Description and History of Site:-
A two-storey stone built cottage of circa C17 date stand on the site of the cloth hall. A recently carved lintel bears the date 1545 which is the date when the Waterhouse family became the Lords of the Manor of Heptonstall. The cloth hall is more likely to have been erected in 1557 or 1558. Heptonstall cloth hall was erected c1557 by members of the Waterhouse family of Shibden Hall, near Halifax; at that time they were Lords of the Manors of Halifax and Heptonstall, and the new hall was intended to act as a market place for the sale of 'pieces' of 'unfinished' woollen cloth produced by hand loom weavers in the surrounding area. The cottages standing on the site are built of stone, and according to the listed building description are of late C16 or early C17 date, raised to two storeys probably during the mid C18, a large dressed stone plinth likely to have provided the footings for an original timber framed building. The two cloth halls erected in Halifax at the same time by the Waterhouses were both of timber construction, and it is possible that the Heptonstall cloth hall was destroyed during the Civil War. When the King's forces took the garrison at Heptonstall in January 1644 following a tactical Parliamentarian retreat, it is recorded that fourteen houses and barns were destroyed by fire, homes pillaged and livestock taken. - Peter Robinson 9/9/2016.

Further Reading and References:-
H.P.Kendall, 'The Civil War as affecting Halifax and the surrounding towns', Transactions of the Halifax Antiquarian Society (THAS), 1910, pp.39-40.
P.Round, Heptonstall History Trail, Calder Civic Trust, Hebden Bridge, 1974, pp. 7-8.
D.Shires, The Halifax Cavaliers and Heptonstall Roundheads, Puritan Press, Halifax, 1993, p. 86, based on an account of John Brearcliffe.
J.A.E.Robinson and P.W.Robinson, 'Hall End and its Cloth Halls c1557-1779', THAS New Series 19, 2011, pp. 78-99.

Help us improve this entry

The compilers welcome corrections or additional information on all sites.
Any information provided will be verified before appearing on the web site.

Email comments

Key Words :- woollen textile cloth hall

Viewing the Site :- May be viewed from Towngate

Address :- Towngate, Heptonstall, West Yorkshire, HX7 7NB
Grid Ref :- SD 98696 28087
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.749152 , Long -2.021253
Local Authority :- Calderdale Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Listed - Grade II
Historic England List No - 1249685,
Site Condition :- Site redeveloped to residential housing
Site Dates :- circa 1557 - possibly 1644
Record Date :- 9 September 2016

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Peter Robinson