Harle Syke
Encyclopedia
Harle Syke is a small village within the parish of Briercliffe
, situated three miles north of Burnley
, Lancashire
, England. It was the home to eleven weaving firms, working out of seven mills. Queen Street Mill
closed in 1982, and was converted to a textile museum, preserving it as a working mill. It is the worlds last 19th century steam powered weaving mill.
. The main road climbs from the Burnley border to the small crossroads in Haggate, with a road between Nelson
and Todmorden
. The village dates from the late 19th century, when most of the weaving mills were built. The origins of the name Harle Syke, first used for a farm nearby are descriptive, Harle is a persons name, while sike or syke is a local word meaning ditch. The village itself is relatively flat rising to 800 feet above sea level. To the south is the valley of the River Don or Thurston Brook
and to the north is hill of Marsden Height, (270 metres (886 ft)) in Brierfield. The buildings in the village are predominantly stone-built.
As of 2011, Harle Syke has no public houses. There is a Church of England
church
.
Harle syke has direct road links with Burnley and Nelson, and is served by local bus services (111 and 112) operated by Transdev Burnley & Pendle.
granted to Edmund de Lacy
the Lord of Blackburnshire
in 1251, allowing him to use the area for hunting hare
s, rabbit
s and fox
es.
In the 1700s, the people of the area worked mostly as farmers and were major producers of wool
. There was also a coal mine (which remained open until the middle of the 20th century), that supplied coal to the rapidly growing cotton mill
s in Burnley
. In 1850 a group of men from Haggate
founded the first cotton mill in Briercliffe, Harle Syke Mill. They chose a site on farmland next to the road to Burnley, near a natural spring
and constructed workers housing close by.
The success of Harle Syke Mill (today known as 'Oxford Mill'), which operated as a Room and power mill
, renting out the space and power from line shafts to manufacturing companies, led to further construction. The new village of Harle Syke expanded steadily until World War I
. Harle Syke became the base of many Burnley cotton firms during the time when Lancashire was the cotton capital of the world.
Then, Harle Syke children would go to Haggate School, originally a sunday school
for the Baptist Church, was built on the site of the Haggate cricket pitch in 1882. Most at 12 would become part-timers at one of the mills, or stay on till 13. The school later became the village primary school, and was more recently used by Burnley College
.
, using coal dug at local pits. The word mill can refer to the building, or to one of the manufacturing companies that rents space in such a mill. For example, Haggate Weaving Company, shared the other half of a mill with Altham's of Heasandford Mill, Burnley. The buildings and engine were owned by a loom and power company called Briercliffe Mill.
Roland Kippax who wrote for the Burnley Express
, says that in his youth there were eleven thriving mills in the village, and named them as Harle Syke Mill, James Thornton & Co., Haggate Weaving Co., Althams, Hill End Mfg Co. (Loinbottom), Walshaw Mill Co., Frank Atkinson, James Hargreaves, Herbert Crowther (the last three in Primrose Mill), Mason, West and Bather (King's Mill) and Queen Street Mfg Co.
Of the mills Harle Syke Mill now called Oxford mill, and Siberia Mill is rebuilt as indrustial units and there are plans for some housing. Briercliffe mill is in use by various firms including for document storage, and similarly with Walshaw Mill. Kings Mill is now an antiques centre, Queen Street Mill is a Textile Museum , Primrose has been demolished.
and has never been moved but the second is preserved in the Science Museum
in London. The Queen Street mill engine is a 1895 single tandem compound of 500 hp while the London engine which came from Harle Syke mill is a twin compound with Corliss valves constructed in 1903 by Burnley Ironworks.
Briercliffe
Briercliffe is a civil parish in the borough of Burnley, in Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Burnley....
, situated three miles north of Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England. It was the home to eleven weaving firms, working out of seven mills. Queen Street Mill
Queen Street Mill
Queen Street Mill is in Harle Syke, a suburb to the north-east of Burnley, Lancashire. It was built in 1894 for The Queen Street Manufacturing Company. It closed on 12th March 1982 and was mothballed...
closed in 1982, and was converted to a textile museum, preserving it as a working mill. It is the worlds last 19th century steam powered weaving mill.
Location
Harle Syke lies at the edge of the Burnley urban area connecting it to the village of HaggateHaggate
Haggate is a small village within the parish of Briercliffe, situated three miles north of Burnley, Lancashire. The village is mostly built around a small crossroads, with routes towards Burnley, Nelson and Todmorden. The first buildings in the village date from the 16th century, when the Hare and...
. The main road climbs from the Burnley border to the small crossroads in Haggate, with a road between Nelson
Nelson, Lancashire
Nelson is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England, with a population of 28,998 in 2001. It lies 4 miles north of Burnley on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal....
and Todmorden
Todmorden
Todmorden is a market town and civil parish, located 17 miles from Manchester, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the Upper Calder Valley and has a total population of 14,941....
. The village dates from the late 19th century, when most of the weaving mills were built. The origins of the name Harle Syke, first used for a farm nearby are descriptive, Harle is a persons name, while sike or syke is a local word meaning ditch. The village itself is relatively flat rising to 800 feet above sea level. To the south is the valley of the River Don or Thurston Brook
River Don (Lancashire)
The River Don is a river in Lancashire, England.Rising on Peacock Hill as Hey Stacks Clough, the stream runs westwards to Black Clough Head where it collects Tom Groove and becomes Black Clough....
and to the north is hill of Marsden Height, (270 metres (886 ft)) in Brierfield. The buildings in the village are predominantly stone-built.
As of 2011, Harle Syke has no public houses. There is a Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
church
St James' Church, Briercliffe
St James' Church, Briercliffe, is in Church Street, Briercliffe, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Burnley, the archdeaconry of Blackburn and the diocese of Blackburn...
.
Harle syke has direct road links with Burnley and Nelson, and is served by local bus services (111 and 112) operated by Transdev Burnley & Pendle.
History
Briercliffe was named in the Charter of FreewarrenWarren (free)
Free warren—often simply warren—refers to a type of franchise or privilege conveyed by a sovereign in mediaeval England to a subject, promising to hold them harmless for killing game of certain species within a stipulated area, usually a wood or small forest...
granted to Edmund de Lacy
Edmund de Lacy, Baron of Pontefract
Edmund de Lacy was the son of John de Lacy, 2nd Earl of Lincoln. When his father died in 1240 he inherited his father's titles and lands which included Baron of Pontefract, Baron of Halton, Lord of Bowland, and Constable of Chester. As he was a minor his inheritance was held by him in wardship by...
the Lord of Blackburnshire
Blackburnshire
Blackburnshire was a hundred, or ancient division of the county of Lancashire, in northern England. It was centred on Blackburn, and covered an area approximately equal to modern day East Lancashire....
in 1251, allowing him to use the area for hunting hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
s, rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s and fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es.
In the 1700s, the people of the area worked mostly as farmers and were major producers of wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
. There was also a coal mine (which remained open until the middle of the 20th century), that supplied coal to the rapidly growing cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
s in Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
. In 1850 a group of men from Haggate
Haggate
Haggate is a small village within the parish of Briercliffe, situated three miles north of Burnley, Lancashire. The village is mostly built around a small crossroads, with routes towards Burnley, Nelson and Todmorden. The first buildings in the village date from the 16th century, when the Hare and...
founded the first cotton mill in Briercliffe, Harle Syke Mill. They chose a site on farmland next to the road to Burnley, near a natural spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
and constructed workers housing close by.
The success of Harle Syke Mill (today known as 'Oxford Mill'), which operated as a Room and power mill
Room and power mill
A room and power mill was a type of textile mill found in Lancashire region of England in the 19th century. Small businesses paid the owner rent for space for their machines, and power from the mill engine or waterwheel.-The System:...
, renting out the space and power from line shafts to manufacturing companies, led to further construction. The new village of Harle Syke expanded steadily until World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Harle Syke became the base of many Burnley cotton firms during the time when Lancashire was the cotton capital of the world.
Then, Harle Syke children would go to Haggate School, originally a sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
for the Baptist Church, was built on the site of the Haggate cricket pitch in 1882. Most at 12 would become part-timers at one of the mills, or stay on till 13. The school later became the village primary school, and was more recently used by Burnley College
Burnley College
Burnley College is a further education college based in Burnley, Lancashire.- New College Site :Situated on Princess Way , Burnley in Lancashire...
.
The mills
From 1850 cotton weaving mills were built in the village. Each was powered by a horizontal stationary steam engineStationary steam engine
Stationary steam engines are fixed steam engines used for pumping or driving mills and factories, and for power generation. They are distinct from locomotive engines used on railways, traction engines for heavy steam haulage on roads, steam cars , agricultural engines used for ploughing or...
, using coal dug at local pits. The word mill can refer to the building, or to one of the manufacturing companies that rents space in such a mill. For example, Haggate Weaving Company, shared the other half of a mill with Altham's of Heasandford Mill, Burnley. The buildings and engine were owned by a loom and power company called Briercliffe Mill.
Roland Kippax who wrote for the Burnley Express
Burnley Express
For the cricketer with the same nickname, see James Anderson .The Burnley Express is a newspaper for Burnley and Padiham, England and surrounding area. It is printed twice weekly on Tuesday and Friday - which is the larger edition. It has been in print since 1877 and is now part of the Johnston...
, says that in his youth there were eleven thriving mills in the village, and named them as Harle Syke Mill, James Thornton & Co., Haggate Weaving Co., Althams, Hill End Mfg Co. (Loinbottom), Walshaw Mill Co., Frank Atkinson, James Hargreaves, Herbert Crowther (the last three in Primrose Mill), Mason, West and Bather (King's Mill) and Queen Street Mfg Co.
Of the mills Harle Syke Mill now called Oxford mill, and Siberia Mill is rebuilt as indrustial units and there are plans for some housing. Briercliffe mill is in use by various firms including for document storage, and similarly with Walshaw Mill. Kings Mill is now an antiques centre, Queen Street Mill is a Textile Museum , Primrose has been demolished.
The mill engines
Harle Syke is unique in having preserved two of its mill engines. The first is in Queen Street MillQueen Street Mill
Queen Street Mill is in Harle Syke, a suburb to the north-east of Burnley, Lancashire. It was built in 1894 for The Queen Street Manufacturing Company. It closed on 12th March 1982 and was mothballed...
and has never been moved but the second is preserved in the Science Museum
Science museum
A science museum or a science centre is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, industry and industrial machinery, etc. Modern trends in museology have broadened the range of...
in London. The Queen Street mill engine is a 1895 single tandem compound of 500 hp while the London engine which came from Harle Syke mill is a twin compound with Corliss valves constructed in 1903 by Burnley Ironworks.