Club Houses, and Walker Lane Methodist Chapel Chiserley, Old Town, Hebden Bridge 1953

Hepton R.D. Walker Lane C.R. (Unclas), Reconstruction works at Chiserley. Looking North at Methodist Church. “Before” photo taken 10/4/53. Although individual workers were rarely in a position to buy their own cottages, friendly societies and building clubs from the late 18th century onwards enabled them to build houses as a co-operative venture. Mutual-aid arrangements were particularly common in textile districts like Calderdale and a good example of such housing is Club Houses, which was built as an investment by a local funeral club to pay for burials of its members. A terrace of 6 cottages of two and three storeys, it has a doorway in the gable leading directly to the top storey which was used by the whole row as a communal handloom weaving shop.