Non-footy ....... interest in old buildings

About 1/4 mile from where I live is the site of an old mansion / country house that was tragically lost to time. I've been obsessed with it, and it's story for several years now. The land is owned by some London-based investment trust, so after 2 failed planning permission attempts, it will invariably get bulldozed in the coming years and disappear for ever.
Recently, I have met up with a few other locals to try and see what we can do to maybe preserve bits, find things and generally get people interested enough to keep in in public conscience.
I'm no archaeologist - I am not even sure if that is a term reserved for non-building digging (@JLWBigLil will know) but I have done my fair share of digging recently, before another Autumn comes along to reclaim even more of the lost glories.
Pic 1 shows the area we started digging at the weekend - based only on a hunch that part of the protruding stonework was indeed an old window arch.



The next pic shows the part of the house in question - the arched Office window with small doorway to corridor.



Which is a zoomed in bit of:



We uncovered not only part of the arch, but the small doorway to the right, the corridor and the top two of a set of five stone steps leading out into the courtyard. Those steps haven't seen the light of day since the 1950's when it was detonated.



6ft of stone and rubble, between 4 of us. Hope somebody finds it interesting, and I wish some of you lived a bit closer to me to so you could bring a shovel.

Thanks for letting me share ......

 

Where is it exactly

 

It's in a village called Gilstead, between Bingley and Saltaire.
The house was called Milner Field, and was the home of Titus Salt Junior (youngest son of the more famous Titus Salt). It was finished in 1869, he dropped dead in the billiard room in the 1880s and his family had nothing but bad luck after. As did subsequent owners, including the Roberts family (who built Roberts Park in Saltaire) and the Hollins family (who built Hollins Hall, which is now a luxury hotel in Shipley / Baildon. After the Hollins family left in the 1920's nobody wanted it. After being built with no expense spared, it literally rotted. The roof was taken off in the 30's to avoid paying tax, it was used for target practice by the Home Guard in the war years and was then flattened by two partially successful dynamite demolitions in the 50's. Since then, nature reclaims a bit more every year. So we thought we would do our bit ......

Sadly, as is the modern way, word gets out, and our efforts to clear the old conservatory of weed and rubbish has this week been met with the response of youths smashing up what is left of the tiled floor with boulders.

 

Developers destroyed more historic buildings than luftwaffe

 

Fascinating mate, thanks for that.

I live next to a small town called Askern. It’s not in great shape. There’s a few pubs, some pubs that have shut, a co-op, a bookies, a Heron and a few takeaways. It is fairly deprived.

I started reading into its history and I didn’t realise it was a prosperous spa town in days gone by, which would explain why there are some beautiful houses interspersed between 2 up 2 downs and social housing. From wiki:-


During the 19th century Askern started to gain a reputation as having water with healing properties. At this time the lords of the manor built the first bathhouse called Manor Baths. After this other baths were built, until in the late 19th century Askern had earned the title of Spa, and had 5 bathhouses; and the water could also be taken at the Spa Hydropathic Establishment.

Askern came to be the place to stay, and the railway was built to enable people from across the Pennines to come and partake of the healing waters[citation needed]. Many people were now coming to Askern by road and rail. Hotels were being built and guesthouses lined Station Road and Moss Road.


Coal seams were then found, it became a thriving mining town, Maggie came and the rest they say, is history.

 

One of the group started a FB page if anyone wants to watch progress.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1228446237987921

Before we started tidying conservatory:


All cleared, til yobs smashed middle tile display:



Ornate tiling round conservatory:



Tiled entrance to potting shed. The rubble to the right is the Billiard Room where Titus Jr. croaked. RIP.

 

Absolutely fascinating both Chef and Andy

 

Archway to courtyard, c.1900



Then in 1950's after demolition:



Then this morning, on my walk:

 

Is Saltaire where Titus wouldn't allow alcohol but provided a self serving community.
And certain streets were named after his daughters?
I'm sure there's a bar called 'Don't Tell Titus' ?

 

Yes he was a philanthropist, beautiful place. From my vague recollections of a-level geography he built it in response to the terrible conditions that workers lived in and so everyone that worked in his mill got a nice home to live in. I don’t know that about the alcohol, interesting!

 

Scale of conservatory; path was in the Orangery that led from house to conservatory. The tree to the right is almost the exact spot poor Titus expired.



And the intricate central tile display ....... until someone thought it looked nicer with a boulder effect :-( :

 

And the same view from the house down the Orangery path, back in the day. Billiard Room behind the arched windows on the right.

 

Your work here does you credit fellah.

 

That & inheritance tax. So many lost post war. When i worked at the V&A, I conserved an archive of lost heritage buildings, Spent more time reading than working. Many were too expensive to keep on & were worth more in salvaged materials & interiors. You could buy them ridiculously cheap in the 50s. it's sad, really..

 

Much appreciated. Thank you.

I find it all very fascinating, very sad and very humbling.

Little thoughts like the doorway we dug out last week. Who was the last person to walk through it before me? Who was the last person to stand on the top step? The grainy photo of that original doorway doesn't show enough detail, but in the rubble we found what looked like a rusty hanging basket at first glance. Turns out it was an outdoor light - with a little gas wick, similar to what you used to find in caravans. It is true that the house was built with gas and electric, a form of central heating (for the consevatory) and even ..... a phone with a direct line, from Titus Jnr's office to Salts Mill.

 

The old Cub Scout building on wellington street is lovely old building . Shame it's been left to rot .

 

Yep, spot on. All the streets are named after his sons, daughters and family. There is a bar opposite the mill called Don't Tell Titus, and there is a real ale pub called Fanny's at the top of the street. Right pub. It has been re-furbed recently but I met there with Gally, Loko and Hicksy (amongst others) first away game of season v Bradford City a few years back.
Titus himself like a tipple - he was already a mill owner in Bradford but struggled with workers absence through alcohol and poor health, so he decided to buy land outside the City and build a mill and model village. Although now a World Heritage Centre with about 2 million bars, he wouldn't allow pubs back in the day. He himself lived in another long lost mansion in Lightcliffe / Hipperholme called Crows Nest. He had about 9 kids, the youngest of whom bought an old existing mansion site called Milner Field. He had it knocked down and built the newer (now long-gone) country house above. He did keep the entrance staircase to the original 1500's mansion which is still visible today, and shown here. He was indeed a philanthropist as @Chef Tyke says, and he has a gert big massive statue at the entrance to Lister Park, Bradford:

 

I love your outlook !
I'm a builder, and a friend came over from France once, and commented that my work leaves a mark on history, and that things I've built shall remain for years after I've gone.
I'd never thought of it that way, but it certainly gave me a smile and food for thought .

 

Still doing it... a couple of years back in Thorne they got permission to demolish one of the earliest purpose built Police Stations (early 1840's) and a parade of shops from the 18th century... all to build prefab Subway/ KFC type buildings.