Cock Fighting
Cock Fighting was a Penistone recreation before the twentieth century in Cockpit Lane, close to the church. The position of the pit is marked (dotted lines above) on a plan used for the sale of land by auction in December 1903. Dransfields solicitors must have used an old map as the basis of the auction plan.
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Click on the auction poster and look at the plan. The cock-pit was within lot 5, where it says "Right of Way - 18 feet wide" on the full picture.
There is nothing left to show for it now, of course, except the name.
Cockpit Lane is also visible on the old aerial view, left of picture, and has never stopped being an eighteen-foot-wide right of way to the rear of James Henry Wood's 'Don Press' printing works (lot 8) and other properties for more than a century.
Buildings Nearby
Prior to the purchase of the land, Woods printers was entirely housed in the small building which has a large green door on Church Hill. Before that, Woods resided in the cloth hall, now Clark's Chemists. JH Woods used to print Penistone Almanac.
The block marked as 'London City and Midland Banking Co.' is where Dransfields solicitors office continues to operate, these are the same solicitors referred to in the 'Particulars and Plan' of the auction, right.
Also in this area was the original location of the old schoolhouse before Penistone Grammar School's moved to its current Wierfield site in 1892. This explains why the row of houses was property of the 'Trustees of the Penistone Grammar School'. One of the row was used for many years as the telephone exchange. The building marked as 'The Misses Crossley' is where the HSBC bank is now, formerly the Midland Bank.
Bowling Club
Here's an old shot of the old bowling club members. I vaguely recall that it was sited behind the Wentworth Arms and the picture appears to be from behind the row of houses there.
If I have the location right, this is now on a plot called 'Wentworth Mews'. A block of new houses was built there in the nineties. The current Bowling Club now has a green and clubhouse sited behind the Fire Station. The club is still well supported.
Horse Racing in Penistone
The Race Common of Cubley was the location of Penistone's racecourse. I understand that it covered an area which would include where the recreation ground and garages are now.
The only legacy of this activity now is the name of the lane which would have approached it from the direction of Penistone, Racecommon Road. Old local history says that the Penistone races were very popular events and people would travel from afar to see them.
