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Middlestown
Middlestown maps
Historic maps of Middlestown and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Middlestown maps
Middlestown photos
We have no photos of Middlestown, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Horbury| Ossett| Dewsbury| Clayton West| Wakefield| Batley| Skelmanthorpe| Kexborough| Heckmondwike| Darton| Kirkheaton| Kirkburton| Roberttown| Staincross| Denby Dale| Cawthorne| Birstall| Shepley| Royston| Cleckheaton
Middlestown area books
Displaying 1 of 26 books about Middlestown and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Middlestown
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Middlestown.
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or of a photo of Middlestown.
Evacuee
I was an evacuee in Middlestown in WWII, from East London. The first time was with my Mother and we were billeted in a small cottage which backed on to a barn belonging to a farm run by Mr and Mrs Cowan. We were there for approximately a year and my memories of that first year are rather blurred. We came back to London for a short time where our house was destroyed by a land mine and I was returned to Middlestown once again with a friend 'Kenneth Turbot'. We spent a happy year there this time living in the farmhouse with Mr and Mrs Cowan and their two daughters. We helped out with the farm work out of school hours whilst Mr Cowan was working in a coal mine. The farm was situated next to a large dairy farm as far as I can remember. I made many friends but the only name I can recall is 'Ginger' a lad who lived in the cottages along the road... Read more
West Yorkshire memories
Tops
It was great sliding down the Tops on pieces of cardboard or a washer top, we went so fast hoping not to hit a car on the low road. When I used to go to school in the morning on the way to pick up my friend I would get a twig from the privets, bend it and start collecting spider webs with dew on them, by the time we got to school we had a beautiful pattern, it became a ritual in the cold mornings on the way to school. This was in Thornhill. We were never afraid of exploring the countryside around the area as it was quite safe then used to go out and get tar balls from the freshly tarred roads and chew on them, we thought that this was the greatest thing. If you have any memories please post. Jean Bremner (nee Brown)
The Cluntergate Man
This old bloke used to haul this massive horse-wagon up Cluntergate, on a regular basis. I mean Cluntergate was this hill... 1 in 12 about... and this bloke used to haul this massive horse-drawn wagon up to the top and beyond. I never knew where he went, or where he came from. He wasn't very big, only a small, scrawny feller, but he never ceased to amaze me.
When I think I'm not getting a fair deal, I remember him... he was inspirational.
The House of Mercy - Horbury
My mother in law was sent from Herefordshire to the House of Mercy (later the Convent of St. Peter) in about 1925 (aged 12/13). She left in 1927 and was put into service in London. I have traced some documents in the Wakefield Archives but I am unable to understand the reason why she was sent to Horbury from Hereford. Her name was Bessie Eileen Jones. Her grandmother surname was Prosser. Could she have been sent to be near members of the family? Could her estranged father (William John Jones (Jack)) have lived in Horbury. I would be grateful for any information. Jennifer
My Youth
I was born at Springend near Horbury in 1948, lived at 40 Northfield Lane, Horbury emigrated to Australia in 1961. I remember the Library, spent hours there reading the famous five books and secret seven, still do. Whites fish and chip shop opposite the church where I can still remember the incense, yuk, bought a bag of bits for 2 pence, went to the Church of England school, Brownies and Guides, roamed down around Horbury Junction, train spotting, went to Horbury Secondary Modern School, played in the large field before it became the modern school, went to school lunches in the town hall, yummy, saw the coronation on this funny little TV screen in the town hall. Played in the park, went down the avenues to play, so many memories and loved the Littles sweet shop, sticks of liquorice for 1/2 penny and sherbert, then there was another little weeny shop full of magic opposite the bus stop, St Marys Church, the chapel at Horbury Junction, memories, memories, can... Read more
Devils Pond
To all the young 'ens of that era or anyone else - who remembers walking down and up the self beaten footpath behind the long established fish & chip shop opposite the old Heppinstall's general store (long since gone), to the Devils Pond to catch what we thought were Terrapines! Or catching frogs etc, and making home made carts to pull up 3 Boy Hill at the top of Ouzelwell or Pit Lane at the top of King Edward Street then free wheel down, usually out of control!
Market Place
I was brought up in Ossett from 1948 to 1966 when I joined the armed forces. I remember very well every Saturday afternoon we would go to the palladium picture house opposite the town hall. We did not have a bus station at that time so all buses would park around the town hall. Shops that spring to mind were Inghams sports on station road, Fords toy shop, and good fish and chip shops, and many others. Every Spring Bank Holiday we would all gather for the big parade from Gawthorp about a mile away to Ossett town center. With bands playing, horses, decorated wagons and fancy dress, it was a sight to see. There were public toilets underground in front of the town hall, they were closed about 1961 - not demolished, just covered over. As far as I am aware they are still there. We lived down Queens Drive and would walk home down Intake Lane, past the open cast mine and over the railway crossing. Gradually we saw... Read more
