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The timber-framed House at the Maypole stood for centuries at the junction of Old Market and Cornmarket in the centre of Halifax. In this well-known photograph (opposite page) from the second half of the 19th century it was in use as a chemist’s shop by William Dyer, who operated his business there for more than 40 years.

When plans were being made to demolish property in the Old Market/Cornmarket area in 1890 it was carefully taken down piece by piece, under the direction of John Lister, of Shibden Hall, and re-erected at Shibden, on the south side of Leeds Whitehall Road.

Lister, an eminent local antiquarian, researched its history and estimated its date as late 14th century but Halifax historian T W Hanson preferred to describe it as “a perfect gem of a Tudor merchant’s house” and thought it more likely the building was erected almost 100 years later, during the reign of Henry VII (1485-1509).

One indication of the later date is that the portcullis and Tudor rose – emblems of King Henry – were carved on the woodwork of the entrance.

The house bore the arms and mark of the Merchant Adventurers, perhaps the same as the ancient company of that name at York, and over the doorway were the initials S-O, which are said to denote the names Savile and Oates.

These might well provide a link with Shibden Hall, as Joan, daughter of William Oates, of Shibden Hall, married Robert Savile, second son of Savile of Elland Old Hall, taking that property into his family. After a lengthy court case Shibden was firmly in the hands of Robert and Joan by 1504.

Quite how much of the original structure remains today is open to question but certainly the building can be safely described as incorporating parts of the oldest house in Halifax.

The Halifax maypole once stood in the centre of the space created by the junction of Old Market and Cornmarket, opposite this house; hence its name (Princess Street did not then exist).

The owners of the House at the Maypole can only certainly be traced back to the early 17th century, when a butcher, John Haldesworth, lived there; he died in 1621.

Many of those who later This is Park Amateurs Rugby League Football Club, now King Cross Park ARLFC, in 1979. Standing, from the left, are Michael Curtis, Owen Howard, Kevin O’Boyle, David Finnell, Michael Martin, Dave Collins, John Anderson, Phil Broadbent, Phil Walsh, Graham Hellowell, Peter Twiddle, Martin Smith and Chris Broadbent. In front are Peter Robertshaw, Denis Parkinson, Michael Eggleton, Neville Hoyle, Mick Wolfenden, Dennis Gaze, Kevin Tomney, John Holdsworth and Bernard Finnell.