Portrait of a Yorkshire mining village
SOME YORKSHIRE towns or villages are fortunate to have their own historian, who collects postcards, maps, books and other related historical items. Before his death aged
57 in 1993, Frank Shaw was the Carcorft historian. The area is situated between Doncaster and Pontefract. Frank and his son Andrew produced a book on the area – Looking Back at Carcroft (1986). I interviewed Frank before he died and some of the information gleaned, along with a selection of photographs, are featured here.
The name Carcroft is said to derive from Car (or Carr) meaning either a low lying piece of land subject to flooding, or a yellow-coloured sediment from humate of iron and exuded from bogs or coal deposits. Croft, an enclosed piece of land farmed by a crofter.
Whatever the explanation, Carcroft was a farming community for centuries until Bullcroft (‘Bully’) Colliery was sunk. This began in November, 1909, and the Barnsley bed was reached in December, 1911. Owing to the soft nature of the water-bearing limestone measures, it was decided to sink two shafts. Due to the large feeder of water amounting at one point to 8,000 gallons per minute, it was impossible to get enough pumps into the shaft to deal with it and carry on sinking in the normal way. In addition, the water was washing away the soft limestone between the two shafts and endangering the surface buildings by subsidence. For these reasons it was decided to allow the shaft to fill with water and freeze. The contract was let to the Shaft freezing Co., Ltd, of Great Britain. Sinking then commenced through the frozen ground.
Carcroft’s High Street was completely altered after production began at the colliery. Photographs show that prior to this time the thoroughfare consisted of mainly stone properties on one side, and trees and fields on the other. The properties included farms and cottages. Frank Shaw argued that some of the High Street buildings were of equal age if not older. They were built to house local labour. There was little change or growth for perhaps 400 years until coal was discovered. Farm workers turned to the pit for a living and the village grew to house the new workforce. When this occurred, many of the traditions of the old farming community were destroyed.Changes took place along Skellow Road, Askern Road and Owston Road. The latter two were formerly flanked by trees and fields, but became busy thoroughfares with houses lining their routes. Frank Shaw noted the approximate building dates of the following streets: Markham Avenue (where he lived) between 1911 to 1917; top end of Owston Road, built around 1918; Paxton Avenue, 1918; New Street about 1923.
During the 19th century, the Moon Inn on High Street was also known as the Half Moon and the Sun. Part of the building was used as a stable, a mortuary, and a store for market stalls. A new Moon Inn, built near the junction of High Street and Skellow Road, was opened on Christmas Day 1925. A photograph taken of the area just prior to the new pub being built shows gypsy caravans present on the site. Later, a section of the origianl pub was occupied by the Northern Upholstery Furniture Group.
Carcroft Village Club & Institute occupied a building which was once a barn. In later years, the premises were noted as Hopkin’s Temperance Billiard Room. During the Second World War, the building was used as a store (for gas masks and other items). Eventually the property came into use as George Allen’s Tudor Sales Room.
Carcroft Club (not to be confused with the Club and Institute) was built in 1914, and after quenching the thirsts of many miners over the years was considerably altered during 1990/1991.
Places of worship were also investigated by Frank Shaw. He discovered that when worshippers were attending services on dark evenings at the Wesleyan chapel, situated opposite Bullcroft Colliery, they took their own lanterns to be able to read their hymn books. The building has since been used as a garage, fish and chip shop, and general store.
Carcroft’s first school was built in 1879. It was a National School and in 1900 had a roll of 63, with an average weekly attendance of 50. In 1902, the school and school house were converted to form two cottages. A second school was completed in 1901/2 on a site in Skellow Road. During the Second World War, it was used as a kitchen to cook meals for the children of the neighbouring schools. The meals were transported to the various schools in ceramic lined containers by local butcher Tommy Bland’s van. The school was demolished, and a public library built on the site by 1965.
The foundation stone for the Presbyterian Church on Owston Road was laid in 1924. The building stood opposite the site later occupied by Carcroft Middle School. In time, after lying disused and suffering from vandalism, it was demolished in 1984.
Carcroft Cinema was at the junction of High Street and Park Avenue. It was designed by Doncaster architect, J Blythe Richardson and was opened during August 1924, with seating for 900. It was demolished in 1992. Other forms of entertainment for Carcroft people included fairs, and those belonging to Harness’s, Tuby’s and Doubtfire’s visited the village three or four times a year.
Probably one of the most dramatic events to occur in Carcroft was the train crash of 1945. The Bradford to King’s Cross express, with 400 passengers on board, was derailed owing to the breaking of a coupling. Most of the coaches were damaged, some severely splintered, and the permanent way was ploughed up for about 200 yards. Passengers were shaken but none was injured.
The main line at Carcroft was blocked for the rest of the day, and traffic, diverted, ran about 90 minutes late.
Frank Shaw had an incredible knack of finding all kinds of pieces of humorous, serious or quirky information concerning Carcroft. To round off, here are some which probably fall into one or more of these categories.
‘Creepy Hollow’ in Owston Lane was possibly a bore hole for Bullcroft Colliery. Frank argued this was quite feasible as test boring in this area began as early as 1864.
At one time, in Gashouse Yard, a bucket of tar could be obtained for between 3d (11/2p) and 6d (21/2p), and was mainly used for waterproofing garden sheds and railings
The ‘Tin School’ was built as a temporary structure in Skellow Road about 1908, to accommodate children from families arriving to work on sinking the pit.
Houses on Owston Road bear the date 1908. The road was formerly titled Corpse Lane!
The houses at the top of Markham Avenue are understood to have been some of the first built, for pit officials.
William ‘Billy’ Bryan started an ice-cream business about 1920. He made ice-cream in the summer and ‘hot plate goods’, including muffins, and pikelets during the winter. These were supplied to Marks & Spencer as well as for local shops.
Bullcroft Colliery closed in 1971; Carcroft NCB Workshops in 1985.
Most of the coaches were damaged, some of them were severely splintered.