Memorial and Rain, Brearley

The following pictures were taken whilst walking the route 66 cycleway through Brearley, West Yorkshire. I'd set off to walk a loop from my home in Sowerby Bridge, down the valley from Sowerby through Boulderclough, and in to Mytholmroyd before returning along route 66 and the Rochdale Canal towpath.

Along the route, as you pass through Brearley, you pass the murder stone just north of the railway bridge. The stone is a memorial to William Deighton, a tax inspector who was killed in Halifax while investigating "King" David Hartley and his coiner gang. I have previously posted more on the memorial.

The path is part of the Route 66 cycleway (bridleway), with the railway bridge seen at the top of the picture and the green metal wall.

Underneath the skeletal artwork reads the following:A full and true account of a barborous, bloody, and inhuman murder. There is further artwork below this writing.

Carrying on my walk past the former chapel, now apartments, and through the centre of Brearley, the rain came, and trying to avoid soaking, I sheltered underneath Wheatley Royd Farm Bridge. This didn't work out as planned after nearly 30 minutes of waiting for my weather app to update to tell me it was going to be at least another hour, so I carried on with the walk and the soaking. The following two pictures were taken underneath the shelter of the bridge.

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William Deighton Stone, Brearley, a Barbarous, Bloody and Inhuman Murder.

 

Passing through Brearley, a small village between Luddendenfoot and Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire on the Route 66 of the national cycle network you come to memorial stone inscribed with A Full and True Account of a Barbarous, Bloody and Inhuman Murder. The memorial was constructed to remind people of the sad death of William Deighton who was the Supervisor of Taxes and Excise for the Halifax area.

William Deighton was born in the south of England in 1717, he arrived in Halifax in April 1759 and in his duties as the supervisor of taxes he had a responsibility for collected taxes on cloth and beer. He became aware of the notorious Cragg Vale Coiners, who had become well known for clipping and debasing coinage.

By November 1769 several members of the Coiners Gang had been arrested and the remaining members led by "King" David Hartley came up with a plan to murder William Deighton.

On the 9th November 1769 William Deighton was conducting business at an inn near to his home in Swires Road, Halifax, after concluding his talks with local attorney Thomas Sayer, he left for home and somewhere along the route was shot, trampled and robbed by Mathew Normington and Robert Thomas with Thomas Clayton involved as a lookout. He was buried with his Daughter Penelope on the 11th November 1769 at Halifax Parish Church. The grave records his name as William Dighton.

Thomas Clayton always claimed to accompanied Normington and Thomas to William Deighton's murder and his evidence saw the other 2 eventually convicted of Highway Robbery after being acquitted of the murder of William. Clayton was arrested for a few offences linked to the coiners activities over the next few and then disappeared to history. Normington and Thomas were eventually tried for the robbery of William Deighton and found guilty. Robert Thomas was executed on the 6th August 1774 at Tyburn, York his body was displayed at Beacon Hill, Halifax. Matthew Normington suffered the same fate on the 15th April 1775. Both bodies were displayed with an arm pointing in the direction of the scene of the murder.

I have passed the stone many times and often wondered what it referred to, so eventually took the time to try and find out. I have been unable to find when and who put the stone there and why it was located at Brearley, as the murder took place in Halifax and the coiners had links to Cragg Vale.

The 2 pictures below were taken with a Samsung Galaxy Tablet in November 2013.

The following picture was taken with a Nikon d3300 in 2017.

I took the picture below in 2014 with a Polaroid is2132.

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The Train Trip, Sowerby Bridge to Mytholmroyd.

A short video I recently did of the view outside the window as I took a train journey from Sowerby Bridge to Mytholmroyd. The trip was taken on New Years Eve 2018 at about 11.15am so the train wasn't overly busy. I didn't intend on filming it but as it was on the tripod already, I thought why not and set it going. I filmed it on my Nikon d3300 SLR.

The journey starts at Sowerby Bridge Railway Station Platform 1 and heads west firstly past County Bridge, Town Hall Clock and the River Calder. After this we passed Goodalls Transport which is built on part of the site of the former goods yard and near to where the original Sowerby Bridge Railway Station was sited until moving to it's current location in 1876. The train then enters Cemetery Tunnel, which is also known as Sowerby Tunnel or locally as Dixy Tunnel. The tunnel runs under Dixon Scar Woods and Sowerby Bridge Cemetery. I trimmed the tunnel section of the video to a few seconds as we were in the tunnel for a minute.

Once through the tunnel, the open country becomes visible as the train heads towards the Tenterfields area of Sowerby Bridge, a mill complex converted to business units. After this is the former VTL works now a caravan storage area which forms part of Fairlea Mills, with a little bit further the area that was Luddendenfoot Railway Station, which also is now Station Road Industrial Units.

After passing Luddendenfoot, once again the countryside becomes more prominent until passing the small hamlet of Brearley, which is home to a few houses and industrial units. Not overly visible from the train. Before reaching Mytholmroyd, Moderna Business Park becomes visible through the trees and St Michaels Church is Visible just before I had to get up to leave the train.

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Whispers of Mills and Murders: Unearthing Brearley's Hidden History

Nestled between the rumble of the mainline railway and the busy A646 Burnley Road, between Luddendenfoot and Mytholmroyd, lies the unassuming hamlet of Brearley. It's easy to pass by, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it spot in the verdant embrace of West Yorkshire. But beneath its tranquil surface, Brearley holds tales that echo through the centuries, whispering of industry, faith, and even murder.

One of the first things that catches the eye is the former Baptist Chapel. Once a vibrant hub of community life, its stone walls now house apartments, a silent testament to the changing fortunes of the area. The closure of the mills, once the lifeblood of Brearley, led to a gradual exodus, leaving the chapel's pews empty. It's a poignant reminder of how industrial shifts can reshape entire communities, leaving behind echoes of a bygone era.

But Brearley's history isn't just about the rise and fall of industry. Venture along the Route 66 cycleway, towards Mytholmroyd, and you'll encounter a stark reminder of a darker chapter: the memorial to William Deighton.

Deighton, a tax inspector, arrived in Halifax in April 1759. He quickly became aware of the rampant practice of coin clipping, a form of counterfeiting that plagued the region. His investigations led him to the notorious Cragg Vale Coiners, a gang who were systematically defrauding the government. The story takes a tragic turn in November 1769, when Deighton was ambushed and murdered on Swires Road, Halifax, by Robert Thomas and Matthew Normington, two members of the Coiners.

The initial acquittal of Thomas and Normington in August 1770 is a chilling reflection of the times, but justice, though delayed, was not denied. They were eventually convicted and executed for highway robbery in 1774, bringing a grim end to the Coiners' reign of terror. Deighton's memorial serves as a stark reminder of his dedication and the ultimate price he paid for his pursuit of justice.

And then, there are the bridges. Brearley boasts not one, but two 18th-century bridges, each a testament to the engineering prowess of the time. One gracefully spans the River Calder, while the other arches over the historic Rochdale Canal. These sturdy structures, weathered by time and traffic, offer a glimpse into the transport networks that once connected this bustling region.

Brearley, then, is more than just a quiet hamlet. It's a place where the echoes of industrial revolution mingle with tales of faith and crime. It's a place where you can stand on centuries-old bridges and contemplate the lives that have passed beneath them. It's a place where history whispers from every stone and every bend in the cycle path. So, next time you find yourself travelling through West Yorkshire, take a moment to pause in Brearley. You might just hear the whispers of its fascinating past.

The pictures were taken on consecutive August weekends in 2016 with a Nikon d3300 Camera. Clicking any image below should open a link in another window to my Colin Green Photography store on Zazzle.

This first set of 7 were taken on the 14th August 2016.

The former Brearley Baptist Chapel and Sunday School, now apartments.

The River Calder towards Brearley Bridge.

Stoney Springs House.

The former Baptist Chapel and Sunday School.

Brearley Bridge and the River Calder.

The next set of 6 pictures were taken on the 20th August 2016.

Brearley Bridge and Weir.

The former Baptist Chapel and Sunday School.

This stone chair is found on the footpath the runs between Brearley and Luddendenfoot alongside the railway.

The William Deighton Memorial Stone. The stone is a dedicated to William Deighton, a local tax inspector who was murdered by the Cragg Vale Coiners Gang.

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