Foiling invaders: waymarkers at war
In 1939, with war looming, an Emergency Powers (Defence) Act was passed enabling the government to make orders as the need arose for the defence …
Roads and travel
Many interesting features can be found, especially in rural areas, which reflect the history of our highways: this section contains avariety of articles which do not always fit easily anywhere else,including:
Toll-houses: because these often stuck out into the road many have been demolished. The Society also records these.
Packhorse roads, such as our newly-restored section between Marsden and Slaithwaite.
Causeys – see the article on Trods: paved tracks, some in unlikely places; for example, if you look over the pedestrian bridge leading from Bridge Street, Holmfirth to Crown Bottom car-park when the river is low you will see a paved stretch of the river-bed – for this was the main way into the village some centuries ago (pictured below).
Highways Acts: a brief summary
The first Act of Parliament relating to roads was in 1555, and they have followed thick and fast ever since. This is a brief list …
More road history websites
The Internet has huge numbers of websites, or sections of websites, devoted to the history of roads – often created by local enthusiasts. Here are …
Mastiles Lane and wayside crosses around Malham
Mastiles Lane was a mediaeval track forming part of a road system connecting Fountains Abbey with its lands in the Dales and the Lake District. …
Roads heritage of the East Riding
The East Riding of Yorkshire is the smallest of the three Ridings and, unless you live there, a bit off the beaten track. It is, …
Bridge chapels: our first toll-houses?
In mediæval times, bridge chapels served an important function as wayside chapels for pilgrims. Mediæval bridges were often the only way of leaving a town …
A toll-house at Lepton
This house, called Bar Cottage, stands on Rowley Lane in Lepton, just east of Huddersfield. It is readily recognisable as a toll-house: it stands further …
Travelling around Huddersfield 1880-1920
The coming of the railways from the 1840s changed the shape of long distance travel; stage coaches and wagons were slow and cumbersome. However, in …
B6265: the road to nowhere
Anyone attending the Society’s Northern Spring Meetings from south of Hebden will probably have travelled on the B6265. It starts outside the church at the …