Buildings Timeline, Cottages, School, Churches,War Memorial, Women’s War Work, Social Groups, Harpur Hill Club, Parks.

Note: Spellings are as written on a map or in each census.

A Buildings Timeline from 1900 is to be added when construction dates for certain houses have been confirmed. If you have any dates please contact me via email using the “Comments” tag at the bottom of the Home page.

A drawing of “The Harpur Hill Village 1885”

The Cottages and who lived in them.

Old Row, Cross Row, Fiddle Row, Rock Bank Cottages, Hoffman Row,
Burlow Cottages, Bentleys Cottages, Haslin Row, Temple View, Kiln Cottages
Cinder Row, Ash Hillock Cottages

In 1936 Kiln Cottages had become Cinder Row

The houses along Lee Dale were built in 1932. The photograph below shows preparations for the Carnival Day Queen thought to be around 1950.

 

Harpur Hill School

The building was opened in 1876 as a combined school and church paid for by Buxton Lime Firm.

Kellys Directory of Derbyshire 1899 “Harpur Hill Board School, erected in 1876 and enlarged in 1898 at a cost of £500 for 180 children, average attendance 130. Supported solely by the Buxton Lime Firms Company Ltd.”

 Mr. Waterfall was headmaster at Harpur Hill School 1909-1927. He is pictured here with his wife in the Pavilion Gardens 1920.

Extract from the Buxton Advertiser September 5th 1908. Break in at St. James Church.
This must have taken place at the school as the church had not then been built.

In 1903 construction of the lynchgate and graveyard wall were completed. At the time this ground was annexed to the school where church services were held before St. James’ was built and consecrated in 1910. 

 

Harpur Hill Methodist Church

1864 – 1867 Methodist Society held meetings at Haslin House
1867 Meetings held in the village meeting room over Wains general store 13 & 14 Old Row
(as did Church and Wesleyans)
1888 Funds from £10 Duke of Dev, £10 Colonel Sidebottom, £100 BLF.
Church built by the Wesleyans. Methodist Chapel built. Total cost was £314.
1889 30th January 1989 Chapel opened.

1894 grave yard added – only Methodist Chapel in the Buxton district to have a graveyard.

1894 August 31st first burial John Greatorex 75 and Ellen Greatorex 66 (headstones shown above)

1895 Burials included the following children:
16th April Mary Greatorex 2 yrs,
27th April Lena Drabble 2 yrs,
9th May Noah Hambleton 8 yrs,
24th October Simeon Riley 3 mths,
16th December Joseph Ball 14 mths,
29th December Mary Bramwell 16mths.

1895 18th April 1st baptism Ellen Williams b 26th Feb 1895

St. James’ Church

1909 Ground donated by Duke of Devonshire with a promise of £1020 towards construction.
Building started at an estimated cost of £1400

1910 New church completed and consecrated. Total cost £2092

St. James’ Church Sunday School

St.James’ Church Choir 1919-21

Unveiling the Memorial Clock 1922

 

 

Harpur’s Tribute to Fallen Heros

1922 Sunday 17th September a clock and bronze tablet unveiled at St. James’ Church.

“A fitting memorial to the thirteen men of Harpur Hill who gave their lives in the Great War”

 

War Memorial

1924 Memorial built using a 9 ton boulder from Hoffman Quarry.
1928 The Memorial was unveiled, dedicated and handed over to the village of Harpur Hill.
2003 Carol Gilman and her mother Betty Lindsay successfully campaigned to have the memorial made a Grade 2 listed structure.

Below is a letter from the Department of Culture Media and Sport confirming the status of the memorial.

It is hoped that photographs of all thirteen soldiers can be added to the montage below.

If you can help provide photographs of any of the 11 remaining soldiers please contact me via email using the “Comments” tag at the bottom of the Home page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cleaning memorial date unknown. L to r Betty Merrick, Mary Grundy, Shirley Ellis, Betty Lindsey, Edith Owen.

Harpur Hill St. Johns Ambulance 1937.

Harpur Hill St. Johns Ambulance 1950s.

 

Women’s War Work

During the Great War Buxton Lime Firm financed and co-ordinated a Cottage Gardens Association and Women War Workers Legion.

Both had sections in Harpur Hill.

The photograph below is taken from what is now the playing fields at Haslin. The huts were used by the Women War Workers and later used as workshops and stores for the construction workers building houses in the area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cottage Garden Association encouraged children to help. This photograph (ca 1916) was taken opposite the war memorial ( not yet then erected) , the Methodist Chapel wall and Barkers Hill can be seen on the right.The two tallest lads standing back left have been identified as Walter Wain and Albert Askey the names of many of the other children can be found on the “Peoples” page.

 

Harpur Hill Club

Extract from Notes on the History of Lime Division I.C.I C.B.Taylor July 1958.

1919 BLF purchased a galvanised iron hut and facilities for billiards etc. were provided by the members themselves. The “Institute” became the centre of recreational and social activities.
1929 July 1st I.C.I Lime Harpur Hill Recreational Club was formed. I.C.I added an extension so the club now had a billiard room, bar, and large hall for dances etc. Membership was open to all as most of the community worked for I.C.I.
1938 Too many non-I.C.I members so they were “disenfranchised”.
1950 I.C.I. employees in the village had decreased so the premises were sold to the “club” and handed over in July.

Harpur Hill Club 1938

Mr. L.B.Ryder unveiling the Roll of Honour in Harpur Hill Recreation Club in the 1960s.

June 1946 V.J.Day celebrations in Harpur Hill Institute

Audience at a concert in Harpur Hill Institute c.1950

Harpur Hill Musical and Drama Society formed in 1928

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whodunnitt in Harpur Hill Institute? “Constable” Askey is taking notes.

 

 Parks Inn

Date when built unknown.
1841 census the “head” is a farmer. The 1851 census shows him as a victualler.
1842 map shows “Park Chain”. The map also shows a “Moss Chain”. What “Chain” refers to in this case is unknown, but it may be a stop point on the toll road.
1894 the buildings and grounds of the Parks Inn are owned by Buxton Lime Firm.
1921 Messrs Allsopp & Co. (brewery) hold a seven year lease.

The Buxton Lime Firms Co.Ltd. Buxton Freehold Estates Register 1894

Extract from a report for B.L.F. 29th September 1921

Plan of Harpur Hill land from a report for B.L.F. 29th September 1921

Joseph Andrew Moorcroft ca 1907 with his family George Baden, Ida Elizabeth, Mary Elizabeth, Martha Elizabeth.

 

Waiting for William Breeze (landlord 1911 – 1931) to open up, or have they just been thrown out?

 

A party with Pru Ritson (landlady 1960 – 1970).

Piggery Band

Named after the Piggeries at Haslin House, cap badge below.

Extract from the Buxton Lime Firms Co.Ltd. Buxton Freehold Estates Register 1894.

Village Shops