Holmfirth's Industrial Heritage Traditional Cache
The. Law: Although the cache is on common ground and was there long before the chickens, I don't want to compromise the chickens or put them off laying. Time to archive 😢
Holmfirth's Industrial Heritage
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Size: 
(micro)
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Part of the Historical Holmfirth series. The others are: The Holmfirth Tiger; The Holmfirth Floods; The Holmfirth Branch Line; and Holmfirth's Blue Plaques. This is a straightforward cache set high above Holmfirth with fantastic views. You are looking for a 4 inch tube in camo.
Holmfirth has changed so much over my life time. In the 1980’s when I worked in Victoria Street, Holmfirth still had half-day closing on a Tuesday afternoon and in the 1970’s I remember the July fortnight when Holmfirth was like a ghost town due to the mills being shut and the workers taking their holiday.
The textile industry was the backbone of the Holme Valley and in their heyday there were in excess of 50 mills in the valley, with many along the banks of the rivers Holme and Ribble. If you’ve done my cache ‘The Holmfirth Floods’ you will have seen that Holmfirth has never been short of water to power the mills!
Before the coming of the mills, and the industrial revolution, the textiles were woven at home on handlooms and there is still evidence of the many weaver’s cottages in the valley with their mullioned windows on the top floor. Holmfirth even has its own ‘Rattle Row’ to be found at the top of Bunkers Hill, at the back of the church. This was named from the noise of the constant rattle of the handlooms.
By 1806 change was in the air and in response to a government enquiry (yes they had them in those days too) the clothiers of the Holme Valley stated that the domestic system of the weaving carried out in the cottages was the best system adapted to the district. One of their recommendations was that the maximum looms in one building should be limited to five. However, the increase in power driven looms and cropping frames were making their impact and the industrial revolution that followed altered the whole structure of working class life in the valley.
The notorious Luddite attack on Rawfolds Mill in Cleckheaton, where two Luddites were killed, led to a revenge attack on William Horsfall of Marsden. Three croppers lay in wait for Horsfall and shot him dead. There was a large scale manhunt and this included Scotch Greys marching on Holmfirth looking for hidden weapons. Eight Holmfirth men were taken and committed to trial in York, but were later liberated on bail.
There has been a decline in the textile industry in recent years and many of the mills have now been: turned into apartments – Wildspur and Tiltschers; knocked down and houses built on them – Kirkbridge and Moorbrook; and turned into units for other industry – Underbank and Clarence, to name just a few.
As you sit and admire the spectacular view see how many mill chimneys you can spot down the valley.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Onfr bs fvyire ovepu.
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