Nidderdale History

Nidderdale Through The Ages

Nidderdale, once known as “Netherdale”, has a rich history to explore including agriculture, lead mining, the railways, reservoir building, links to Fountain’s Abbey and more. The landscape has been shaped by people through the centuries, with the earliest evidence of human activity in Nidderdale dating back to the late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age.

Nidderdale’s long history of human habitation is reflected in the many settlements and farm names with Old English and Old Norse origins. The earliest written record of the name “Nidderdale” dates back to the year 1142. If you’re interested in learning about the history of local place names, the Survey of English Place-Names has more information.

Local landmarks include Toft Gate Lime Kiln, the ruins of St. Mary’s Churchyard, Wath Mill, and Scar House Reservoir.

Nidderdale Museum in Pateley Bridge holds exhibits covering all periods of Nidderdale’s history up to the present day and is well worth a visit.

Guyscliffe circa 1891

Towns & Villages

Pateley Bridge

The suggestion that the name Pateley comes from “pate” meaning badger is incorrect, and long since debunked. In fact, Pateley comes from Old English pæð, lēah meaning “clearing near the paths”. There is no connection with badgers at all, and whether “pate” was ever used locally as a dialect word for badger is debatable.

The first written mention of Pateley was in the year 1175. You will find many different spellings in historic sources (standardisation in spelling is fairly recent, it was a lot more flexible in the past!). The bridge part of the name comes much later, with the earliest mention of a bridge being 1320. Before there was a bridge, Pateley may simply have been a ford across the Nidd.

Pateley is a market town, though sadly no regular market takes place anymore. A “Market and Fair Charter” was granted to then Archbishop of York, William de Melton, in 1320 by King Edward II. As well as a weekly market, a 5-day fair was also held in September. Pateley Bridge hosts the last agricultural show of the season in September, around the time of the original annual fair. Nidderdale Show is sometimes still referred to as “Pateley Feast”. Show Day has recently moved from the third Monday in September to the Sunday, following a change in 2022 to accommodate the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

Pateley Bridge High Street

Bewerley

Recorded in the Domesday Book, the Old English name beofor, lēah means “Forest-glade frequented by beavers”. After the Norman conquest, the lands were sold to Fountains Abbey, who established a grange. Following the dissolution, part of the Bewerley estate passed to the Yorke family who continued to own it for 250 years. Sadly, the hall built by the Yorkes in 1815 was demolished in the 1920s.

Bewerley Grange Chapel dates back to the period Marmaduke Huby was Abbot of Fountains Abbey, between 1495 and 1526. It has been used as a schoolroom, then gardener’s store, before becoming Grade II listed and used as a chapel once again.

Up Dale

The villages of Wath and Ramsgill trace their history back many hundreds of years. The name “Wath” comes from Old Norse vað, meaning “ford”. In later centuries, the ford was replaced by a stone bridge. Part of Wath was owned by Fountains Abbey during the Middle Ages, including Sigsworth Grange. Wath’s Methodist Church is a Grade II listed building, dating to 1859. Wath had a mill from the 16th century used for corn, then oats. The current mill was built on the same site in the 19th century and was used to process flax .

Ramsgill’s current churchyard contains the remains of the original Mediaeval chapel (Grade II listed).

Further up, at the top of the Dale, are the villages of Lofthouse and Middlesmoor. The name “Lofthouse” is another placename of Old Norse origin, lopt hús means “loft chamber” (i.e the houses with lofts).

It’s likely there has been a church at Middlesmoor since Anglo-Saxon times. The current church holds a stone cross inscribed “Cross of St Ceadda” (St. Chad) which has been dated to the Anglo-Saxon period. St. Chad’s was designed by William Henry Crossland, built around 1864/5 to replace the 14th-century church.

Down Dale

The village of Glasshouses was first recorded in 1387. The Grade II listed twine mill continued to be used for commercial units until quite recently, when it became apartments and holiday lets. The mill pond remains, and while it no longer powers a waterwheel it is used for recreation by the local outdoor centre and scout groups.

The village of Wilsill appears in the Domesday Book. The name means “Wifel’s nook of land”, the first part probably being a personal name. Smelthouses, as you might imagine, was named for a smelting mill, which seems to have fallen out of use before the dissolution of Fountains Abbey.

Family History & Genealogy

If you’ve been putting together your family tree, what could be better than visiting the area your ancestors lived in and walking in their footsteps! Many local families can trace their ancestors back hundreds of years, and Nidderdale’s historic graveyards and war memorials are full of familiar surnames. Some parish records covering Upper Nidderdale go back to the 1700s, and beyond.

If you’d like to discover more about your family ties to the Nidderdale area, getting in touch with Nidderdale Museum is a good place to start.

Nidderdale Museum

Run entirely by volunteers, Nidderdale Museum houses lots of exhibits that will be of interest to history enthusiasts, including: schoolroom, general store, WW1 & WW2, mining, and transport.

The Museum also houses an extensive library of local history books, which can be used for research.

The Old Workhouse, King Street, Pateley Bridge, HG3 5LE

01423 711 225

www.nidderdalemuseum.com

St. Mary’s Church, Pateley Bridge