Shop (former club), Halifax Road, Staincliffe, Batley

Image: © Humphrey Bolton Taken: 13 Sep 2007

Dated 1893. It looks as if it was built as a shop downstairs and a clubroom upstairs. The name of the club might be under the shop sign. To the left of the door, hidden by the low wall in this view, is a foundation stone laid by Mark Oldroyd. Wikipedia gives the following information: Sir Mark Oldroyd (May 30 1843 – July 5 1927) was a woollen manufacturer and politician (he was knighted in 1909). He was a very successful businessman, and had a blanket factory in Leeds, four broadcloth factories in Dewsbury and two collieries in Castleford, supplying coal to the textile industry. By 1888, when he was elected Member of Parliament for Dewsbury, he had 2000 employees. He was a member of the Liberal party, so this building was quite probably a Liberal club.

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