Spring Grove Pleasure Gardens on Paul Lane, Colnebridge (Approximate WhatsApp location “remit.inches.voter”) operated between 1870 and 1930. They were widely advertised in Yorkshire, alongside Hope Bank at Honley and Sunney Vale at Hipperholme. Having attractions for all the family, including Swing boats, donkey rides, hoop la, a dance hall, teas, shooting range and other attractions. Whilst various addresses were quoted in the census and newspaper articles; the correct address was Woodside, Paul Lane, Kirkheaton.

Timeline

1851-Helme Common-William Armitage (48), fancy weaver and gardener. Family includes son William (10).

1861-Helm- William Armitage (59), fancy weaver, gardener and farmer of 5 acres. Son William (21), fancy weaver

1871-Elm Common-William Armitage (69) Market Gardener of 5 acres.

1873-William Armitage of Woodside, Paul Lane buried at Kirkheaton St John’s on 10th August. His son William takes over the business.

1881-Helm Common-William Armitage (40), farmer of 5 acres and gardener. His wife was Ann (38) and they had no children.

1888. July Church of England Temperance society visit [ref 1]

1888. Leeds Times 18 August. Edgar Berry aged 11 of Kirkheaton died in consequence of an accident on one of the swings in Mr. Wm. Armitage’s Pleasure gardens. Becoming sick he leaned over the side of the swing boat and his head came in contact with an upright. [ref.2]

1891- Elm common-William Armitage (50)

1901- Armitage gardens -Paul Lane William Armitage (62)

1901-Various newspaper reports of lightening disaster [ref.3]. Two men killed and six injured on their way to a Spiritualist meeting at Spring Grove Pleasure Gardens

1909- William (1840-1909) was buried at Kirkheaton St John the Baptist on 2nd February.

1910 Tax valuation-Paul Lane House and garden of 5 acres. Tenant William Whitfield. Property owned by Henry Wadsworth per A.H. Lee 25 Bairstow square, Wakefield.

1911 census-Woodside Kirkheaton William Whitfield canal boatman and Pleasure Garden proprietor plus his wife Mary H and 5 children. His eldest son Dyson was killed in WW1

1912 Kelly-Wm. Whitfield Market Gardener-Woodside, Kirkheaton.

1916 William Whitfield moved to Gosling Hall farm, Upper Hopton.

1917 Kelly-Thomas Glover, Spring Grove Pleasure gardens, Kirkheaton [Ref 4]

1927 Kelly-Spring Grove Pleasure Gardens Kirkheaton-Basil Moore

Spring Grove Pleasure Gardens on Paul Lane, Colnebridge (whatsapp location) operated between 1870 and 1930. They were widely advertised in Yorkshire, alongside Hope Bank at Honley and Sunney Vale at Hipperholme. Having attractions for all the family, including Swing boats, donkey rides, hoop la, a dance hall, teas, shooting range and other attractions. Whilst various addresses were quoted in the census and newspaper articles; the correct address was Woodside, Paul Lane, Kirkheaton.

Timeline

1851-Helme Common-William Armitage (48), fancy weaver and gardener. Family includes son William (10).

1861-Helm- William Armitage (59), fancy weaver, gardener and farmer of 5 acres. Son William (21), fancy weaver

1871-Elm Common-William Armitage (69) Market Gardener of 5 acres.

1873-William Armitage of Woodside, Paul Lane buried at Kirkheaton St John’s on 10th August. His son William takes over the business.

1881-Helm Common-William Armitage (40), farmer of 5 acres and gardener. His wife was Ann (38) and they had no children.

1888. July Church of England Temperance society visit [ref 1]

1888. Leeds Times 18 August. Edgar Berry aged 11 of Kirkheaton died in consequence of an accident on one of the swings in Mr. Wm. Armitage’s Pleasure gardens. Becoming sick he leaned over the side of the swing boat and his head came in contact with an upright. [ref.2]

1891- Elm common-William Armitage (50)

1901- Armitage gardens -Paul Lane William Armitage (62)

1901-Various newspaper reports of lightening disaster [ref.3]. Two men killed and six injured on their way to a Spiritualist meeting at Spring Grove Pleasure Gardens

1909- William (1840-1909) was buried at Kirkheaton St John the Baptist on 2nd February.

1910 Tax valuation-Paul Lane House and garden of 5 acres. Tenant William Whitfield. Property owned by Henry Wadsworth  per A.H. Lee 25 Bairstow square, Wakefield.

1911 census-Woodside Kirkheaton William Whitfield canal boatman and Pleasure Garden proprietor plus his wife Mary H and 5 children. His eldest son Dyson was killed in WW1

1912 Kelly-Wm. Whitfield Market Gardener-Woodside, Kirkheaton.

1917 Kelly-Thomas Glover, Spring Grove Pleasure gardens, Kirkheaton [Ref 4]

1922- William Whitfield died

1927 Kelly-Spring Grove Pleasure Gardens Kirkheaton-Basil Moore

Ref1. Brighouse News 7^th July 1888

Church of England Temperance Society are arranging to give their children an “Excursion by water ” to Spring Grove Gardens, Colne Bridge, on Saturday, the 14th inst., in a boat kindly lent by Mr Mellor. Parents and adult members are invited to join them at a very modest charge. The idea is a novel and pleasing one, and we doubt not that if favoured with fine weather the excursion will be well patronised.

Huddersfield Chronicle 21^st July 1888

On Saturday last 150 adults and children in connection with the Brighouse Church of England Temperance Society went to Spring Grove Gardens, Colnebridge, in a canal boat, kindly lent by Mr Henry Mellor. Here they had tea, and in, the course of the afternoon, flat races, skipping contests, three legged and sack races were taken part in by the boys and girls of the party for prizes consisting of cricket bats, books etc., given by the society. The party enjoyed the out (sic) immensely

Ref2. Huddersfield Chronicle 13th Aug. 1888

DISTRESSING FATAL ACCIDENT. About half past four on Saturday afternoon Edgar Berry, 11 years old schoolboy met with a serious accident which resulted in his death. He was at Mr Wm. Armitage’s pleasure gardens, Park-lane, Upperheaton, Kirkheaton. After having had his tea, he ran into the field where the swings were and jumped onto one of the boats, in which another lad, Frank Ellis was seated. They then began swinging and the deceased became sick and leaned over the side of the swing boat. His head consequently came in contact with the uprights, and he was rendered insensible. He was taken home and Doctor Sprowl of Mirfield was called but he died a few hours afterwards.

Ref 3. Huddersfield Examiner 22 July 1901

Terrible catastrophe near Colnebridge.

Arrangements had been made by the Yorkshire Union of Spiritualists to hold open air meetings on Sunday afternoon and evening at Armitage gardens near to Colne bridge and Heaton Lodge in the township of Kirkheaton. people made their way by road, rail and foot, from various towns and villages to the gardens. Amongst the vehicles was a large char-a-banc from Bradford with eighteen passengers. To ease the horses up the steep hill to Paul Lane most of the party alighted to walk there. The tragedy happened as they walked past a group of trees on Paul Lane when lightning struck the party, leaving two dead and 6 injured. (Refer to the newspaper for more detail)

Ref 4 Leeds Mercury 1926

There are numerous articles about his divorce which state he had dance studios at Huddersfield and Bradley. The former was Grafton Dance Studios, Brooke Street Huddersfield where in 1926 he was fined £50 for selling beer without a license.

His daughter Miss Mabel Glover was a well known Huddersfield Dance teacher reported widely in the press up to at least 1939 when she also opened studios in Leeds. She was born 1904 and in 1911 was at Morley with her grandfather Samuel

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