Farnhill Village Web Portal

We thought you might to take a look at what other people have written about the history of Farnhill and Kildwick.

You can look at all the items or just read what we've just added - extracts from local almanacs.

Ever since August 2013, when we posted a short piece in our "Mysteries" section, we've been trying to work out where the building known as "Farnhill Wood Cafe and Cyclists Rest" was to be located. Many times we've thought we'd said the final word on the subject so this time we're going to be a little more cautious.

Read our current thoughts on Farnhill Wood Cafe and Cyclists Rest.

As we descend into deepest winter we thought it might be nice to look forward a few months to when snowdrops will grace the verges again.

Click here.
 

There are a number of interesting graves in the graveyard of St. Andrew's Church but perhaps the most impressive, although by no means the largest, is the so-called "Organ Grave".

In this article we provide answers to three questions about this grave:

• Why does the grave have an organ on it ?
• Who carved it ?
• Does the organ still exist and, if so, where is it ?

You can also read a short memoir, written in 1889, about John Laycock the organ-builder and view a video of the 1851 Laycock organ in Cowling Hill Chapel.

In our most recent update to this article we have included an appendix about Dr. John Laycock who has done much of the research on his family's grave.

The History Group has researched the retailers and the crafts-people in the two villages and have found that for over 100 years, between the mid-19th and the mid-20th century, almost all of life’s needs were catered for.

Click here.
 

Many local people will have seen the monument to Robert de Stiveton (Robert of Steeton) in the north-west corner of St. Andrew’s Church, Kildwick. Some may even have deciphered the Latin inscription: Robertus de Styveton obiit A.D. Mcccvii - which translates as Robert de Stiveton, died 1307.

But what if the inscription is a case of mistaken identity and the monument was intended to commemorate someone else ?

This update examines the removal of the monument from the floor of the nave to its present location.
 

A short piece on one of Kildwick's less-celebrated national champions.

Click here.
 

In 1738, Haworth Currer had the idea of creating a grand tree-lined driveway to link Kildwick Hall with the centre of the village.

This update has more information on the driveway plan including evidence of compensation paid by Haworth Currer for loss of pasture due to the trees.

Once the Kildwick estate was broken up, in 1949, Kildwick Hall passed through a number of private hands and was used for a number of commercial ventures. This article tells the story of the later owners of Kildwick Hall. It also investigates some of the people who were tenants of the Hall when it was still part of the Kildwick estate.

This update provides a large amount of new material resulting from our recent researches.
 

The 1846 tithe commutation document provides a lot of information about what Farnhill was like in the middle of the nineteenth century. We've used it to produce two articles:

The owners and tenants.
and
The tithe map (1845)
 

By the end of the 19th century Kildwick Church was in a bad way. At least one beam had fallen from the roof, smashing one of the pews below, and an architect reported that the building could fall down at any time. This article continues our researches into the work carried out to save "the Lang Kirk of Craven", and looks at how services were conducted while the church organ was out of action.