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The Village of
Emley & the Emley Show
 Visiting Emley after a long gap was an invigorating experience. There was plenty of fresh air, especially up on Jagger Hill on Emley Moor where the Arqiva-owned ‘mast’ and transmitting station is a remarkable sight at close quarters.
The concrete tower, at over 330 metres, is the tallest free-standing structure in Britain. It is the successor of two previous structures. The first, erected in 1956 and 135 metres tall brought the first independent television transmissions to the Yorkshire area. This was replaced in 1964 by a 365 metre mast of cylindrical steel which improved reception and anticipated the new colour era. Unfortunately the mast and its supporting cables was prone to an accumulation of ice in cold weather. On 19 March 1969 the weight of the ice and severe winds caused the structure to buckle and collapse. The spectacular crash was heard from miles around but there were no injuries or fatalities. Within four days a temporary mast had been erected and services resumed. Not surprisingly, there was some local opposition to rebuilding on grounds of safety and legal matters relating to the great fall took many months. The present design which uses curved steel segments cased in concrete has been highly successful. The tower has recently been classified as a Listed building, of historic and architectural interest. However, despite its dominance, there is more to Emley than its TV mast. Near the mast I called at the Thorncliffe Farm Shop (01924 848171), on Westfield Lane which, open seven days a week, contains a wide variety of local food products and attracts a lot of custom.
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 Back to earth, a horse and trap trotted past just as I was preparing to photograph the Green Dragon pub. Its two occupants gave me a cheerful wave and ‘Good Morning.’ As a young Barnsley teacher in the 1970s I would often visit the village – in the basket meal era – to enjoy some food and drink at The Green Dragon or The White Horse. But there was another attractive culinary venue: the fish and chip shop in a small wooden structure near the cross-roads. Here you could enjoy wonderful fayre, cooked by coal fire, a great rarity even then. Sadly this service has long ended though the building survives, by the house of the owner. Fish and chips are still available locally, though via modern equipment but it was nice to spot something that I have not seen for ages: Mally’s Chippy, a mobile facility.
My next stop was at St Michael’s church whose interior had recently undergone a major refurbishment. St Michael’s is now linked to four Upper Dearne parishes: St James (Flockton), St Aidan (Skelmanthorpe), St Augustine (Scissett) and All Saints (Clayton West).
It was Wednesday morning and Holy Communion had just finished. The rector, Christine Bullimore said that there was plenty of time for me to look inside the building and on entry I was provided with a mug of coffee by a lady in the new reception and kitchen area opposite the entrance. Cheerful Michael Hull, the churchwarden was also present. He was kind enough to tell me about the history of the building and the recent major refurbishment, clearly carried out with a great deal of loving care and a good deal of fund raising.
The nave of St Michael’s is of Norman origin but much of the interior dates from the late medieval period, particularly the fifteenth century, including the fine and tall tower. Today the inside is light and airy, very welcoming. The relocation of the rood screen to the west end of the church and the new seating arrangement allows an uninterrupted view of the nave – with its lovely and unusual timber roof - and the medieval stained glass of the east window - and separates the area of worship from what might be regarded as a social part of the building. Fragments of early glass are also extant in the chancel south window. The east window glass includes the donor shields of arms of the manorial lord, Sir William Fitzwilliam (d.1494) whose removal to Sprotborough meant that no further endowments were forthcoming at St Michael’s. The glass has been restored by the York glaziers. The ringing chamber now contains a working peel of six bells. The seventeenth century tulip font, with its fluted sides, carved in hard gritstone, is a superb example, now sited in front of the north side of the chancel arch. A 24-light candelabra, one of the largest that I have seen in a parish church, hangs in the chancel, a splendid feature after its careful restoration. If you haven’t been inside recently or never visit St Michael’s then do have a look. You won’t be disappointed.
There are many interesting gravestones in the churchyard and I took time to read some examples including several relating to the Jagger and Stringer families, well known for their local coal mining interests. Embedded in the churchyard wall are interesting stones from the old school and a cross which may relate to the Knights Hospitallers who owned property and land in the parish.
 As in many parts of the West Riding manorial lords were keen to boost the economy of their estates. One means to do this was by the provision of a regular market. Sir Thomas Fitzwilliam obtained the right to hold a weekly Thursday market and five-day May fair at Emley – from King Henry II - in 1253. Like many others, fourteenth century pestilences and the national decay of the economy resulted in the end of the enterprise.
The stump of the old market cross at the crossing of the main roads at the centre of the village is a reminder of medieval Emley which was also part of a large enclosed park. The place-name Emley Park survives south of the village as does Park Gate (meaning road) near Skelmanthorpe and Park Mill (an ancient water corn mill), close to Clayton West. Emley Hall, an interesting medieval moated site, lay inside the park.
As we have already seen, Emley is a place of considerable antiquity. It’s place-name may refer to its Saxon origins, a woodland clearing of a person called Em(m)a. In1086, at the Domesday Survey it was referred to as Ameleie. The approach to the village via West Bretton and the A636 is an interesting one. On the left-hand side of the rising ascent a reminder of early industrial activity can be glimpsed. Here the old bell-pits pock mark the landscape, remains of ironstone workings. During the early thirteenth century the monks of distant Byland Abbey founded Bentley Grange in Emley township in order to mine and forge iron. The surviving bell-pits, however, probably relate to later workings, associated with Bank Furnace near Cawthorne. Emley played an important role in the development of the great South Yorkshire iron industry during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
 By the second decade of the nineteenth century Emley was a small rural community, largely self-supporting but despite its relative isolation coal had become an important local commodity. Four ‘coal owners’ were listed in 1822: John Bedford and three members of the Jagger family – Matthew, James and Robert. The old park had been divided into farms. In 1868 a trade directory noted that ‘a considerable number of inhabitants are employed in weaving and in the collieries’. Not long afterwards, the village brass band was formed, an organisation that continues to exist today, despite the closure of Emley Moor Colliery following the miners’ strike of 1984/85. Another notable institution, Emley AFC, was formed in 1903. This well known non-league club reached the third round of the FA Cup in 1997/98, losing to premier league side West Ham United.
During the 1930s when the population of Emley was only a few persons less than the 1,867 figure recorded at the 2001 census farming continued to be the main activity. But the village continued to be self-supporting. It had a baker (Reg Bintcliffe), three butchers, a draper (Mrs Audsley), three grocers, a tobacconist (Mr Graham), painters (Haigh and Lawton), a blacksmith (Pexton & Son) and a wheelright (Redgwick). The post office was kept by George Moxon and there was a Co-operative store, reading room and urban council offices. Returning to my fish and chip theme, Harold Berry of Townend was the man listed. Wilkinsons were the local builders and Whiteley the haulage firm.
Emley Moor Colliery was one of the last old fashioned pits in the NCB’s Yorkshire region.
In 1983 it only employed 290 but produced high quality coal.
The Beeston seam in particular was still using hand-got methods before closure. It varied from just 16 to 28 inches thick.
 Men extracted the coal using shovel and pick, laying on their backs and sides in very cramped conditions. This hard-won coal was in demand for use in the steel industry of Scandinavia. Veteran miners such as Reuban Kenworthy (59), from Netherton, started his seven and a half hour shift by travelling down the 120 yard shaft in a small cage.
Then there followed a 600-yard journey on a ‘man-rider’ conveyor belt. Next was a 20-minute walk to the face, the roof of the roadway gradually lowering as time progresed.
After undercutting by machine, Reuban had to crawl into an opening on his belly and side to start work and stayed put until snap-time three hours later. Reuban hand-filled over 20 tonnes of coal per shift. He was used to the hand-got methods, refusing to work in a thicker seam. A polish miner named Marian Rockicki was something of a legend, moving 40-yards of coal by hand in a single shift. Stories go that ‘Rocky’ personally moved 250,000 tons of Emley coal prior to his retirement. Stallone was a softie in comparison. The Beeston face closed in April 1983 and the old hand-filling days came to an end. But the machines did not help the pit after the big strike, Emley closed down for good in 1985.
Today the Emley Business Park occupies most of the old pit site. Small businesses with intriguing names such as The Pink Pig Company, Devils Paint Jobs, Maverick Wires and The Natural Wheat Bag Company are based there – or at least are listed on the entrance board off Leys Lane. Wonder what Rocky and Reuban would have thought. One thing is for sure though: you can get a nice cup of tea and a bacon sandwich at the friendly Cabin Café.
In recent years I have attended a number of agricultural shows but not one of them has been as enjoyable as the time I spent at Emley. On arrival at the showground I was directed to the members’ car park, driving over undulations on the way which were in fact ridge and furrow features, part of Emley’s medieval field system. It was Saturday, 5 August, the 89th show. The Low Fields site is superb, in a lovely rural setting. Access was easy and well-signed. There was even a free bus service from Emley Cross at hourly intervals from 9 am and half-hourly from 11 am.
The programme of events started at 9 am and continued well into late afternoon. Since I was there early it was good opportunity to have a look at the trade stands. The variety was excellent, ranging from large commercial companies such as Harratts Volvo Ltd to a good range of trade and charity stands. Typically for me, the first stand that caught my eye near the entrance was ‘Kitchen’ where Debbie and Jennie Masters had an enormous selection of bread and other mouth watering produce for sale. Further on I had a chat with Yvette Shaw and Jo McDonald who were there representing the Wakefield branch of the National Childbirth Trust. Then it was interesting visiting the Elisabeth Svendsen Trust, a charity dedicated to the care of donkeys and children.
It was about this point that the show’s publicity man, Dave Wood, spotted me and we had a chat about the show. It was nice to be made welcome. Organising a show of this size and to this standard requires a large number of volunteers and there were plenty of them around to provide advice and assistance at all times. The air cadets, St John’s Ambulance, Young Farmers and others did a great job.
While I was there it was never too crowded but yet had a lovely atmosphere with lots of things to do and see. There were plenty of refreshment opportunities too, from the standard beer tent to the usual mobile fast food outlets. As a Barnsley lad it was good to see the Yorkshire Venison Centre, from Worsbrough, in attendance, offering tempting sandwiches. Children gathered for face painting outside the Emley Community tent. All the charities appeared to be well supported. I stopped to have a word with Emily Osborne and Keeley Harrison from Wakefield Hospice but the local Lions Club were probably the most vocal – but all for a good cause.
Half-way round the stands I came across the show President, Michael Hull who, at the time, I did not realise was also the churchwarden at St Michael’s. Mr Hull, sporting a bowler, was doing his rounds of the showground, welcoming and chatting to the stallholders.
He told me that Emley show really began to grow from modest origins during the 1970s and especially after its move to the present site.
Early on I watched some of the horses and ponies (and riders/handlers) undergoing judging in the show rings.
One of the early class winners was ‘Billy Elliot’ and his owner and handler Alison Gladwin from Halifax. Three years old ‘Billy’ had been ‘rescued’ from travellers in Leeds and now looked in excellent shape and condition.
It was enjoyable visiting the various animal sections.
One that caught my eye was the cattle area, looking at the small Dexters but there was an impressive bull or two and some superb Highland cattle.
There were sections for poultry, pigeons, cage birds, goats, rabbits and hamsters; and the horticultural marquee was very popular. In addition there was a good range of crafts (including woodcarving), cookery and artwork, including a children’s section; and an interesting show of honey from the Wakefield & Pontefract Bee Keepers’ Association.
There were a number of attractions throughout the showground during the day.
I enjoyed in particular listening to Emley Brass Band and the Bourbon Street Roof Raisers Jazz Band. The most spectacular event, though, were the shows of the Knights of the Damned – galloping medieval knights on horseback providing colourful and realistic entertainment.
Emley Show is a really good family day out. There is something for everyone, and all very well presented and organised. I guess planning is already well in advance for 2007. Hope to see you there.
Published Autumn 2006. All information correct at time of print
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