Market Street, HebdenBridge - ALC00106

William Barker, credited as the first local manufacturer of ready-made clothing, built most of Market Street. This view, taken around 1910, shows Lello's Dining Rooms with the Post Office next door.

The Post Office in Hebden Bridge occupied many sites including the White Lion before the present building was erected in Holme Street in the 1930's. Here it is in Market Street around 1910, the second building from the right next door to Lello's Dining Rooms. A William Barker built most of Market Street and Barker's Terrace is named after him. He was also credited as being the first local manufacturer of ready-made clothing.


From Milltown Memories Issue 6 Winter 2003-4

A Stroll down Memory Lane With Lloyd Greenwood

Market Street was the main shopping street in Hebden Bridge in my young day.

Just over the road from Hebble End, the first shop sold sweets, better known in those days as a spice shop, Astin's at Bar House - presumably there had, at some time, been a toll bar there. Strangely enough there was another sweet shop next door, Stansfield's, later run by Harold Ashworth, where you could also book a coach trip to Blackpool.

Harold Horner's barber's shop was next, in part of the premises occupied by R. Sutcliffe and Co, known locally as The Combine. While you were in there having your hair cut you could hear the machinery of Roger Shackleton's weaving shed at the back.

Crossing Salem Street, Edwin Pickles and his father had a grocer's shop where I always went for butter and cheese. Next door was a cut-price chocolate shop, eventually the Silver Library, where you paid a copper or two for books. I remember they had a good selection of "William" books, which were my favourites.

Rex Collinge pork butcher's was next, then came Leicester House, first a shoe shop run by Herbert Greenwood, known to all as Herbert "Booty," later selling very high class children's wear. Stott's ironmongers (afterwards W.E. Clay confectioner's) was next, where I went for bacon, then there were two grocer's shops, Duckworth's and Webster's.

Adam's Stores, next door, sold black lead and panshine, which no-one has heard of today. This eventually became Dorothy's dress shop, run by Mrs Helliwell; when Harold Ashworth had to vacate his premises he moved his sweet shop there. Wheelhouse and Fletcher, a long-established gentlemen's tailors, was at the end of the block; all the work was done on the premises.

I well remember having my suits made by Donald Wheelhouse and being fitted for my first - borrowed! - morning tails, which I must say fitted like a glove, together with what my father called a "long hat" or "tall shiner."

The Halifax Building Society had its first office on the corner of Market Street and Hilton Street, where there was also the entrance to a sewing shop known as David Arthur's.

The men's Labour Exchange was next, where we had to register for National Service; the ladies signed on separately next door! Then, in order, came general drapers, Farrar and Holroyd, Wilfred Jones newsagent (Caxton Stores), Crabtree's shoe shop, Lumb's electricians, T.P. Barker Chemist (afterwards Rexall Pharmacy and Boots Chemist), Beswick's jeweller's and optician's (later Cyril Shaw's), Hardacre's newsagent - where we got our Sunday School prizes - and Lumb and Hodgson confectioner's.

They made extremely good vanilla slices and cream horns but were, unfortunately, involved in black market dealing during the war, for which they were fined. Both Wilfred Jones and Crabtree's later moved to the Carlton building.

Dr Clegg had his consulting rooms at Riverside House at the end of Market Street, where I was one of his first patients. He diagnosed me with scarlet fever and I was sent away to Fielden Hospital for six weeks.

Over the road, Commerce House was, until recently, one of the last of the old shops. It has now become a café. Next is the antiques centre, formerly the premises of the "Hebden Bridge Times" and before that the old Ebenezer Chapel.

Now we come to the actual source of the name, Market Street, for there used to be a covered area here where the market was held. Next to this was Hilbert's greengrocers and fishmongers, later Rhodes and Sugden, who also had a motor vehicle which delivered round the district.

Martin's Bank, and before that the Post Office, had the premises where Barclays Bank is now. Argenta butchers shop was next - in the 1960s Dewhirst's took over and if you look closely you can still see the name on tiles which have since been painted over.

Doreen Edwards and Harold Hully had their dance school above, where many people will remember going to learn all the latest steps. Next was Chippendale's shoe shop, later Nowell's, later still Betsy Collinge's, then came Habergham's, (in my day Haigh's), who also had a branch in Todmorden.

The Meadow Dairy, next door, was not a shop we frequented much, although I do remember going in for some margarine at the beginning of the war. Then came Greenwood and Thomas's gents' outfitters, (later Babyland), with Cunliffe printers next to them.

What is now the last private house on Market Street was for many years Donaldson's dental surgery, then came Sutcliffe Tobacconists, Moss Cakes and Confectioners, Peckover's china shop and Fred Round, painters and decorators. Valet Stores moved into Round's in the 1960s (they are now in Crown Street).

We are now nearly at the junction with Hangingroyd Road; here were a fish and chip shop, a barber's, a saddler's and Walton's tripe shop. My father preferred the tripe at the shop near the White Lion, however.

Lloyd visits West End in our next issue - where Nicky's Café held sway and Alice Longstaff had her studio.


Formally 003aa

Pennine Horizons Digital Archive

1910s

PHDA - Alice Longstaff Collection

Pennine Horizons Digital Archive

ALC00106.tif