Broadbottom, Mytholmroyd

The sketch and description were originally published in The Halifax Courier in 1912-1913. Broadbottom, a cluster of houses rather than a single homestead is an ancient settlement on the Wadsworth side of Calder Valley, on the edge of the wood above Hawksclough. There are many structural features of an unusual character. Until the west end was reconstructed the main building was a long, two-storeyed erection ornamented by two protruding gables, a porch and windows of varying sizes. The existing form probably dates from about 1650 but it is believed that an ancient wooden structure was then encased in stone. The earliest deed associated with Broadbottom is dated 1250. With the exception of the part between the new house and the gable to the left of the drawing the premises are still in use. There is a tradition that the disused part was at one time employed for ecclesiastical purposes. PH/28.