1750s)

In the heart of Heptonstall during the 1750s, one of Yorkshire's most celebrated cloth fairs brought life and commerce to the narrow streets. Every Whitsuntide, this ancient hilltop village transformed into a bustling marketplace that drew people from across the region.

The fair's importance went beyond trade. Parish records show marriages often coincided with fair days, as families from scattered communities could gather together. The Halifax Quarter Sessions records reveal that special licenses were granted for:

Traditional music and dancing
Ale houses to extend opening hours
Street entertainers
Food stalls
Temporary accommodation

Notable traditions included:

The Blessing of the Cloth
The Fair Queen procession
Community feast in Town Gate
Evening dancing at the Cross Inn
Dawn prayers at St Thomas' Church

Sources:

Halifax Parish Records (1750-1760)
West Yorkshire Archive Service: Heptonstall Market Charter
Calderdale Archives: Market Day Records
"History of Halifax Parish" by John Crabtree (1836)

Heptonstall History >>>

DID YOU KNOW?

Halifax's Ancient Wells

Long before modern plumbing, Halifax's wells and springs were vital to daily life. These weren't just water sources - they were gathering places, sites of folklore, and crucial to the town's development.

The most notable wells included:

King's Well (Beacon Hill)
St Mary's Well (near the Parish Church)
The Hangingroyd Spring
Lilly Well (modern-day Lilly Lane)

Each well had its own traditions:

Annual well dressing ceremonies
Healing rituals at specific springs
Community gatherings
Local customs and beliefs

Archaeological evidence shows some wells date back to Roman times, with continuous use through the medieval period.

Sources:

Halifax Corporation Records
Archaeological surveys (1950-1960)
Local folklore collections
Historic Environment Record
Ordnance Survey historical maps

LOST LANDMARKS:

The Old Vicarage Gardens

Before its demolition in 1959, the Old Vicarage Gardens were a green haven in the heart of Halifax. These Victorian pleasure gardens once hosted community events, church gatherings, and provided respite from industrial life.

Features included:

Formal rose gardens
Fruit orchards
Glass houses
Ornamental ponds
Kitchen gardens

The gardens were particularly known for:

Annual flower shows
Church fetes
Community gatherings
Educational visits
Horticultural training

Sources:

Halifax Guardian archives
Church records
Local photographic collections
Personal accounts (Halifax Antiquarian Society)
Town planning records

Calderdale Heritage Walks

View here >>>>

VILLAGE LIFE

Ancient Stones

On Midgley Moor stands a 6 ft 9 in high, plain, stone pillar – probably a boundary marker. The four vertical faces are each about 16 in wide at the base and 10 in wide at the top.

Folklore

In modern times the stone has become a focus for a number of local pagans and New Agers who visit and ‘use’ the site in their respective ways at certain times of the day, albeit estranged (ego-bound) from the original mythic nature of the site.

The name of the stone comes from an old legend about a milk-maid named Joan who, whilst carrying milk across the moors between Luddenden and Pecket Well, got caught in a blizzard and froze to death. When her body was found many days later, the stone we see here today was erected to commemorate the spot where she died.

HALIFAX AT WORK

Toffee Town's Sweet Legacy

Halifax earned its nickname "Toffee Town" through the success of John Mackintosh's confectionery business.

The story began in 1890 when John Mackintosh opened his first shop in Halifax. Historical documents show that by combining British toffee with American caramel, he created a unique product that transformed the confectionery industry.

In 1936, his son Harold launched Quality Street at the Halifax factory. According to Nestlé's archives, the name and characters were inspired by J.M. Barrie's play of the same name. The original manufacturing equipment is preserved at the Calderdale Industrial Museum.

Documented milestones:

1890: First Mackintosh shop opens
1899: First factory established
1936: Quality Street launched
1969: Merger with Rowntree's
1988: Nestlé acquisition

Today, the factory still operates in Halifax, producing Quality Street chocolates and maintaining the town's sweet-making heritage.

Read Toffee Town >>>>

LOCAL CHARACTERS

Percy Shaw

Some simple facts about Percy Shaw

Percy Shaw was a British businessman and inventor. He is best known for inventing the cat’s eye, the reflective block that is set into roads to make it easier for motorists to identify the division between lanes and the edges of the roads at night.

Shaw was born in Yorkshire in 1890 and worked in a local mill when he was 13. During World War 1 he started a business that repaired small machine tools.
Shaw learned to play the violin and flute at an early age.
As a youngster, he made extra money by selling vegetables from the family’s garden in the local village.
In the early 1920s, Shaw took his first ever holiday. He bought a bicycle, which at the time was a novelty, and cycled to London, a journey which took 3 days.
He came up with the idea for the cat’s eye when he was driving along a dark and winding road near his home. Shaw saw the eyes of a cat reflecting his headlights back to him.
In 1934, Shaw took a patent out on his device and created a company to manufacture it. The company was soon making over £1 million a year, partly due to the World War 2 blackout.
Percy Shaw even designed the cat’s eye to clean itself. When a car ran over the device, any rain water collected would wash over the glass surface, like human tears washing over a human eye.
Although the cat’s eye saved many lives, there was also some concern that they could harm people with epilepsy.
In 1999, a cat’s eye became loose and flew through a windscreen, killing the driver.
Percy Shaw became quite eccentric in his old age. He removed the carpets and furniture from his home and kept 3 televisions constantly tuned to different channels.
Percy Shaw’s simple invention has been improved over the years. A recent development has been a solar powered LED device which remains bright all through the night.