Industrial history that grew from ‘valley of oxen’

AS THE sun sets over Leeming Reservoir in Brontë Country, a chimney, seen here in shadow to the right of the body of water, hints at the area’s industrial history.

The reservoir sits just outside the village of Oxenhope, home to the terminus of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

A goods shed there is used for the restoration and servicing of the carriages used on the steam railway, which connects Oxenhope with the likes of

Keighley and Haworth, where the Brontë sisters grew up.

The name Oxenhope itself means ‘valley of oxen’ and is likely derived from the area’s original use; in the summer months, cattle were brought over from Bradford to graze in the area.

According to the Oxenhope Conservation Area Assessment by Bradford Council, from the 16th century, cattle farming income in Oxenhope began to be supplemented by the manufacturing of textiles.

Within 200 years, that industry became an increasingly important part of the local economy.

The document states that by the 18th century it was common for pieces of cloth made by farmclothiers or their workers to be transported to Halifax and sold at the town’s Piece Hall, today a Grade I-Listed building that is the only surviving example of a northern cloth hall of the era and is evidence of the importance of the hand woven textile trade around Yorkshire’s West Riding.

In Oxenhope, the years 1830 to 1850 saw the construction of a ‘second wave’ of textile mills, with almost 20 noted in the area by the mid 19th century.

With the building of Leeming Reservoir between 1872 and 1879, two of the mills – and a number of cottages – were lost.

But the reservoir was actually built in an effort to placate mill owners and sustain industry in the area after they complained their water supply was ‘compromised’.

As Bradford’s population and industry expanded, water had been diverted out of Oxenhope to serve the city instead.

Today, with views like this one, the reservoir is also a popular spot with walkers.

Technical details: Nikon D4 camera, Nikkor 24-70 lens, 1/400th second @ f10, ISO 250.