Myrtle Grove, Bingley

Last updated

Myrtle Grove
Myrtle Grove, Bingley.jpg
Myrtle Grove
LocationMyrtle Park, Bingley
Coordinates 53°50′48″N1°50′25″W / 53.8467°N 1.8403°W / 53.8467; -1.8403 Coordinates: 53°50′48″N1°50′25″W / 53.8467°N 1.8403°W / 53.8467; -1.8403
Builtc.1770
Architectural style(s) Georgian style
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameMyrtle Grove (Town Hall)
Designated9 August 1966
Reference no.1314271
West Yorkshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shown in West Yorkshire

Myrtle Grove, also known since 1926 as Bingley Town Hall, is a municipal building in Myrtle Park, Bingley, West Yorkshire, England. The building, which was the headquarters of Bingley Urban District Council, is a Grade II listed building. [1]

Contents

History

The Myrtle Grove estate dates back to the mid-18th century when it consisted of a house known as "Spring Head", a farm and an old Quaker meeting-house. [2] In 1767, Dr Johnson Atkinson purchased the estate, demolished the existing buildings and commissioned the current mansion which was designed in the Georgian style, built in ashlar stone and completed in around 1770. [2] The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with nine bays facing Myrtle Park; the central bay featured a doorway flanked by Doric order pilasters supporting an entablature and a pediment. [1] There were sash windows in the other bays on the ground floor and in the bays on the first floor. [1] The building, which also featured rusticated quoins and a high hip roof finished in Westmorland slate, was flanked by a stable block and by a coach house. [1]

Atkinson was one of the promotors of the Bradford Canal. [3] He took on the name Johnson Atkinson Busfeild after receiving an inheritance from his wife's uncle, Thomas Busfeild, in 1772. [2] The theologian, John Wesley, stayed at the house with him in April 1779 and referred to it as a "little paradise". [2] The house was acquired by a Mr Birch in 1805 and then by General William Twiss in 1810. [2] Twiss's son-in-law, Walker Ferrand, inherited the house in 1827. [2] Following Ferrand's death, the house was put up for sale again and was acquired by a local mill-owner, Alfred Sharp, in 1874. [2] [4] Sharp was one of the town commissioners and having already been instrumental in founding the mechanics institute in York Street, [5] he initiated a proposal on behalf of the town commissioners, in 1890, to take a lease on the mechanics institute, to establish a public library there and to convert the old reading room into a board room. [6]

After significant population growth, largely associated with the worsted yarn industry, the area became an urban district with the old mechanics institute as its town hall in 1895. [7] After Sharp died in 1896, his wife lived at Myrtle Grove for a while, but in 1908, the new council decided to acquire the whole Myrtle Park estate for the town. [8] The council progressively moved its staff into Myrtle Grove between 1923 and 1926, at which point the house became Bingley Town Hall. [9] [10] A council chamber, which was wood panelled, was installed in the building at that time. [11]

Myrtle Grove continued to serve as the headquarters of Bingley Urban District Council for much of the 20th century but ceased to be the local seat of government after the enlarged Bradford Council was formed in 1974. [12] It was subsequently used as offices for the delivery of local services by Bradford Council. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

Bingley Town in West Yorkshire, England

Bingley is a market town and civil parish in the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, on the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, which had a population of 18,294 at the 2011 Census.

Shipley, West Yorkshire Town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, England

Shipley is a historic market town and civil parish in the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, by the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, north of Bradford. The population of the Shipley ward on Bradford City Council taken at the 2011 Census was 15,483.

Baildon Town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, England

Baildon is a town and civil parish in the Bradford Metropolitan Borough in West Yorkshire, England and within the historic boundaries of the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Yeadon, West Yorkshire Town in West Yorkshire, England

Yeadon is a town within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.

Countrywide is one of the UK's largest integrated property services group including residential property surveying, a collaboration of estate agents, and corporate services. It employs circa 8,500 personnel nationwide, working across 650+ estate agency or lettings offices operating under 50+ brands. Countrywide is a wholly owned subsidiary of Connells Group

Cullingworth Village and civil parish in West Yorkshire, England

Cullingworth is a village and civil parish in the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. Within the boundaries of the historic West Riding of Yorkshire, it is 7 miles (11 km) west of Bradford and 3 miles (5 km) south of Keighley. The surrounding countryside is mainly used for sheep and cattle farming, with areas of moorland lying to the north and west.

Rawdon, West Yorkshire Village and civil parish in West Yorkshire, England

Rawdon is a village and civil parish in the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It sits on the River Aire and on the A65 south of Yeadon.

Church of All Saints, Bingley Anglican church in Bingley, West Yorkshire, England

Church of All Saints is the Anglican parish church in the town of Bingley, West Yorkshire, England. It is one of two Anglican churches in the town, the other being Holy Trinity. All Saints has existed since Norman times and it is set in the oldest part of the town, near to where the River Aire is crossed by Ireland Bridge.

Ireland Bridge Listed bridge in West Yorkshire, England

Bingley's Ireland Bridge is a Grade II* listed structure and a historically significant crossing point over the River Aire in West Yorkshire, England. It is now the main route between Bingley & the nearby villages of Harden, Wilsden & Cullingworth.

East Morton Human settlement in England

East Morton is a small village which lies 2 miles (3 km) north of Bingley and 2.5 miles (4 km) east of Keighley, in the county of West Yorkshire, England. The small hamlet of West Morton lies 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north west. The village has a population of 1,169 according to the 2011 census.

Cottingley, Bradford Village in West Yorkshire, England

Cottingley is a suburban village within the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England between Shipley and Bingley. It is known for the Cottingley Fairies, which appeared in a series of photographs taken there during the early 20th century.

William Twiss

General William Twiss,, was a British Army Royal Engineer, responsible for the design of many military defences.

Bingley St Ives

Bingley St. Ives, or St. Ives Estate is a 550-acre (2.2 km2) country park and former estate between Bingley and Harden in West Yorkshire, England now owned by Bradford Council. The park has Grade II listing in the English Heritage National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Interest. The park has been given Accredited Country Park status by Natural England.

William Busfield was an English politician, Whig Member of Parliament for Bradford from 1837 to his death.

Bradford Libraries Library service in Yorkshire, England

Bradford Libraries is a public library service serving the City of Bradford Metropolitan district in West Yorkshire, England. There are 30 libraries including City Library in Bradford city centre. There is also a Local Studies and Archives Library in separate premises in the City Centre.

Harden Moor Moorland in West Yorkshire, England

Harden Moor is an expanse of moorland that lies north of the village of Harden in West Yorkshire, England. The moor encompasses stretches of heather, woodland and former quarry workings and is bordered by Airedale to the east, the Worth Valley to the north and Catstones Moor and the village of Cullingworth to the west. Historically, Harden Moor occupied the high ground between Bingley, Keighley, Cullingworth and Harden. Altar Lane, an unmade road which runs from the Brown Cow Inn in Bingley to Keighley Road on Harden Moor is an unofficial border between the estate of St Ives and Harden Moor, but when the St Ives Estate was created, a large swathe of Harden Moor was taken over.

Bingley Urban District Council Former council in West Yorkshire, England

Bingley Urban District Council (BUDC), was the council for the town of Bingley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, and its surrounding areas for 80 years between 1894 and 1974. It had replaced an Improvement Commissioners council, and the BUDC itself was replaced in 1974, by the newly formed Bradford Metropolitan District Council. The urban council had a responsibility for many local interests, including fire service and medical provision, that are now the remit of regional or national agencies.

Pudsey Town Hall Municipal building in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, England

Pudsey Town Hall is a municipal building in Robin Lane, Pudsey, West Yorkshire, England. The town hall was the headquarters of Pudsey Urban District Council from 1912 to 1974.

Silsden Town Hall Municipal building in Silsden, West Yorkshire, England

Silsden Town Hall is a municipal building in Kirkgate, Silsden, West Yorkshire, England. The town hall is the meeting place of Silsden Town Council.

Shipley Town Hall Municipal building in Shipley, West Yorkshire, England

Shipley Town Hall is a municipal structure in Kirkgate in Shipley, West Yorkshire, England. It was the headquarters of Shipley Urban District Council.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Historic England. "Myrtle Grove (Town Hall) (1314271)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Speight, Harry (1898). "Chronicles and Stories of Old Bingley". Elliot Stock. pp. 320–323.
  3. ↑ Allison, John (1999). "The Bradford Canal - The First Promoters". The Bradford Antiquary, the journal of the Bradford Historical and Antiquarian Society. pp. 3–15. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  4. ↑ "Alfred Sharp" (PDF). Bingley Directory. 1 March 2019. p. 10. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  5. ↑ Historic England. "Mechanics Institute (1314306)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  6. ↑ Turner, J. Horsfall (1897). "Ancient Bingley: or, Bingley, its history and scenery". Thomas Harrison and Sons. pp. 259–260.
  7. ↑ "Bingley UD". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  8. ↑ Cattell, Alan (2016). Bingley, a Living History. Halifax: Chris Thorpe Graphic Design. p. 42. ISBN   978-0-9956437-0-3.
  9. ↑ Cattell 2016, pp. 74–75
  10. ↑ "Myrtle Grove". Bradford Telegraph & Argus. 1926. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  11. 1 2 "Myrtle Park in Bingley". Bingley Walkers are Welcome. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  12. ↑ Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN   0-10-547072-4.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.