Category: Heritage

George Orwell’s stay in Barnsley: Blue Plaque and Talk

One of the most celebrated writers of the 20th century, George Orwell stayed in Barnsley in 1936. He wanted to see for himself the living conditions of working class people for his book ‘The Road To Wigan Pier’. He stayed at a house in Agnes Terrace, still there today.

A Blue Plaque commemorating George Orwell’s stay in Barnsley will be unveiled on Friday 26 April. The main event to mark the occasion is a talk at 1pm in the Miners’ Hall, Victoria Road, next door to the NUM building.

Edana Guest will give the talk about George Orwell’s time in Barnsley, his experiences and what he found out. Edana has written an article about George Orwell’s stay in Barnsley in the excellent ‘Memories of Barnsley’.

Her talk will be kindly hosted by the NUM in the magnificent Miners’ Hall in Victoria Road, Barnsley, next door to the NUM Offices. Do come along to this there is no need to book. Come for 1pm. No need to book.

The unveiling of the Blue Plaque will then take place later as a small event in Day Street at the end of Agnes Terrace.

It’s for invited guests in view of the traffic in the area and the space that is available. Safety has to be a consideration. See comment.

This event is being held in partnership with Barnsley Archives & Local Studies. We are pleased that members of the Orwell Society including Richard Blair, George Orwell’s son and Patron of the Society, and the Chair of the Orwell Society, Quentin Kopp, will be present.

Do come along to the tak at the Miners’ Hall at 1pm, there is no need to book. It’s open to everyone: booking for the talk is not necessary.

Our thanks to Edana Guest for all she has done to arrange this event.

The Rise and Fall of the Linen Industry in Barnsley’, the 2024 Bramah Lecture, given by Bill Gaunt.

Linen Weavers Cottages

Linen industry weavers’ cottages. Thanks to the Tasker Trust for the image.

In the period either side of 1800, Barnsley was the leading linen producer in England. This is the fascinating story of the linen industry in Barnsley and will cover the physical and cultural heritage of that bygone prosperity.

The 2024 Bramah Lecture is on Monday 8th April in the Learning Lab at Barnsley Town Hall, starting at 6.30pm. Use Barnsley Town Hall’s ‘Experience Barnsley’ entrance from Barnsley Pals Centenary Square. All welcome.

On this occasion there is a limit on numbers able to get in the room, so it’s essential to let us know if you intend to come. We can’t let people in beyond the capacity of the room!
Email allenparks22@hotmail.com to reserve a place.

The Bramah Lecture is an annual lecture commemorating the inventor, Joseph Bramah; it has taken place in Barnsley since 1999, sponsored by Barnsley Council. Barnsley Archives and Local Studies, Barnsley Civic Trust and South Yorkshire Industrial History Society are jointly organising this year’s lecture.

What was in the News about Barnsley in the 1800s?

A talk on ‘What was in the News about Barnsley in the 1800s’ by Josh Daniels. To be held in Barnsley Town Hall at 6.30pm on Thursday 21 March. Hear all about it!  Click on this post to tell us if you intend to attend.

Barnsley was flourishing in the 1800s —and the media knew the country had to be told of what was going on in this industrial powerhouse. This talk will go over some of the daily goings on and the major events that the press picked up on, ranging from tragedies, to successes, to places that are vastly different to where we know and love today.

Joshua Daniels is a historian, filmmaker, and heritage tour guide. Barnsley Civic Trust talks are held in partnership with Barnsley Archives and Local Studies Service and are open to all to attend. Tell us if you intend to come. 

Barnsley Canal presentation–Thursday 29 February

An illustrated presentation on ‘The fascinating story of The Barnsley Canal – its history and its route’ by Stephen Woodcock. To be held in the Barnsley Town Hall commencing at 6.30pm.

All our talks are held in partnership with Barnsley Archives and Local Studies Service and are free to all to attend. Non members of the trust will be particularly welcome . Booking is not necessary

Mining under Barnsley: NLS maps

One of the sources for Paul Darlow’s talk on Mining under Barnsley was the treasure trove of historic maps on the National Library of Scotland’s website, enlaced of course by Paul’s local knowledge and research.

Mining under Barnsley, a talk in the Miners’ Hall, Thursday 19 October

Paul Darlow giving a talk to a group in the Miners Hall

Paul Darlow gave a great talk on the fascinating history of the mining of coal under Barnsley Town Centre and the area around it. Paul Darlow is an Author, Historian, Curator and former Miner.

The talk was held in the NUM Miners’ Hall in Victoria Road, itself steeped in history and well worth a visit in its own right.

A Barnsley Civic Trust talk: Thursday 19 October, 7pm in the Miners’ Hall in Victoria Road, next door to the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) building. All welcome.

A blue plaque for Joseph Bramah

We celebrated Joseph Bramah at Wentworth Castle Gardens on Tuesday 12th September, during Heritage Open Days.

Joseph Bramah (1748 to 1814), from Stainborough, was one of Britain’s most important inventors and the father of hydraulic power. Amongst many other things, he invented a lock that could not be picked, a beer pump, a flushing toilet, hydraulic presses and devices for pulling up trees.

Barnsley Museums have the original 1791 continuous fire pump made by Joseph Bramah for Wentworth Castle, the first of its kind. It can be seen at Experience Barnsley at Barnsley Town Hall.

Barnsley Civic Trust and
National Trust Wentworth Castle Gardens.
Heritage Open Day: Free Entrance to Wentworth Castle Gardens
#BarnsleyHeritageMonth

Victorian Society visit August 2023

Barnsley Civic Trust welcomed Victorian Society members for a tour, guided by Allen Parks, of some of the Victorian and Edwardian buildings in Barnsley town centre and nearby conservation areas.

We explored the iconic NUM Miners Hall with Paul Darlow and this time called in at the home of Barnsley Civic Trust Chairman John Love for tea with Victorian cakes produced in Barnsley!

50 Buildings Talk on June 8th

— Views arising from the preparation of the book.

Many of us have views on notable buildings in Barnsley, new or old.

Here’s a chance to hear from Keiron Dunn, author of ‘50 Buildings in Barnsley’, a book in the “50 Buildings of” series.

Keiron is a former planner in Barnsley and intends to share his views on Barnsley’s buildings and the changes that have taken place over the years.

What do we think about:
—The merits of knocking things down, or retaining our heritage?
—Why some people love a new building and others hate it?
—The town centre after all the pain?

Keiron has another book in preparation and he would be interested in reflecting our ideas on Barnsley’s buildings.

Come along to participate in the discussion or to hear the views expressed. All welcome.

A short Barnsley Civic Trust annual general meeting will take place before the talk

Talk: Introduction of electricity to Wentworth Castle in 1886

The introduction of electricity to Wentworth Castle was one of the earliest.

Based on their research in the Wentworth Castle archives, National Trust volunteers Adrian Hughes and Janet Johnson will present a talk on the installation of electric lighting on site in 1886 – a fascinating topic bound to be illuminating. All welcome. 

7pm Thursday 11 May: Masonic Hall, Cockerham Lane, Just off Huddersfied Road near Barnsley Town Centre.

September will see the unveiling of Barnsley Civic Trust’s Blue Plaque to Joseph Bramah at Wentworth Castle Gardens in association with National Trust. 

Wentworth Castle —as well as Joseph Bramah— is an important part of Barnsley’s heritage and this talk arranged with the National Trust marks this importance.