1.2 miles from the Bronte Parsonage Manor, Oakworth Hall is a charming building rebuilt in the 17th Century with a history dating back to 1066. The bright, South facing bedrooms overlook from the mullioned windows the valley to Haworth and the Bronte Church of St Michael.
Nearby is Holden Park which is a historic house once owned by Sir Isaac Holden, an inventor who is said to have invented the Lucifer match and revolutionised the process of wool carding. He also owned Oakworth Hall.
Special External Features
Located on the corner of Providence Lane which once ran through the Hall's farmyard. Famous for the Corner Stone on the North rear wall above the door of the farm cottage. One of four found in the District commmissioned by John Craven in July 1843. www.btinternet.com/~i.c.palmer/tollsign.htm Of important historical interest is a stone panel carving of a mounted Huntman of either Celtic origins or Romano British of the first centuries A.D. Accompanying the huntsman there are three smll animals which might be taken to be dogs but in the "History of Keighley" they are described as "three goats trippant". A goat is featured on the coat of arms on one branch of the Copley family who were early residents of the Hall. There is authority that it may be Pre-roman Iron Age, that is B.C. Flanking the carving on either side are two crude heads which are thought to be of the same period.
Special Internal Features
All the original fireplaces have been preserved. The best known is the large Inglenook fireplace, ten feet across, in the Dining Room. Next to the fireplace is a Salt Cellar. Salt was very important for the preservation of food and had to be stored in the driest place in the building. Stored in the Salt cellar today is a pair of very small leather children's shoes which were discovered during restoration work on a chimney. They were traditionally secreted away in the Middle Ages to ward off evil spirits and to bring good fortune to the residents of the Hall. Two oak beams in the Dining Room are 18 inches by 10 feet and actually extend throughout the Hall. The original adze marks are clearly in evidence.
In the Kitchen there is an old oven. It has a cast iron interior and is surrounded by large stone. It is reputed to be the oldest oven in Yorkshire that is still capable of use. From the kitchen, steps lead down to a cellar. On the first floor, two bedrooms have arched gothic style windows to provide light on the landing. All doors are constructed of solid English oak and the handsome front door is the original door from when that part of the building was rebuilt in 1702.
In the study there is an original fireplace and cast iron stove. This is almost identiacal to the one in the later built Bronte Parsonage Museum in Haworth.
The Hall is a grade II listed building and is subject to a Preservation Order.
The History of the Hall
1066 Mentioned in the Doomsday Book as the Manor of Oakworth. It was given by William the Conqueror to Gilbert Tyson a Norman Knight who came across to England and fought alongside King William at the Battle of Hastings.
1366 Property of the de Vaux family who were probably decendants of the Tyson family. The de Vaux families' main seat was Vaxhall (Vaux Hall, in South East London. They had large properties in Northern England from South Yorkshire up to Hadrian's Wall. Thomas de Vaux was Chancellor of Richard I during the Crusade to the Holy Land.
1598 Alvery Copley, the last member of the de Vaux family, died and the 32 tenants who farmed the lands were constituted Lords of Oakdworth Manor. It is believed that the first building which stood on the site was built by the de Vaux family.
1662 The famous Baptist Minister John Moore was born at Oakworth hall. He was a friend and close colleague of William Mitchell who was imprisoned for preaching in 1687.
1691 Oakworth Hall is mentioned in the Keighley Minute Book in the entry for 12th December 1691. Some travellers visited the Squire, Anthony Moore at Oakworth Hall.
1702 The rebuilding of the Hall was probably completed by William Clough in its presnt form. The date 1702 is over the door on the South side to the Farm Cottage.
1708 William Clough of Oakworth Hall is mentioned in the Haworth Court Rolls.
1715 Jamas Haggas of Oakworth Hall bound as an aprentice to a Halifax Weaver. Later, he bought long wool in Lincolnshire and sorted wool with his son at Oakworth Hall. These documents are in the deeds of the Hall. The Hall is mentioned in Heatons "Yorkshire Woollen and Worsted Industries".
1883 Sold by the decendants of the Haggas family, (Blamire and Craven) to Richard Longdon Hattersly.
1913 Trustees of the Hattersly family sold the Hall to Benjamin, William and John Speight who were plumbers. The families Clough, Haggas and Hattersly all became large textile manufacturers in the spinning and weaving industries in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The Cloughs became mohair spinners and weavers and the firm still exists today as British Mohair Spinners. Haggas became the largest worsted spinners in the area and today there is still a large manufacturing plant in Keighley.
The Hattersleys owned a number of worsted and woolen Mills and factories producing textile and weaving booms. There is still today Hattersley Narrow Fabrics Mill in Keighley.
1936 The Speight family sold the Hall to the Yorkshire Penny Bank.
1945 When the Bank closed the branch in Oakworth the Hall was bought by Mr Douglas Berry the Assistant Manager of the bank. It was in the hands of a private resident once again.
From 1968 until November 1979 it belonged to Mr Eric Brook. From 1979 to 1996 the Hall belonged to Mr & Mrs Robert and Senta Kent who ran a very successful and highly regarded Guest House. From that date until 2002 the business was continued by Mike and Carole Carr.
2003 The private residence of David J Parker, a corporate lawyer.