Addingham Houses 1750-1850

Before 1750 Addingham was a small farming community but during the next 100 years (the period covered by this book) the village was transformed by the coming of the textile industry and the construction of substantial mills and related enterprises. This expansion produced wealthy mill owners who needed suitable housing for themselves and their families and also lesser properties for their workers. It is very fortunate that so many houses of this period still exist in Addingham (which has over 100 listed buildings) and, indeed, much of Main Street is still lined by original buildings. In the first part of this book, local historian Arnold Pacey has written chapters about the principle property owners, particularly the Cunliffes and the Cockshotts, and describes the houses that they built, with detailed pen and ink drawings (mainly by the author) of architectural features, and photographs of some of the houses. The second part of the book is devoted to the builders, stonemasons and other craftsmen who built the houses and the distinctive working methods which left their mark and show who built which house. Particularly featured here are generations of the Breare family. The second edition, published 2015, has the addition of an old photograph of North Street which has provided the author with further information about the houses in that street and enabled related changes and additions to the text.