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Cottingley Farm fields
In the photograph Beeston corn mill is on the right and beyond the houses (Holly Farm), we see fields on the right belonging to Cottingley Farm which stretched to the beck by the corn mill. Later plans in the 1930's for Beeston Ring Road would cut several acres of meadow pasture to the east of the farm. Millshaw was the main route from Morley to Leeds, via Beeston and we can see big mills, tanneries and dye works in Millshaw Bottoms. The flatter route to Leeds was by Elland Road through Holbeck.Mrs May Entwhistle of Manchester remembered, "the old carriage drive, the fields we crossed after the (railway) level crossing coming from Gelderd Road. There were little field footpaths, my husband and his brother used to ride horseback and chase couples out of the field who were in the haycocks. We used it the 'short cut' from Gelderd Road over those fields from the level crossing. It was not very good in winter and my sister (was) molested twice with railwaymen working on the line. Remember all the rhubarb fields growing from the beck opposite the pit hill to the Wheatsheaf and Packhorse Inn. Don't know much about the farm animals, the milk was delivered by horse and trap to individual houses down Elland Road near the Peacock Inn, a family named Fielding was licenced.
Mrs Lily Atkinson of Barwick-in-Emete described how at the farmyard "We had a serious fire in the hay-rick, we had to put up the firemen in the house and mother had to feed them for several days whilst they were 'damping down'. We also chased courting couples out of our ricks but it was the field above the 'cat-steps' in front of Crows Nest Farm, that was full of courting couples in summer, we had a fine view of them from our kitchen window which overlooked Beeston.We were 'chapel' and once a year our parents would 'put on tea' for them (chapel people). We liked Cottingley, many a time we would stand at the top of the Drysalters track leading to our farm and sell biscuits and milk by the glass. We didn't like Beeston School, so we changed to Churwell School. People came to watch the 'Illingworth children' at work in the fields, we were given baskets of potatoes by father and sent off in rows, down field, heel a hole, drop potatoe in and kick it dirt over. Our younger brothers and sisters would say 'where's Mister?', so used were they to people asking at the farmhouse 'Is Mr Illingworth there?'
Did we have foremen? No! We had no foremen, father was boss! Thresher men were hired and at one time, a labourer had a room in our house. Father may have seemed a hard man but hard work achieved his success.
We were dairy farmers, that was our speciality! We had our milk cows and supplied Dairies, we had no local rounds. We had three work horses for ploughing, grass-cutting but these would also pull a cart. We had a few hens, sheep, no goats, we had cats and dogs, one was a cow-dog. We did keep a bull in one field but it would have been chained. We walked in our fields without fear.
Yes, we do remember the 'Coal Strike', people came and dug up our fields for coal, they also ate our turnips and even 'pitched out'. What could we do? We were helpless.
We heard of a dispute over a field which was rented to Snitalls Farm (Gelderd Road), on someone's death, they claimed it as theirs, so we lost it. In 1928, father bought another farm at Bramham Crossroads because the Council was starting to take land for a new Ring Road.
Mrs Westcott of Cottingley added this tribute, "there were cows and sheep, green fields all around with stone walls seperating the fields. It was beautiful in summer, cornfields one could see for miles".
This idylic picture was confirmed by Mrs Ingham of Cottingley, "we would help in the fields on the farms around here at harvest time. Many helpers would be needed for such as potatoes at 'lifting time'. I remember the long stone wall which ran around Cottingley, alongside Elland Road. Farmers would lend out their fields for picnics".
This rural scene had its 'scares', as Mrs Florence Jones of Cottingley describes, "once when my friend and I left Cottingley farmhouse by some other door, we found ourselves in a field with Mr Illingworth's bull, as we walked, it moved towards us, so we had to run for it and dive through a hedge".
In later years, Mr C. Woods of South Milford visited Cottingley farm, "actually my first visits to that farm were when I was four or five years old, accompanied by other and older members of the Wood family. My actual visits into the barn and other buildings were in the war-years, a bit before they were demolished. Everything was derelict and the tenant farmer using the land until each acre was used for pre-fabs and building, were not resident at that time. The medieval barn at Cottingley was joy to behold, the carpentry, not a nail used in those times, the actual trunks of trees, roughly fashioned with an adze, and plugged or notched with wood to other beams. The narrow look-out or arrow-slits, later used for ventilation purposes and not defensive areas. Yes, I recall now, more than twice visiting that fine old place on my walks, etc. Standing there, wondering imaginatively about the life and times of the people past. The New Hall or Stanks (Dewsbury Road), that barn too is another medieval type but I have not seen inside Stanks. In my opinion, for what it is worth, Cottingley Barn would be the finest, considering the outside architecture and inside for comparrison with New Hall".
Mrs Irene Nichols of Bramley remembered a feature of the farm estate, "looking across Millshaw, in the centre of the field was a huge tree. It was sad to see it go. The farmhouse could be approached from two sides up long dirt tracks. One entrance was at Churwell Bar side, the other at the Drysalter's. Walking up the track from the Drysalters side, one came to (two) farm cottages."
"In 1935, the Alan Cobham Circus gave trips in a bi-plane for 2s 6d and 5s from a Cottingley field, where the school is now", Mr Alf Inman of Churwell recalled.
Mrs D. Westcott lived in Cottingley Farm cottages, "the year 1933, was when I rented one of two farm cottages situated at the top of the hill and owned by Illingworth's farm nearby. From the cottage door, we could see who was coming up both lanes, one now Cottingley Approach, Cottingley Drive was the other lane and the old Drysalters Pub was situated where the new one now stands. We could see who was coming up the lane, my mother usually and my little daughter would run down to meet her. My mother loved Cottingley, having been born at Churwell. Life was very peaceful, though there was only a cold tap, no bath and just one door. Grass surrounded the two cottages, with a shared toilet at the back of the second cottage. In front of the grass to the farmgate was the farm stone yard. Two steps lead up to the housedoor, behind this was a staircase, shut off with a door. The downstairs room had a fire-range with oven and there was gas-mantle lighting. The cottages were damp and extremely cold in winter, with the second cottage un-occupied.We lived in the cottage and the rent was only a few shillings a week, I forget how much but we used to pay it at the farm weekly.No traders called although occasionally tramps came begging. It was very quiet and once while coming up the Drysalters track, there was a little bend so far up and in a dark corner where the field-wall fell back, a man was loitering. I shouted at him and hurried home".
Mr John Kay's memories were, "I think I remember Mrs Westcott living in the cottage as I was eight years old then and used to go to the farm. In one of the cottages was a family called Coggins, I think the daughter was Winnie and her father worked for the cleansing department".
"A family called Watsons lived in one", recalled Mrs Irene Nichols.
"Yes, the cottages were occupied when Entwhistles owned the farm. Tupplings family, forget who was in the other, I worked with an Elizabeth Tuppling for a short while, who lived in the farm cottages, her father being a foreman for the Entwhistles. I believe Fanny Tuppling was the one who married the Horning's (Crow Nest House) son". wrote Mrs May Entwhistle.
ENTRIES from St Mary's Church Register:
Tuppling George (farm foreman) and Mary Jane of Cottingley Hall farm cottages
a daughter, Fanny b.1903 - baptised 22.03.21
Tuppling Thomas (farm foreman) and Violet May of Cottingley Hall farm cottages
a daughter, Hilda May - baptised 30.07.22
Holt Alfred (joiner) and Mary of Cottingley Hall farm cottages
a daughter, Lucy b. 02.02.24 - baptised 06.03.24
"Mr Tuppling (George)" she remembers well. "He was very kind to my mother. Mary and Alfred Holt moved from the cottages to Churwell Bar", wrote Mrs W. Thompson (nee Bollen) of Moortown.
"The cottages were occupied in my time by either farm labourers named Coggins or Tupplings. The cottages were demolished approx. the time of the farmhouse and buildings", wrote Mr C. Woods of South Milford.
Mrs Lily Atkinson of Barwick-in-Elmete did not recall residents of the cottages, often they stood empty, "father brought a Tuppling from Bradford, he specialised in something. Yes, we remember Mr Holt, his family didn't live in the cottages though, mother and father felt sorry for them, so they had a room in the farmhouse. We remember the baby being born in the house. The tram crash had happened just before we moved in, we saw where the stone wall at the bottom of our field had been rebuilt".
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| Steve01 | Cottingley memories | 0 | Aug 3 2007, 7:26 PM EDT by Steve01 | ||
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Please ask any older people for their memories of Cottingley and add their comments to this page. Thank you. Steve Morrell - author.
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