The original of this painting by A Wilson, dated 1878, belongs to Bradford Museums and Art Galleries and it is reproduced on the information board at Hirst Wood Lock. It shows quite a pastoral scene, with Hirst Wood Farm, outbuildings and cottages (now all demolished) on the left and a house on the right (which still exists). Further down the lane to the right stands Hirst Mill, a water mill powered by the River Aire, which was originally used for grinding oats, later became a fulling mill connected with the woollen industry and was then converted to make paper. It is now transformed into apartments.
Interestingly the painting shows a house on the hill in the distance that I think is Milner Field, the mansion built for Titus Salt Junior, which had a fascinating and macabre history - see here and here for earlier posts about that.
And here is the same lock today...
No comments:
Post a Comment