Delph End or Gibraltar
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1897-1997
Delph End
The hamlet of Delph End, or Gibraltar. This hamlet developed in the
18th century as a cluster of cottages on Pudsey moor, held on long
leases from Pudsey's Lord of the Manor. Some of these cottages are in
the bottom of the left hand corner of the old photograph. In 1801
Joseph Thackrah of Woodhall, and Thomas Fairfax Carlyle simarly leased
part of the moor to build Gibratar Mill in the valley below. It was
Pudsey's first mill to install a coal gas lighting system
manufacturing its own gas, the second steam-powered scibbling and
fulling mill (the first was Union Bridge Mill in Roker Lane) and until
the mid 19th century was also the largest. It was notable as being one
of the first in the Leeds district to install gas lighting. Following
the enclosure of Pudsey moor in 1918 Joseph Thackrah acquired a small
plot above Delph End on which he built the 'Upper Mill', seen in the
1897 photograph. Mr. Carlyle had by then left the firm as bankrupt.
The cottage on the right were later built for hand loom workers. The
Upper Mill was not rebuilt after being destroyed by fire in 1897 but
the remaining part of the mill was subsequently bought by James
Womersley and worked for many years in conjunction with Smalewell Mill
by his sons Daniel and Stafford. It is quite unusual that the area has
been allowed to return to common land.
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