A new book looks at street names behind historic Haworth.

David Knights reports

I expected 'Street Names of Haworth' to be a dry-as-dust dictionary detailing the meanings of each of the village's 100-plus thoroughfares.

But Jennie Crawford's 64-page book is also a fascinating look at the history of the village.

And the dictionary segment, while occupying most of the 64 pages, is far from dry thanks to the anecdotes she includes alongside her explanations.

Thornton woman Jennie, a librarian at Queensbury School, is as interested in the people as much as the places of Haworth. She begins with a potted history, taking readers from Haworth's origins as a 'hedged' or 'high' farmstead, through 18th century disease and disasters to the arrival of the Bronts.

Jennie thankfully doesn't go overboard on Haworth's most famous family - she simply puts them in their rightful place then moves on to equally-important issues. Pack horses, earthquakes and tempests, fevers, the textile industry, the coming of the railways and the Nuisance Inspector all get a mention in the well-written text.

All the time, Jennie puts historical events in the context of how they helped shape the village and its streets.

She outlines how roads developed generally, from bronze age tracks, through Roman paving and the Turnpike Trusts of the 1700s to Victorian improvements.

Then it's a detailed look at the streets, beginning with an overview with details culled from census reports and rate books.

The dictionary lists more than 120 streets in Haworth and Lees, with comprehensive information about their origins. Jennie admits not every street is included, and in some cases the origins are open to interpretation, but she has clearly done her homework.

From the oldest streets - Mytholme Lane, Lord Lane and Sike Lane - to modern roads like Woodlands Rise, together with lists of themed or long-gone streets, Jennie's book is well nigh exhaustive.

Street Names of Haworth costs £4.99 from Reids Bookshop, Cavendish Street, and Haworth Tourist Information Centre. It is published by Wharncliffe.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.