HCS Members’ Update August 2025
Since the Society’s AGM on March 26, 2025 the role of Chair of the Society continues to be split between members of the Society’s committee. Members’ newsletters are currently being edited by HCS committee members on a rotating basis, this month’s being edited by Adrian Pitts and Howard Smith with contributions from committee members.
As noted in the last Newsletter a review of membership information has been carried out with final reminders issued and with those not responding being removed from the normal circulation. If you have not paid this year’s subscriptions or wish to join/rejoin please visit https://huddersfieldcivicsociety.org.uk/join- us/ and follow the instructions on the web page. If you need any help, please drop an email to and we will get back to you.
We still have several members who continue to pay with old standing order details and are therefore paying out-of-date subscription rates. If you pay by standing order, please check with your bank and update your standing order to £15 for single membership or £30 for joint. Reminders will be sent to those affected.
Since our last newsletter, we have been joined by seven new individual members, so a warm welcome to you all. We are also delighted to have welcomed four new corporate members: Walker Singleton, Hill Rise Architecture, Stantec and The Mount Preparatory School. We hope all our new members benefit from their membership and find time to get involved, support and attend our activities and events.
While covering the topic of membership it’s important to note the ‘retirement’ of committee member Patricia Fuller after many years of sterling support for the society and its activities. At the most recent Committee meeting held on July 14, a thank you card and gift were presented to Patricia to mark this occasion and to wish her well in the future.
Other news
Hyperbolic paraboloids – Twenty-one of them.
HSC was pleased to have been invited by our friends at Huddersfield Unlimited to participate in their latest Business Forum in what remains of the former Queensgate Market. At present, it’s a busy construction site and will remain so into next year. Normally, access would be strictly controlled. Visitors would be made to wear boots, hard hats and high visibility clothing, but on June 24 there was a pause and rules were relaxed. Guests were invited to see what has been achieved and to hear about the ambitious plans to make the restored structure a key element in Kirklees Council’s ‘Our Cultural Heart’ initiative.
Sir John Harman made a buoyant introductory speech. Council Leader Carole Pattison spoke positively, describing how she had looked on from the Town Hall offices as building work progressed. And Tom Wimpenny, Senior Site Manager for BAM Construction, spoke about the role of his company emphasising their efforts to maintain strong links with the local community. BAM is a significant organisation. It has a £2.7bn turnover in the UK and Ireland, employing 6,500 people. On this particular project over 60% of the BAM workforce lives within 30 miles of Huddersfield.
But the real stars of this show were the 21 asymmetrical hyperbolic paraboloid concrete shells more prosaically known to locals as ‘mushrooms’. They are truly remarkable structures. Built between 1968 and 1970, the Market Hall was given Grade 2 listed status in 2005. Historic England summarises the reasons for listing the structure. It points to the innovative use of cutting-edge technology in its construction. It also notes the use of high quality decorative ceramic sculptures by a noted sculptor, Fritz Steller, both externally and internally. In summary, it states ‘the design is imaginative and intelligent, making full use of the site and creating a visually pleasing structure with a dramatic roofscape.’
The plan is for the renovated site to host Huddersfield Library which is currently temporarily housed in the Civic Centre buildings. Additionally, a new food hall is to be located underneath the columns supporting a new roof which is still being put in place. A full public opening of both the food hall and library is expected in summer 2026.
Among the guests present at the event I saw Chris Marsden. I knew he had been instrumental in getting people to think again about this particular building and urging us look at it with fresh eyes. He played a key role in a campaign to get it listed. He was a leading voice in the community group Huddersfield Gem which lobbied to save the building.
I couldn’t help but wonder how he now felt listening to speeches celebrating something that had previously been overlooked, marginalised and under threat. I spoke to him before writing this piece. Chris explained to me that in 2003 the council had plans to redevelop this entire area and to completely demolish the Queensgate Market. It was the threat of demolition that spurred him and others to take action. The Twentieth Century Society joined the campaign. Local media, this was back in the days when local newspapers still had significant influence, ran stories both about the building and the fight. In August 2005 Queensgate Market was given Grade 2 listed status. But even that didn’t mean it was saved. As recently as 2009 the Twentieth Century Society expressed alarm at new proposals requiring the demolition of eight of the concrete shells.
Chris told me that during the campaign to raise the profile of this unusual and striking structure he had often felt very alone. Seeing all those in attendance on June 24, listening to the speakers outlining ambitious plans in which the former Market Hall will play an important role, he may no longer feel like a lone voice.
Michael Woodward 2025
Transport Related Projects
Kirklees Council was recently awarded approximately £60m from West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) to support a number of schemes. This is expected to contribute to partial paving on Northumberland Street and to further development of Huddersfield bus station.
University Campus
Campus changes have been proposed at the University following removal and changes to some buildings, one as a result of discovery of RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete). The changes are mainly in the heart of the campus and have been reported in the local media along with some visualisations of how changes might look https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/new-photos-show-how-huddersfield-32106360
Some images are available on the weblink showing lost buildings and new landscape proposals.
Sunday School Stones
Members might be aware of a number of Sunday School Memorial Stones which were being looked after on a temporary by former HCS Chair, Chris Marsden. The mini-stone carvings were originally located on the Northumberland Street Primitive Methodist Sunday School Building, but were at risk due to loss of their most recent home in the St Peters Buildings (see https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/pictures-stunning-sunday-school-memorial-6838021) .
These stones have now been found a home within the University Western Campus with a view to moving them at a later date to be incorporated into the National Health Innovation Campus.
Forthcoming HCS and HCS Related Events
Discover Huddersfield Walks August and September
Walks coming up in the next two months:
Thursday 7 August at 7pm: Huddersfield Waterways – from Industry to Nature
Sunday 17 August at 2.30pm: Colne Valley Cloth: Milnsbridge
Sunday 31 August at 2.30pm: Tolson an Historic House
Then as part of Heritage Open Days
Sunday 14 September at 10.30am: Modernism Walk
Wednesday 17 September at 2.30pm: Musical Sites of Huddersfield
Saturday 20 September at 10.30am: Huddersfield Narrow Canal and Railway – Marsden to Tunnel End
A leaflet detailing all walks can be downloaded at https://cdn.hd4.uk/sites/discoverhuddersfield.com/2025/03/DH-Walks-Programme-2025.pdf
Places cost £5 per person and bookings normally open two weeks before each walk
Heritage Open Days 2025, 12-21 September 2025
A reminder that this year’s national Heritage Open Days festival runs from Friday, September 12 to Sunday, September 21, 2025, with the theme of Architecture. A printed and online leaflet will be produced listing all Kirklees events with full details also being updated regularly on the national website: https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/
Many churches will also be open on Saturday, September 13 for Yorkshire Churches Day. If you would like more information, contact Sylvia Johnson ().
Mills Transformed, 7pm Wednesday, 17 September 2025, at the Brian Jackson Centre, 2 New North Parade, Huddersfield, HD1 5JP.
As part of the 2025 Heritage Open Days festival and following a successful exhibition at Bradford Industrial Museum, HCS and Huddersfield Local History Society have invited photographer Neil Horsley to give a presentation based on the exhibition but with additional local examples of successful conversion projects. This will be introduced by John Lambe, Historic Places Advisor for Historic England who has a focus on mills.
This event is free to attend for members. To reserve a place a booking will be requested via Eventbrite. Details will be available soon.
Turnbridge Mills visit, 3pm Thursday 2 October 2025 (details tbc)
Members may be aware of a recent planning application by Paxman Coolers to redevelop the site at Turnbridge Mills. This is a proposal which has received careful scrutiny from members of HCS with a broadly supportive response to the significant changes proposed. This event is free to attend for members and will be an opportunity to see close-up what is being suggested. To reserve a place a booking will be required via Eventbrite. Details will be available next month.
Tolson Memorial Museum, how Ravensknowle House became the Museum of Huddersfield, Book Launch, 7pm Wednesday 15 October 2025, with author Ann Denham, at the Brian Jackson Centre, 2 New North Parade, Huddersfield, HD1 5JP.
The book describes the growth of the town of Huddersfield, the resourcefulness of ordinary local people, and the groundbreaking work of Dr Thomas Woodhead, the first director of the museum. The book is sponsored by the Huddersfield Civic Society and Friends of Tolson & Ravensknowle.
This event is free to attend for members. To reserve a place a booking will be required via Eventbrite. Details will be available next month.
Huddersfield Family History Fair, 10am to 4pm Saturday 25 October 2025, Greenhead Masonic Hall, Greenhead Rd, Huddersfield HD1 4EN
HCS will have a stand at this event.
Also ongoing at Heritage Quay, University of Huddersfield until the autumn The Town That Taught Itself Exhibition.
Curated by the Heritage Quay team, it displays archival treasures from the University of Huddersfield’s collections that will highlight the bond between ‘town’ and ‘gown’ and the legacy of self-improvement and technical advancement through education which continues today.
Curators have traced the journey from the Young Men’s Mental Improvement Society of 1841 on Outcote Bank to the Queensgate Campus via locations across the town. Rarely-seen material from the university’s other predecessors such as the Huddersfield Female Educational Institute, the Holly Bank teacher training college and the Victorian-era Huddersfield Literary and Scientific Society will also feature. Hours of research into the archive’s holdings have unearthed forgotten facts and insights including information about the many buildings and people who played integral parts in the story and correct long-held myths about what actually happened.
Arts and Crafts Book Launch
Looking further into the future HCS hopes to support an arts and crafts book expected in late 2025 or early 2026 – watch out for further details or contact David Griffiths.
HCS Social Event, 7pm Thursday 22 January 2026 at Westins Social Club (tbc)
This is the proposed annual social event for members of the Society with quiz and refreshments – please put in your diaries.
Recent HCS Events.
Thursday 12 June: Guided Tour of Sunnybank Mills, Farsley, Leeds. Reported by David Wyles
I’ll begin by saying that if you weren’t able to join HCS colleagues and friends on this tour of the mill’s archives I urge you to do so.
Sunnybank Mills produced fine worsted cloth and the carefully preserved archive is so much more than a dusty record of the mill’s history. With a very able, knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide, David Cox, we were able to appreciate the history of these mill buildings dating from the early 19th century after which it expanded as a vertical mill, combining the various processes of cloth production. Production at the mill finally ceased in 2008.
I’m sure many will have visited local industrial museums and know their weft from their warp, bobbins and shuttles. Here, there is not only an insight into the machinery of cloth production but a true feel of the quality, range and complexity in producing fabrics, of which the archive holds many thousand examples.
Here, you can feel the difference between the wool combed from local sheep to the soft, high-quality wool from Merino sheep, originally from Spain but introduced into Australia in the early C19th by Farsley born Samuel Marsden. By the mid century most quality worsted cloth producers were using imported Australian wool.
The archive has a fascinating collection of mill ledgers and documents recording the production and sale of the cloth to all corners of the globe and the complex range of colours and their chemical attributes.
The archive owes much to the family of William Gaunt. William bought the mill in the First World War and experienced periods of decline and growth during economic depression and war. The family has supported the preservation of this archive under the supervision of Heritage Director, Rachel Moaby, to ensure the unique and remarkable story is preserved.
There’s much more at the mill, with a contemporary gallery, café and shop with some of the HCS group having previously visited the mill for talks and exhibitions. You can find out more by visiting the Sunnybank Mills website: https://www.sunnybankmills.co.uk/
David Wyles.
(note: The Mills also form the venue for the filming of the BBC TV series ‘The Great British Sewing Bee’ – Adrian Pitts)
Photos below courtesy Howard Smith
Planning and Enforcement
Members may be aware of a number of recent schemes where members of HCS have had concerns about contact with, and actions of, Kirklees Council. One of the main issues has related to the slow or perhaps poor response from the council to queries and issues. The HCS Executive Committee are aware of the current tight squeeze on money and resources available to the council which will have had impacts. However, they felt there was a need to get more detailed and timely responses to legitimate concerns allowing avenues for dialogue and appropriate actions to develop. This is particularly the case where planning laws or processes do not seem to be being followed. Several of these topics were itemised in the previous edition of the HCS Newsletter
A response has been received from the council which has led to an invitation for members of the HCS Committee to meet with one of its senior officers (David Shepherd, Executive Director for Place) in early September. This will be reported back-on following the meeting.
George Hotel (Application 2025/91147)
Huddersfield Civic Society supported the ongoing proposals to bring the George Hotel back into use. Its prime town centre location, as well as the urgent need for quality town centre hotel space, made this application one to be welcomed.
However, HCS had concerns regarding details contained in the submitted drawings which have been covered in the last HCS Newsletter. These concerns have been reinforced by responses from statutory bodies and decisions/responses are keenly awaited in the near future.
Castle Hill (Application 2024/93494)
Members may be aware of discussions about amendments to an earlier planning application which reached the end of its 3-year period of validity in February 2025. These relate to erecting a 2-storey building, described in publicity as a free-to-use visitor centre, on the summit of Castle Hill (a scheduled ancient monument), but including a restaurant/café/bar, bedrooms, ancillary accommodation and car parking.
HCS’ concerns stem from the nature and scale of commercial development beyond simple visitor welcome/shelter facilities, archaeology disturbance, inadequate location access/egress and issues around commercial viability with the role of a proposed community interest company.
Historic England has a number of significant concerns about the current proposals and we await outcomes of the process.
Clayton Fields, Edgerton (Application 2025/90373, which follows on from application 2024/70/92167)
As reported in the last Newsletter, Jones Homes has now begun work on this site in the Edgerton Conservation Area between Halifax Road (A629) and Clayton Brook. HCS objected both to the diversion, or closure, of several public rights of way (PROWs), even though they were only dedicated as recently as 2020, and also to the unnecessary felling in April 2025 of over 10 mature trees alongside another right of way which runs beside the construction site from Halifax Road to George Avenue, Birkby. Geoff Hughes has followed up with a freedom of information request.
Members of HCS continue to monitor the situation and report on matters they consider to adversely affect the site and its surroundings.
Turnbridge Mills (application by Paxman Coolers to develop the site)
The committee of HCS have generally supported the proposals for the redevelopment of the site while expressing a desire to see some reconsideration of plans for demolition of the old spinning block.
New Huddersfield police station on Northgate (Application 2025/91909 Discharge conditions from previous permission given on 2024/92246)
There are some concerns about lack of details regarding hard and soft landscaping works.
Waverley House
Several ongoing concerns over potential illegal tree felling, car park creation and non-office use following planning refusal. The council approach now seems to be to encourage the applicant to submit a retrospective application, rather than enforce its own early 2022 refusal
Other local events of interest
Sources of information
There are now several comprehensive sources of local What’s On information:
- The Huddersfield Hub has a very comprehensive listing of events in and around Huddersfield at https://huddersfieldhub.co.uk/category/whats-on/
- Kirklees Council has an events directory: https://communitydirectory.kirklees.gov.uk/communityDirectory/whatsOn.aspx
For events in Huddersfield town centre the Huddersfield BID (Business Improvement District) team now offers the (free to download) Hello Huddersfield app (https://hellohuddersfield.co.uk/). This well-designed app lets you select event subjects about which you may wish to receive text/email notifications and allows you to scroll through the latest information about entertainment, shopping and dining in and around the town centre.
Content provided by members of Huddersfield Civic Society committee and edited by Adrian Pitts with support from Howard Smith.