Friends of Cleckheaton Library and Spen Valley Civic Society join forces to celebrate Heritage Open Days

Cleckheaton Library, on Whitcliffe Road, hosted an exhibition on Saturday, September 14, incorporating this year’s Heritage Open Days theme of ‘Routes, Networks and Connections.’

A display featured pictures and information about relevant Spen Valley heritage, showing the development of roads from Roman times, through mediaeval packhorse routes, to turnpikes and motorways, with a film showing the building of the M62, including privately shot cine footage taken by local people.

Other displays explained the heydays and ending of Spen Valley’s railways and stations, and mysterious clues, which are all that remain of a complex network of little mineral railways in Spen Valley. They transported coal and iron ore from small pits and mines to foundries and to the canal basin at Brighouse.

One section showed Spen Valley Civic Society’s latest project, the restoration of three heritage waymarkers, as reported by the Reporter Series last week. A fingerpost sign at Liversedge and two milestones on the A62 at Mirfield and Heckmondwike were unveiled on September 7.

The Society’s Luddite Trail leaflets and its ‘Out and About map for cycling and walking routes were also available. On show was a 1950 Raleigh cycle, beautifully restored by its owner Neil Walker.

Cleckheaton’s engineering prowess was celebrated with information about Phelan & Moore, whose factory on Horncastle Street produced thousands of Panther motorbikes. An actual Panther bike was on show. Both the cycle and the motorbike provoked nostalgia and memories in visitors, some of whom had worked in the factory.

Another Cleckheaton-made vehicle was Abel Blackburn’s Norfolk Motor car, of which 14 were produced. Memories were also triggered by a bus conductor’s cap, bag and ticket machine, and a railway inspector’s uniform, next to a display about Spen Valley’s buses, trams and trolley buses.

A transport quiz for children proved popular, and excellent music during the morning was performed by Kirklees Musica under the impressive glass dome of Cleckheaton Library’s roof, while refreshments were provided by Friends of the Library.

A spokesperson for the event said: “Over 150 people visited the library during the event and the feedback was very positive.

“The Friends of Cleckheaton Library group exists to support library staff, and to put on extra events which encourage residents to enjoy this valuable resource.

“The group welcomes local people to their Pop-Up-Cafe every first Saturday of the month, from 10.30am to 12pm.

“The next cafe event is on Saturday, October 5, while a Christmas concert is planned for Saturday, December 14, at 2pm.

“All monies raised by the group are kept at Cleckheaton and ploughed back into the library.”