18th
March 2002
The
website recently received requests from Malcolm Jones and Linda? Regarding
the Dell and Grimethorpe Hall. I passed on the information to Richard Watson
who is the local historian and who wrote the history of Brierley with his
sister-in-law Mary Harrison (nee Draper) in 1975/6. Richard very kindly
offered to look up the information and emailed the website with his
findings. Although the History of Brierley was a complete sell out, you can
view an up to date version on Richard's site at
Brierley
History
Hello
Gary
Here
are the details for
GRIMETHORPE
HALL,
and The DELL. I have sent them on as requested.
On
the third of December, l666, John Holgate of Grimethorpe married Helen
Seaton, thus introducing the Seaton family to the village. In January of
1669, Robert Seaton married Theodicia Adwick of Arksey and built Grimethorpe
Hall as their home. It is one of the earliest classical buildings in the
area. The north wall is all stone and the doorway has a segmental head; the
rest of the building being of combined brick and stone with tall pilasters
framing the south door. Three stout Doric columns support the ceiling of the
entrance hall. In 1701 Robert Seaton paid one shilling and six pence rent to
the Manor of Brierley for his Freehold property.
In
1770. Richard Seaton, the son of Robert Seaton, died, aged eighty- three,
and Grimethorpe Hall passed too Mr Bayldon of York. Following his death the
hall passed by will to Richard P. Strangeways of Dinnington. In 1839, his
widow, Sibyl Strangeways, sold Grimethorpe Hall to Richard Crookes, a
Surgeon and Apothecary from Barnsley. At that time the hall had an estate of
131 acres in Grimethorpe, the land lying between the hall and Ferry Moor.
The
Brierley Tythe Award for 1841 lists Grimethorpe Hall as owned Richard Crooks
Surgeon, and occupied by John Wood.
Whites
Directory for 1843 lists Grimethorpe Hall, occupied by John Wood.
Mr.
George Horn is listed as resident at Grimethorpe Hall in 1877.
Kelly's
Directory for 1922 has Grimethorpe Hall, with the occupiers Leigh Brothers
Farmers, and in Kelly's Directory for 1928 the Grimethorpe Hall occupier was
Hy. Lindley Farmer
At
the time of writing my booklet 'Brereley' 1974/5 Grimethorpe Hall was
occupied by Mr. Thompson and owned by the N.C.B.
The
hall is a listed building, built in the style of Sir Christopher Wren.
It is one of the earliest classical buildings in the area. The North
wall is all stone and its doorway has a segmental head. The rest of the
building is of combined brick and stone with tall with tall pilasters
framing the south door. The hall was a Freehold property within Brierley
Manor.
In
1991a project was started intending to turn the Hall into a hotel. A new
roof was put on, but then the scheme fell through. The building now stands
empty.
The
valley now known as Grimethorpe Dell
is properly called Tom Bank, the woods on the on the hill side are shown as
Tom Bank Woods on Ordnance Survey Maps. The name Dell is relatively new it
seems to have come into use earlier this century. Dell can mean a
small-secluded valley, which you will know is a good description of the
area. The present lake was developed a few years ago.
In
1841 the land was owned by the lord of the manor, and occupied by William
Henry Addy, it had been used to supply water for Grimethorpe water mill. In
the valley there are signs of a dams for at least two millponds. There are
also signs of shallow coal mining on the hillsides towards Brierley.
The
water mill stood at Grimethorpe Green and the complex system of water
courses in Grimethorpe owes its origin to the problem of getting a good flow
of water to the mill over relatively flat land, there being a difference of
only forty feet or so between the level of the upper dam at Tom Bank and
Ferry Moor into which the mill stream drains, a distance of one mile
separating the two points. The remains of this upper milldam can still be
seen spanning the valley at the corner of Tom Bank Wood. Four hundred yards
downstream are the remains of a second dam which held the lower millpond.
In
the mid seventeenth century Widow Speight of Grimethorpe held 116 acres of
land in the hamlet and was tenant of the water mill, a horse driven mill,
and the windmill on the hilltop between Grimethorpe and Brierley. Then in
1662 William Speight paid £7 rent to Brierley Manor for the mills.
Richard
Watson
Thank
you for your time and effort Richard
Regards
Gary
