A Question about The Fernilee Worker's Village

In the 1930s when the Fernilee Reservoir was under construction in the Goyt Valley, large numbers of workers were recruited for the project. In order to house them, a temporary village was constructed using pre-fabricated buildings.  The village included a canteen and licensed bar.

The 1932 photograph, from Tony Beswick's collection shows the line of wooden buildings, and waiting alongside, a North Western bus, which no doubt provided transport for the "villagers".

Tony poses the question, "When the job was completed what happened to the temporary structures and where did they end up?"

Chris Simpson has provided the following story: 
"Most of these temporary buildings were sold off on completion of the work; incidentally Jack of Jack's cafe fame had a small wooden shop whilst all the construction was going on that provided essentials to the workers and their families which was situated at the top of The Green (opposite the village Hall). One day a local lad was given a beating by some of the children from the site Jack closed his shop and refused to re open until the culprits were found and made to apologise, apparently it didn't take long. There was another wooden structure which stood on the left hand side on old road above the village hall which was used by the Manchester Jewish community as a holiday home only seen a picture of it from a distance so you never know someone may have a photo?"

Several people responded by mentioning that at least two of these buildings ended up at Cadster.  Tony Beswick explains the fate of these structures:

Chris Wilman is nearly correct regarding the ones in the field at Cadster but they were not built round. The 2 new bungalows were built to the rear and when the people moved out into those new houses the temporary huts were then demolished and carted away.

Further up the hill, just on the WB site was Rookery farm and there were 3 up there. Peter Hodgson lives there now but it was formerly owned by his Dad George and his Mum Nora. After Nora died Peter lived in the prefab with his Dad but got planning permission to demolish it and build a stone bungalow. He built around it up to floor level and as soon as George passed away he built his new home.

There was still another one up Diglee Road in Furness Vale. It was down the side of that marvellous house Heatherby and there was a long track down to it wide enough for a car. The place and the land went up for sale eventually and the owners of Heatherby bought it, demolished the prefab and built a new house on the site. It was sold under sealed bids and I went to have a look at it and it was obvious that someone lived there until just before it was sold but I have no idea who that person was even though I lived very close to the property..

Before I go; remember that there was a café where Roland Melland's house is now. Roland lived in one of the stone cottages and the filling station sold Jet petrol. Remember that all you older motorists? And behind the filling station was a huge café called The Jet Café which stood on the site of Roy Melland's bungalow and a very interesting place it was as well.

Tony Beswick.

The following photograph shows one of the last pit ponies to work at Furness Clough Colliery. Behind can be seen the ex Fernilee hut in the Diglee Road location mentioned by Tony.

A Walk Over Broadhey Hill.

We will start our walk at Furness Vale Community Centre. We are only taking a short circular walk but will pass a number of places of interest.

The Community Centre began life in 1911 when the Jodrell family donated a plot of land on which to build a Village Institute. Opened in 1912, it offered a snooker room with two tables, reading room, library, meeting room, kitchen and bathroom.  For sixpence, villagers could take a hot bath at a time when few homes had that facility. Use of the building dwindled in the 1960s and after a refurbishment it re-opened as a Community Centre and Social Club. The snooker tables had been removed, a stage installed and a licensed bar opened. There have been further modifications including the recent opening of the Community Shop and Post Office.  This is of course, home to the History Society

Looking up Yeardsley Lane. The Institute is on the right

Heading uphill we pass a long row of cottages on the right hand side. These were built at various times in the mid to late 19^th century. The row of four cottages opposite,  dates from 1914. A modern bungalow is set back from the road on the site of four earlier bungalows. The only evidence of these in our archive is a photograph from the school garden, showing their rooftops.

Celebrating the Coronation

  This photograph was taken in 1936 in the garden of Heatherby, Diglee Road, Furness Vale. This was the home of the Knowles-Bolton family, owners of Furness Clough Colliery and Furness Vale Brickyard. The coal mine was just behind Heatherby and could be reached through a gate in the garden.
  Leading the horse is William Cross who looked after the pit ponies at Furness Clough. Riding the pony Tommy, is young Edwin Knowles-Bolton. The motorcyclist is Harry Roberts who lived next door to Jackson's butchers shop on Buxton Road but his sidecar passenger is unknown..
  Everything is highly decorated, perhaps to celebrate the Coronation of King George VI. The whole village was bedecked with bunting for the occasion and most of the village will have turned out for the parade along Buxton Road.

The Australian Bungalows.

Furness Vale in Derbyshire takes pride in it's three "Australian" bungalows.  These were built, according to which version you hear, either by a retired sea captain or by a returning emigree. Whichever story is true, it seems that the builder was nostalgic for the architectural styles of New South Wales or Victoria.  

 

Originally these homes all had Australian names.  The nearest in the photo above was called  "Tarramia" and was probably built in 1898. The farthest, built at the same time still retains it's name "Yarrawonga". "Boominoomina" in the middle wasn't built until 1904. 

The three properties were offered for sale at auction in 1911. The owner then lived at "Yarrawonga" and Boominoomina was rented, furnished for £1 per week; probably quite a high price at that time.

The middle bungalow had at first been occupied by Mr Knowles, owner of the local coal mine and brickyard. This was at the time that his new house further up the road was being built. The mine was at the rear of these homes. Although it was worked for a period of more than two centuries, it would never have been much in evidence. At it's peak only 30 men worked underground. All that existed on the surface was a small brick building which also housed the adit and alongside, a small wooden pithead over a shaft.

 

"Yarrawonga"

 

"Tarramia", later re-named "Garswood"

 

1927  - The cast of the Methodist Sunday School play gather in the garden.

Growing up at Garswood

Garswood, 7 Diglee Road, Furness Vale

Garswood is one of the three "Australian Bungalows" on Diglee Road. This story, by a previous resident, at present un-named, is an account of the house where she was born. The introductory, and perhaps closing pages are missing.  The author of this article is believed to be Olive Wallwork. The introductory paragraph refers to her parents.

Later they moved further into the country, to Whaley Bridge, renting Lochaber, a large stone-built semi-detached house on Start Lane at the top of Whaley Lane where they had an Irish terrier called Kerry and a white cat. They also took on a live-in-maid, Sarah Kelly, who came from Hensingham near Whitehaven. She had previously been a laundry maid at St Bees School, walking daily across the cliff tops from Hensingham to the school together with other domestic workers, many of whom became her lifelong friends Sarah had left St Bees ‘to go into service’ a few years before she joined my parents at Lochaber, though I don’t know what families she was with. I think they must have been fairly wealthy, because she was a stickler for doing things correctly and for good manners. In those days people who came to stay still tipped the maid when they left !  her knowledge of the right way to lay a table and fold table napkins, take in the letters and visiting cards on a silver tray, cook and serve meals and other niceties was second to none. She was an extremely good cook and baked marvellous cakes, lemon meringue pies, bread, made jams and marmalade and so on. These talents were particularly impressive given the rationing and general restrictions of the war years.

The house where I was born, Garswood, Furness Vale.

About 1933, the year before I was born my parents decided that Whaley Lane was too steep to push a pram up and therefore moved to Furness. Sarah came too.  Yeardsley Lane, which leads up from the village to Diglee Road was still a hill, but shorter!  Garswood overlooked fields and farmland.

There were three bungalows built by the Knowles-Barton family who lived higher up Diglee Road at a house called Heatherby. The Knowles-Boltons were the gentry of the village