Campaign to restore piece of history in Bailiff Bridge

For 50 years a drinking fountain – with a drinking cup on a chain for residents and travellers and water troughs for the horses – stood at the heart of the crossroads in Bailiff Bridge, near Brighouse, before being removed in 1962.

But the dedication stone still survives and a community stalwart is hoping businesses and the community will help raise the thousands of pounds needed to create a replica fountain.

Supported by developers Axminster Court, which are backing the proposals, the aim will be to build a replica of the fountain in art stone just 20 metres away from where the original stood, where the company is building new homes.

Firth’s carpet mills once dominated Bailiff Bridge, supplying high-quality carpets the world over, including for Parliament.

It was a shock to the community when it closed in 1998, says community stalwart Malcolm Silkstone.

Before and since then, Malcolm has spent more than 40 years working voluntarily for, and delivering, improvements in the village, including forming the Bailiff Bridge community group, eventually seeing the village’s modern community centre opened in 2010, forming a group to transform the village’s then derelict park, and working with Calderdale Council and the Government to source grant money to improve housing stock in the early 2000s.

His work has been recognised with Citizens’ and Civic Trust awards, both made in the last 20 years, and he was elected to serve on the Brighouse Town Board in 2017.

Malcolm said the fountain was a paternal initiative for villagers, presented by Lady Janet Firth in 1911 and removed for traffic safety reasons half a century later.

Malcolm Silkstone, left, and director Mark Jones and site manager Matthew Graham at the Axminster Court site next to the crossroads at Bailiff Bridge (Image: Newsquest)

Pieces survived but at some point were damaged, some being stored by the council and now located.

He said advice indicates the best option is a replica of the original, avoiding mismatches of original pieces of damaged stone and new, and the developers want to place this on a prominent corner of the housing site, with the original dedication stone utilised in a wall.

Mark Jones, director of Axminster Court, who along with site manager Matthew Graham has spoken with Malcolm about the proposals, said the company was a smaller developer and had an ethos of giving back to communities they were building in.

Malcolm thanked the company for the interest, help and support they were giving to try and bring back the historical and industrial monument.

But to realise the proposals, as much help as possible is needed, he said.

Anyone who wants to help recreate part of Bailiff Bridge’s history is asked to contact Malcolm by emailing malcolmsilkstone@btinternet.com or telephoning him on 07985 283831, where he can provide more information.