Burley Woodhead School (1832-1976)
A few notes on the history of the Burley Woodhead School, Moor Road, Burley in Wharfedale.
Opened in 1832.
In 1976 the school moved to Rose Bank, Burley in Wharfedale & renamed Burley & Woodhead CofE School.
The building was retained by Bradford Metropolitan District Council, but eventually sold off, its now a private house.
Opened in 1832.
In 1976 the school moved to Rose Bank, Burley in Wharfedale & renamed Burley & Woodhead CofE School.
The building was retained by Bradford Metropolitan District Council, but eventually sold off, its now a private house.
Burley Woodhead School foundation:
The following information is taken from the Bradford Diocesan Registry.
Three part indenture dated 4th May 1832 - Gift of Land and Loan of Money
The parties were Thomas Gill of Baildon, Worsted Manufacturer, William Gill also of Baildon, Worsted Manufacturer and Samuel Whitehead, John Metcalfe and Jonathan Jackson, farmers of Burley Woodhead.
Thomas Gill had given 96 sq. yards of land out of a close by the moor called Green Banks, and with his brother, William, loaned the inhabitants of Burley Woodhead £40 to erect a School.
The indenture records this transaction and specifies the uses to which the School should be put, namely "for the educating and instructing the children of the inhabitants of Burley Woodhead aforesaid in Reading and Writing the English Language Grammatically, in Arithmetic and in the principles of the Protestant Religion and other useful learning.
And also "as a Sunday School for the like education and instruction of such of the children of the inhabitants of Burley Woodhead aforesaid as shall resort thereto and it is hereby declared and agreed by and between the said parties to these presents that the said Samuel Whitehead, John Metcalfe, Jonathan Jackson, Timothy Fawcett and Joseph Harrison and the survivors of them and the future trustees to be nominated and appointed as hereafter mentioned, shall have the whole of the management of the School, the master of which shall from time to time be elected and placed in the office of schoolmaster".
The following information is taken from the Bradford Diocesan Registry.
Three part indenture dated 4th May 1832 - Gift of Land and Loan of Money
The parties were Thomas Gill of Baildon, Worsted Manufacturer, William Gill also of Baildon, Worsted Manufacturer and Samuel Whitehead, John Metcalfe and Jonathan Jackson, farmers of Burley Woodhead.
Thomas Gill had given 96 sq. yards of land out of a close by the moor called Green Banks, and with his brother, William, loaned the inhabitants of Burley Woodhead £40 to erect a School.
The indenture records this transaction and specifies the uses to which the School should be put, namely "for the educating and instructing the children of the inhabitants of Burley Woodhead aforesaid in Reading and Writing the English Language Grammatically, in Arithmetic and in the principles of the Protestant Religion and other useful learning.
And also "as a Sunday School for the like education and instruction of such of the children of the inhabitants of Burley Woodhead aforesaid as shall resort thereto and it is hereby declared and agreed by and between the said parties to these presents that the said Samuel Whitehead, John Metcalfe, Jonathan Jackson, Timothy Fawcett and Joseph Harrison and the survivors of them and the future trustees to be nominated and appointed as hereafter mentioned, shall have the whole of the management of the School, the master of which shall from time to time be elected and placed in the office of schoolmaster".
Up and till 1875 little information about the school was kept locally.
Head teachers list gleaned from various log books & other sources.
1875 - 1884 - Mary Ward*. In 1884 she resigned.
1884 - 1889 - Miss A Thornhill (Certificated)
1889 - 1892 Jan - Annie Clough
1892 Jan - 1892 Jun - Mary Padgett Brown (forced to resign when her certificate of competence expired)
1892 Jun - 1892 Oct - Miss Cawthra took up temporary duty
1892 Oct - 1895 Aug - Frances Mills
1895 Aug - 1900 - Amy Scott
Currently have little information about head teachers from c1900 to 1930.
We do know that Mrs Mary Chorley (1865-1936) was a part-time teacher from 1899 up to her death in 1936.
1922 - Elizabeth Thompson in charge of both Infants and standard 2 (the older children). But was she the head teacher is not known.
Head teachers list gleaned from various log books & other sources.
1875 - 1884 - Mary Ward*. In 1884 she resigned.
1884 - 1889 - Miss A Thornhill (Certificated)
1889 - 1892 Jan - Annie Clough
1892 Jan - 1892 Jun - Mary Padgett Brown (forced to resign when her certificate of competence expired)
1892 Jun - 1892 Oct - Miss Cawthra took up temporary duty
1892 Oct - 1895 Aug - Frances Mills
1895 Aug - 1900 - Amy Scott
Currently have little information about head teachers from c1900 to 1930.
We do know that Mrs Mary Chorley (1865-1936) was a part-time teacher from 1899 up to her death in 1936.
1922 - Elizabeth Thompson in charge of both Infants and standard 2 (the older children). But was she the head teacher is not known.
1930 - Mary Nicholson
1930s onwards - Miss Swithenbank c1945 - c1949 Miss or Mrs Todd 1951 - Miss Armstrong 1953 - Irene Clenell 1954 - Una Pollard 1964 - 1976 Ann Bell
(She was head teacher during the transfer to the new premises at Rose Bank, Sandholme Drive, Burley in Wharfedale. She remained head teacher of the Burley & Woodhead First School until ????). * Note: Mary Ward, possibly a coincidence, but a Mrs Ward c1873 had a private school at Burley Woodhead with a capacity of 78 children. It catered for boys, girls & infants. The location of Mrs Ward's school is currently unknown. |
1903 Burley Woodhead School Plan. The building was little changed over the course of the school's entire existence.
1935 Burley Woodhead School - 44 pupils shown.
Mrs Coates, memories, images & info from her time as a teacher at the school from 1944 to 1951.
"As the school play-ground was extremely small, the children used the adjoining moor, which they had to share with the sheep. There was a small patch of level grass on which could be played a revised version of football, cricket or rounders. Care had to be taken not to hit the ball in a certain direction otherwise it would roll down the steep hill. Fortunately there was very little traffic about.
School dinners were prepared off the premises and brought to the school, in a van, in special containers. The teachers served the dinners helped by the senior children; desks had to double up as dining tables. A helper was employed to do the washing up, though often we helped because we had only one hour dinner-break. The water for the washing up was boiled, in kettles, on the small gas rings in my classroom. The clean crockery and cutlery were kept in a cupboard in my classroom, too. Wet weather dinner-times were not welcomed! Although all this sounds very primitive, we did have electric light, a radio for schools broadcasts and coke-fired central heating." |
1946 image from Left to Right: Alec Fawcett,
Gordon Lancaster, ? Sanderson, Martyn Collins, ?? , ?? , John Harrison, Brian Morritt, Paul Hocksey(?)
Gordon Lancaster, ? Sanderson, Martyn Collins, ?? , ?? , John Harrison, Brian Morritt, Paul Hocksey(?)
Memories from the winter of 1946-1947
[Note: she was living at Adel].
[Note: she was living at Adel].
"I had some problems getting to school at Burley Woodhead during this bad weather, but somehow or other the buses struggled to get through, even though the roads were often covered in packed snow and ice. Of course I still had the 1 1/2 mile walk up the hill from Burley-in-Wharfedale.
The lane was very treacherous, wellies were a necessity. On a few occasions the dinner-man was unable to get his van up the last steep part of Moor Lane to the school, so the big boys took a sledge down to bring up the dinner containers. The school milk was often frozen but we warmed it for the children, on the gas ring in my classroom. We kept a special pan for this purpose. We kept a supply of tins of soup, dried milk and cocoa and spare clothing as some children got very wet coming to school. We were grateful for our central heating radiators."
The lane was very treacherous, wellies were a necessity. On a few occasions the dinner-man was unable to get his van up the last steep part of Moor Lane to the school, so the big boys took a sledge down to bring up the dinner containers. The school milk was often frozen but we warmed it for the children, on the gas ring in my classroom. We kept a special pan for this purpose. We kept a supply of tins of soup, dried milk and cocoa and spare clothing as some children got very wet coming to school. We were grateful for our central heating radiators."
In the following images from 1950, the pupils full names provided by Mrs Coates are:
Robin Coulson; John Harrison; Colin Train; Paul Aldous; Jeremy Collins; Peggy Sloan (1); Wendy Monaghan; Anne Cowling;
Jill Collins (Jeremy's twin); Rhona Sefton; Dorothy Ashton; Catherine Lidgett (2); Freda Watson; Valerie Arnold; Doreen Binks; Carol Simms; Sara Sloan (1); Laurie or Leslie Sloan (1); Pauline Beaton; Jean Beaumont; Stephen Lancaster; Margaret Ashbrook; Jane Lidgett (2); Carol Greaves; Dorothy Sanderson; Alice Sloan (1); Brenda ?; Christopher Harrison (from the shop); Andrew Allister; Bernard Greaves; Angela Hall.
-----
(1) Peggy, Leslie, Sara & Alice Sloan were brothers & sisters
(2) Catherine & Jane Lidgett were sisters
Robin Coulson; John Harrison; Colin Train; Paul Aldous; Jeremy Collins; Peggy Sloan (1); Wendy Monaghan; Anne Cowling;
Jill Collins (Jeremy's twin); Rhona Sefton; Dorothy Ashton; Catherine Lidgett (2); Freda Watson; Valerie Arnold; Doreen Binks; Carol Simms; Sara Sloan (1); Laurie or Leslie Sloan (1); Pauline Beaton; Jean Beaumont; Stephen Lancaster; Margaret Ashbrook; Jane Lidgett (2); Carol Greaves; Dorothy Sanderson; Alice Sloan (1); Brenda ?; Christopher Harrison (from the shop); Andrew Allister; Bernard Greaves; Angela Hall.
-----
(1) Peggy, Leslie, Sara & Alice Sloan were brothers & sisters
(2) Catherine & Jane Lidgett were sisters
1950 Burley Woodhead School
Names: Back Row L to R - Robin, John, Colin, Paul, Jeremy.
Next Row: Peggy, Wendy, Anne, Jill, Rhona.
Next Row: Dorothy A., Catherine, Freda, Valerie, Doreen, Carol B.
Next Row: Sara, Laurie, Pauline, Jean, Stephen, Margaret, Gavin.
Front Row: Jane, Carol G., Dorothy S., Alice, Brenda, Christopher, Andrew.
Names: Back Row L to R - Robin, John, Colin, Paul, Jeremy.
Next Row: Peggy, Wendy, Anne, Jill, Rhona.
Next Row: Dorothy A., Catherine, Freda, Valerie, Doreen, Carol B.
Next Row: Sara, Laurie, Pauline, Jean, Stephen, Margaret, Gavin.
Front Row: Jane, Carol G., Dorothy S., Alice, Brenda, Christopher, Andrew.
Mrs Coates
Back Row - Christopher, Dorothy, Margaret, Andrew, Middle Row - Alice, Brian, Jane, Front Row - David, Angela, Anthony. |
1966 Burley Woodhead School. Information & image courtesy of Jane Shackleton
Back Row L to R: Ann Bell (head teacher), Nicolas Whittrick, Ian Greaves, Dennis Eggleshaw, Ralph Ellis, Stephen Lee, ??, Stephen Dewey, ??, Adrian Lomax, Mrs Dewey (teacher).
2nd from back row L to R: Valerie Breare, Christine Womersley, Pauline Richardson, ??, Hazel Richardson, Margaret Robb, Ann Greaves, Margaret Whetzel, Christine Breare, Rosemary Hurst.
3rd from back row L to R: Lorraine Whalley, Louise Bradley, Claire Turnbull, Candida Fenton, Victoria Head, Alison Cairess, Jane Shackleton, Gwenny Ellis, Marian Sloane, Sally Birkenshaw, Frances Whetzel, Elizabeth Firth, Tracy Whalley, Louise Wright, Anna Birkenshaw.
Front row L to R: ??, Richard Hurst, Ian Layfield, Timothy Birkenshaw, Richard Ogden, James Breare, Kim ?, David Shackleton, Ian Grosset, Philip Ogden, Malcolm Greaves.
2nd from back row L to R: Valerie Breare, Christine Womersley, Pauline Richardson, ??, Hazel Richardson, Margaret Robb, Ann Greaves, Margaret Whetzel, Christine Breare, Rosemary Hurst.
3rd from back row L to R: Lorraine Whalley, Louise Bradley, Claire Turnbull, Candida Fenton, Victoria Head, Alison Cairess, Jane Shackleton, Gwenny Ellis, Marian Sloane, Sally Birkenshaw, Frances Whetzel, Elizabeth Firth, Tracy Whalley, Louise Wright, Anna Birkenshaw.
Front row L to R: ??, Richard Hurst, Ian Layfield, Timothy Birkenshaw, Richard Ogden, James Breare, Kim ?, David Shackleton, Ian Grosset, Philip Ogden, Malcolm Greaves.
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