Tag: Elland

Truncated In Elland

As Saddleworth Road runs into the town of Elland, there is a strange outcrop of trees sprouting out of the tops of truncated mill chimneys. This phenomenon is unique to this area and biologists travel from around the world to witness it. My 1980s photo captures it at an early stage of development, but I … Continue reading Truncated In Elland

Background Fit

This is not one of my photos: I suspect it was taken by my wife's uncle. It is a view over Elland from Dewsbury Road as it makes its way up Upper Edge. It must date from the 1960s or early 70s, the period before the construction of Elland by-pass which, today, cuts across this … Continue reading Background Fit

Gog Hill

Gog Hill used to be an important thoroughfare in Elland, cobble-climbing from Elland Bridge up the steep hillside to the top of the town. It was lined by houses that clung to the hillside with stoney determination. For many years it has been abandoned by everything but empty lager cans and cheap thrills. The signs … Continue reading Gog Hill

Snakes And Branches

This view of Elland is taken from an old picture postcard, published more than 120 years ago. Of course, Elland has changed; most of those mill chimneys have gone, and blocks of flats stand where back-to-back houses once clung to the hillside. The river remains, and those roads that either snake along the valley bottom … Continue reading Snakes And Branches

The Walkway

I took this photo of Elland sometime in the early 1970s. It has all the ingredients: kids running across concrete walkways between soulless housing blocks and Elland power station fading away into a memory. Those kids will be in their 50s or 60s now, and the power station's long gone. The walkway is still there.

Bridges, Mills And Dreams

Background Colour

Britannia Amongst The Chimney Pots

There are some scenes I return to again and again: photographs I have been taking for fifty years. One such is the statue of Britannia which overlooks Elland Bridge from her elevated position on the roof of the former premises of the Halifax and Huddersfield Banking Company. Sometimes I try and capture her in an … Continue reading Britannia Amongst The Chimney Pots

Christmas Cheer

The sight of a grand sunset with the addition of some Christmas cheer is difficult to beat. However, the sight of a grand sunset with the addition of some Christmas cheer seen through the window of a warm and friendly 17th century pub just about manages it.