The Hyperbole
Before the arrival of the railway in 1845 Penistone was not really of great significance. The nearby village of Thurlstone was more important, with more people and dwellings. The 1672 Hearth Tax returns list only 28 householders for Penistone, compared with 65 for Thurlstone and 23 for Oxspring. Furthermore, the West Riding Directory of 1837 says:
Penistone '... consists of one wide street, in which are a few neat houses; but it is now a place of no trade, though the linen and woollen manufactures extend into some of the out-townships of its extensive parish.... The market, held every Thursday, is of small importance.. The township of Penistone contains only 703 inhabitants .. etc.'
But Penistone does have some historical value and has grown in importance over the years. A few miles away there are earthworks from the time of Stonehenge. We have a presence dating back to before the Magna Carta, although the area was laid waste after the 'Harrying of the North'. We have a fine medieval church and its tower alone is more than 500 years old. An old Saxon stone, built into an interior church wall, was used by early Christian worshippers in this area and it is likely that it was located around the same place. Our Grammar School can trace its roots back to 1392 and there are many buildings and farms in the area which go back several centuries.
Penistone History Archive
An archive of local history is available for perusal on every Market Day (Thursdays 10.30am to 2.30pm), in the Millennium Room of Penistone Town Hall. This is a collection which the late Neville Roebuck, a local historian, had been building up for years. Neville had for a long time been trying to find a permanent home for his extensive collection, for the benefit of local people. This collection has now been electronically scanned and will be made available some time, probably on CD. Details of its availability have not yet been released.
A few years ago there was a plan for a hstorical archive of sound recordings from interviews with old people. It is not clear what happened about this. See also the Penistone History website for lists of marriages and deaths and more. Have a look at where there are Listed Buildings in our area.
History Sections
| 1 | The Town | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | The Market | ||
| 3 | Penistone Grammar School | ||
| 4 | The Church | ||
| 5 | Railway | ||
| 6 | Town Hall & Library | ||
| 7 | Cloth Hall | ||
| 8 | Vinegar Brewery | ||
| 9 | Old Inns | ||
| 10 | Penistone Show | ||
| 11 | Old Pictures | ||
| 12 | The Population | ||
| 13 | Old Pastimes | ||
| 14 | Bad Weather | ||
| 15 | Spring Vale thoughts | ||
| 16 | The Old Lockup | ||
| 17 | High Flatts Quakers | ||
| 18 | Winterbottom's | ||
| 19 | 1977 Royal Silver Jubilee | ||
| 20 | Old Customs |
The other major steelworks in the area was Samuel Fox's of Stocksbridge, a few miles over the hill to the south. This later became British Steel Company (BSC, aka 'Billy Smart's Circus'). British Steel merged with Hoogovens and created an Anglo-Dutch company called CORUS, registered in the UK and run by British people (it was a takeover by any other name). Also, Winterbottom's wire mill at Oxspring produced specialist wires. It has been said that they produced a special wire for NASA's space shuttles. At this time, I don't have any pictures to illustrate the local steel industry.
Gittus is another company which has gone. It made railway wagons. Another historical business to close down was the Cubley Brook vinegar brewery at 'Vinegar Bottom'. It started out as a beer brewery and maltings but later provided vinegar for many well-known brands. Now there is no trace left of the brewery but the final indignity was when its nearby horse trough was sneakily obliterated by builders.
Other References
There's a succinct one-page history of Penistone on the Penistone Info website and a long potted history of Britain and Penistone on Mr Wainwright's website. There is also a Penistone History website which has lots of small articles of local interest. Some printed sources I have used in this section.
