Oughtibridge
| Oughtibridge | |
| Yorkshire West Riding | |
|---|---|
 The River Don in Oughtibridge | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SK306933 |
| Location: | 53°26’10"N, 1°32’20"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 3,584 (2011) |
| Post town: | Sheffield |
| Postcode: | S35 |
| Dialling code: | 0114 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Sheffield |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Penistone and Stocksbridge |
Oughtibridge is a residential village to the north-west of Sheffield, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The village sits in the valley of the River Don. The population of the village has increased significantly in recent years due to much private housing development and stood at 3,542 in 2006, over an area of 877 acres. The population of Oughtibridge increased to 3,584 in 2011.
Parish church
The Parish Church of the Ascension on Church Street was built in 1842.
The church has a two-manual organ by Nelson, which underwent cleaning and partial reconstruction in 2012. The great has a fine if not loud open diapason.
History
Origins
A bridge was built on the Don here in about 1150, which became known as Oughtred's Bridge, and the small settlement around the bridge adapted the same name. The hamlet grew up as a focal point for local farming communities and the first documented mention of Oughtibridge occurred in 1161 when one of the signatories of an agreement on the grazing rights of Ecclesfield Priory was "Ralph, the son of Oughtred". The name Ughtinabrigg, meaning Oughtred's Bridge in Middle English, was used in the document. The priory's grazing rights included Beeley Wood, a remnant of which still exists to the east of the village. Oughtibridge Hall, built on the high ground to the east of the hamlet in the 16th century; still stands today and is a Grade II listed building.[1]
Onesacre
The little hamlet of Onesacre, approximately half a mile west of Oughtibridge, is recorded in in the Domesday Book of 1086.[2] The Onesacre estate, then known as Anesacre, was owned by the Le Rous family after the Norman Conquest until around 1380 when it passed to the Stead family who were large land-owners in the Sheffield and Hallamshire area. The present buildings date from the middle of the 17th century and Onesacre Hall is Grade II* listed.[3][4]
Industrial development
Oughtibridge remained a small isolated rural hamlet over the centuries and even by 1747 it was made up of only five families. However, the population started to rise in the latter part of the 18th century as a result of the Industrial Revolution and a further expansion in farming. Oughtibridge's position within the Don valley made it a prime location as the water power of the river could be used to drive the machinery of the early and mid-19th century.
In 1841 the population had risen to 1,005 with Oughtibridge forge being the main industry in the village. The forge still stands today on Forge Lane and is a Grade-II-listed building; it has been renovated in recent years and turned into several apartments within a new housing development. There was a corn mill, paper mill, tannery and a small brewery among the other industries at this time. During the second half of the 19th century Oughtibridge reached its height as an industrial centre with the opening of Oughty Bridge railway station in 1845 on the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway. By 1891 the population had grown to 1,784.
The Oughtibridge Silica Firebrick Company which had ganister mines in the nearby Beeley Wood and Wharncliffe Woods, utilised the railway for transportation, building a factory by the railway line near the station; the works were taken over by the Steetley company in 1947.[5] The Steetley refractory works on Station Lane closed in the 1980s with half the site being redeveloped for housing while the remaining half was taken over by Intermet Refractory Products Ltd.
Oughtibridge mill and site
The Dixon family bought the paper mill to the northwest of the village in 1871 and it became a flourishing business, being one of the first to use wood pulp to produce paper instead of rags. The mill specialised in tissues, making the Dixcel brand for many years. Wood pulp for Dixon's paper mill was imported from the Toppila pulp mill (Toppila Oy) in Oulu, Finland from 1931–1985.[6][7] The Dixons signed an agreement with the railway company to provide a siding for the works to transport raw materials and the finished product. The factory had several owners after the Dixons sold the mill in the 1970s. The paper mill was closed in 2007 leaving only converting lines operational with the two tissue machines being mothballed: all production ceased in 2015.
About the village
The modern-day development of Oughtibridge has seen it become a commuter village with many of the residents working in nearby Sheffield and much of the local industry having given way to private housing development.
Coronation Park in the centre of the village by the river includes a children's playground and tennis courts as well as some fine specimens of trees. The War Memorial sports ground is situated next to the River Don slightly downstream, providing facilities for the village football and cricket teams. The ground was donated by the Silica Firebrick Company in 1921.
Sheffield Canoe Club use the river by the park as their outdoor base.[8]
Just across the road from the park is the hall of the Oughtibridge Brass Band who were formed around 1890.
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Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Oughtibridge) |
- Oughtibridge in the Domesday Book
References
- ↑ National Heritage List 1314571: Oughtibridge Hall (Grade II listing)
- ↑ Domesday Book Index. Shows Onesacre listed in Domesday Book.
- ↑ Eric Youle's Sheffield history material. Gives historical details of Onesacre.
- ↑ National Heritage List 1191806: Onesacre Hall (Grade II* listing)
- ↑ Sanderson, Doug (1999). A Layman's Look at the History, Industry, People and Places of Oughtibridge, Worrall and Wharncliffe Side. Sheffield. pp. 76.
- ↑ Kainua, Lauri (1981) (in fi). Osakeyhtiö Toppila - Toppila Oy (Toppila Ltd.) 1927–1974. Oulu: Toppila Oy (Toppila Ltd.).
- ↑ Eräpuu, Eero (1956). Osakeyhtiö Toppila. (engl. Lars Palmroos). Oulu: Toppila Oy (Toppila Ltd.).
- ↑ Sheffield Canoe Club. States that they use the Don at Oughtibridge as their outdoor base.