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Monk Bretton Priory, its history

Fred Thompson is giving an illustrated presentation on the History of Monk Bretton Priory. The priory was very influential in the early days of Barnsley and Fred covers this —and more— in his talk.

Fred’s presentation is on Thursday 1st May at 6.30pm. It’s in the Barnsley Town Hall Council Chamber. Everyone is welcome. Do come along.

We are hoping to follow this up with a guided tour of the Priory later in the year

The presentation will be preceded at 6.00pm with the BCT 2025 AGM. This will be kept as short as possible. We hope as many Members as possible will attend the AGM but it will be open to anyone prior to the talk.

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Barnsley Civic Trust talks: Spring 2025

On Thursday 1st May in Barnsley Town Hall Council Chamber at 6.30pm, we are pleased to welcome Fred Thompson to give an illustrated presentation on the Fascinating History of Monk Bretton Priory which was so influential in the early days of Barnsley. We are hoping to follow this up with a guided tour of the Priory later in the year.

The presentation will be preceded at 6.00pm with the BCT AGM 2025. This will be kept as short as possible. We hope as many Members as possible will attend but it will be open to anyone prior to the talk.

On Thursday 22nd of May in the Town Hall Council Chamber, at 6.30pm, Peter Cox will give an illustrated presentation on The Hull and Barnsley Railway formed in 1880 and one of the last large scale railway companies.

On Thursday 5th June but in the Miners Hall in Victoria Road, Barnsley, at 6.30pm. Dr Joe Stanley will give a presentation entitled ‘Five Shillings Per Day’: The 1819 Yorkshire Miners’ Strike and its significance to the formation of Mining Unions. This talk is made in the year of the 150th anniversary of the NUM office building in Victoria Road designed by Barnsley architects Wade and Turner.

Barnsley Civic Trust presentations are arranged in partnership with Barnsley MBC Archives and Local Studies. All are welcome to attend and booking is not necessary.

 

‘Women artists in Barnsley’: Thursday 20th February

A great presentation by a quartet of speakers from Art on Your Doorstep, appreciated by everyone present, and there were lots of us! Great research with really interesting information to share with us.
Thank you, Art on Your Doorstep

The history of ‘Women artists in Barnsley, their inspiration and influences, an illustrated talk by Hugh Polehampton and colleagues from Barnsley ‘Art on Your Doorstep’.

Thursday 20th February at 6.30pm in the Council Chamber at Barnsley Town Hall. All welcome.

‘The Lancasters, a Barnsley Dynasty’: Thursday 23 January

James Steverson, Barnsley Archives’ Project Archivist, gave an illustrated talk ‘Lancaster and Sons: A Barnsley Dynasty‘, was given by James Stevenson. Full of interesting information, it was much appreciated by those who attended.

This is the fascinating story of one of Barnsley’s most interesting and influential families, the Lancasters, who rose to become prominent auctioneers, valuers and estate agents for more than four generations.

This talk was first hosted by the Friends of Barnsley Archives in September but was rerun as an evening event due to popular demand. Ans some people came to hear it a second time!

Held in association with Barnsley Archives and Local Studies, here’s an image taken by Paul Stebbing of the event.

Joseph Locke, his life and legacy: Monday 17th March, 2025

Statue of Joseph Locke in Locke Park. St Edwards in background

An illustrated talk on the life and legacy of Joseph Locke is being given by Peter Roberts on Monday 17 March at Barnsley Town Hall, starting at 6.30pm. All welcome.


Who was Joseph Locke?

What did he do in his life?

What were his achievements?

Where can we see his impact on the world today?

Joseph Locke was one of the three Victorian pioneers of civil and railway engineering, alongside Robert Stephenson and Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Brought up in Barnsley, his legacy includes railways still used across Britain and Europe, and in Barnsley: Locke Park.

This event is the 2025 Bramah Lecture, sponsored by Barnsley Council, jointly organised by South Yorkshire Industrial History Society and Barnsley Civic Trust . We thank Barnsley Archives and Local Studies for their support. Everyone is welcome. There is no charge but donations are welcome.

Barnsley Civic Trust events, from November 2024

1 Saturday 16 November at 11.30am at The Old Bank (opposite the Town Hall). Join us for the unveiling of 5 Blue Plaques in Barnsley Town Centre.
The plaques, developed in partnership between Barnsley Civic Trust, the Eldon Street High Street Heritage Action Zone, Barnsley Museums and Historic England, commemorate notable 19th Century figures and the buildings they were associated with, in and around Eldon Street:
1 Thomas Lister, Postmaster, Poet and Naturalist – The Old Bank, Church Street
2 John Whitworth, Architect, Surveyor, Town Planner – 14 Regent Street
3 Ann Porter, Business woman and Barnsley entrepreneur – 58 Eldon Street
4 Matthew and Eliza Wardhaugh, creators of Barnsley’s first wooden theatre, – Parkway Cinema, Eldon Street.
5 Catherine Mawer, Master Stonemason, and Benjamin Payler, Sculptor,– Queens Hotel, Regent Street.

2 On Thursday 21st November at 6.30pm in the Council Chamber , Town Hall. A presentation by Rob Younger, proprietor of the Parkway Cinema, a site which has been in entertainment use for approximately 150 years.

The illustrated presentation is entitled ‘A lifetime in cinema; from Barnsley to Malta and back! incorporating the story of the Parkway cinema and its site’

3 Thursday 23rd January at 6.30pm in the Council Chamber , Town Hall. An illustrated talk entitled: ‘Lancaster and Sons: A Barnsley Dynasty‘ is to be given by James Stevenson, Barnsley Archives’ Project Archivist, which tells the story of one of Barnsley’s most interesting and influential families, the Lancasters, who rose to become prominent auctioneers, valuers and estate agents for more than four generations. This talk was first hosted by Barnsley Archives in September but is to be rerun as an evening event due to popular demand. This fascinating story is not to be missed.

4 Thursday 20th February at 6.30pm in the Council Chamber , Town Hall. A presentation on the Hidden Art of Barnsley. The talk will be given by Hugh Polehapton and colleagues from Barnsley ‘Art on Your Doorstep’ and will be about the history of ‘Women artists in Barnsley, their inspiration and influences’.

5 Monday 17th March at 6.30pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall. The Annual Joseph Bramah Lecture will be held in partnership with the South Yorkshire Industrial History Society (SYIHS) and will be an illustrated talk by Peter Roberts on The Life and Legacy of Joseph Locke the celebrated pioneer of civil and railway engineering, ranked alongside Robert Stephenson and Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The talk will include references to Locke Park.

6 BCT is in the process of arranging a presentation on The history of Monk Bretton Priory, to be given by Fred Thompson and also a guided tour of the priory and its site. The presentation will be in the Town Centre and arrangements will be confirmed.

7 BCT is also arranging an illustrated talk on the Barnsley Oaks Colliery disaster of 1866 which took the lives of 366 men and boys By Paul Darlow, the Author of ‘Black Snow’. This presentation will also be in the Town Centre and arrangements will be confirmed.

Watch out online for more information online or ask to be on our mailing list, or even become a member of Barnsley Civic Trust

Five new blue plaques in Barnsley Town Centre

Five new blue plaques have been installed in Barnsley Town Centre. Barnsley Civic Trust has been working with the Eldon Street High Street Heritage Action Zone —which has funded the plaques— to tell some of the stories of Eldon Street and its surroundings.

These include commemorating the work of the man who redesigned the town centre in the 19th century, John Whitworth, and celebrating the woman who brought the first department store specifically for women to the town, Ann Porter.

Here are Barnsley Mayor John Clark, the Mayoress, and the Young Mayor, together with Linda Burgess, Chair of Barnsley Civic Trust, and Jeff Lunn, the 2024 President of Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union, at the first plaque unveiling.

This first blue plaque commemorates Thomas Lister, Quaker, Poet and Naturalist, who was Barnsley Postmaster on this site from 1839 to 1870. As well as being President of Barnsley Naturalist and Scientific Society for 20 years, he was a prominent member of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union which had their annual general meeting in Barnsley on the day of the unveiling. Thomas Lister attended the first YNU AGM held in Barnsley in 1884, 140 years ago!

More information will follow on the other four plaques

Blue Plaque: Hungarian refugees welcomed in Barnsley in 1956

In 1956 and 1957, Barnsley welcomed 200 Hungarian refugees following the crushed Hungarian revolution; they found work in the coal industry. We are commemorating this with a blue plaque.

The Hungarian Consul General Dr L Risko-Nagy unveiled the blue plaque at the Miners’ Hall in Victoria Road on Wednesday 23rd October at 2.00pm.

It was another great opportunity to visit the stunning Miners’ Hall!

Dr Andrew Zsigmond, one of the refugees, told us his story and how he was welcomed in Barnsley.

 The Mayor of Barnsley John Clarke and the Area Chairman of the NUM, Chris Skidmore, welcomed our guests.

It was great to welcome some of the original 1956 refugees and their relatives to the event.

 

A Lifetime in Cinema: a talk by Rob Younger of the Parkway Cinema

‘A Lifetime in Cinema; from Barnsley to Malta and back’, a talk by Rob Younger, proprietor of the Parkway Cinema: Thursday 21st November, 6.30pm in the Council Chamber in Barnsley Town Hall.

Rob’s talk includes the story of the Parkway Cinema and its site on Eldon Street.

The site has been occupied by cinemas, theatres and other entertainment usage for over 150 years. This has been commemorated by a Blue Plaque.

Fascinating Stories of Eldon Street

The recently completed Eldon Street Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) has worked with the local community to uncover and celebrate the stories and often overlooked heritage of one of Barnsley’s most important historic high streets.

The restoration of the historic fabric of Eldon Street has also been part of the HAZ; it has worked with local businesses and property owners to fund conservation repairs to key historic buildings on the west side of Eldon Street.

Dr Tegwen Roberts gave an illustrated presentation on the ‘Fascinating Stories of Eldon Street, unearthed in the High Street Heritage Action Zone, on Thursday 10 October in the Council Chamber of Barnsley Town Hall.

Tegwen’s well-attended talk was really appreciated by those present: the council chamber was buzzing! Quite a number of us had participated in the HAZ and it was great to hear about its overall impact and the stories it had revealed.

The Eldon Street Heritage Action Zone was a four year joint project between Barnsley Council and Historic England, completed in 2024. Dr Tegwen Roberts was the Eldon Street HSHAZ Project Leader. Barnsley Civic Trust contributed to aspects of the Eldon Street Heritage Action Zone.  Barnsley Civic Trust talks are arranged in partnership with the Barnsley Archives and Local Studies..