Luddites helping Roe Head

As we have posted before, today September 7will take place the sponsored Luddite walk organized by Imelda Marsden, President of Mirfield Historical Society and active Brontë Society member:

Funds raised from this walk to go to Holly Bank school, Mirfield, West Yorkshire.The school is where the famous literary Bronte sisters attended between 1831-1836 (then called Roe Head school) It now caters for young people 5-19 who are resident at the school who have severe physical and learning disabilities. And also caters for those up to the age of 25 with a specialist independence - training project, they are educated and cared for by dedicated staff.

The walk is a moderate 7 miles thorough fields and some roads and is anticipated to take 3 hours from the start to the finish. One can do part of the walk, to start at 1.30pm from the Dumb Steeple, Mirfield, [in the picture, source] where the Luddities met in 1812 before their march. The walk is around the Luddite landscape of North Kirklees (this is the Luddite area Charlotte Bronte depicted in her novel Shirley). The walk to be led by Ken Dews a North Kirklees Association member, and a informative talk around the route by Dr J A Hargreaves an expert on the Luddities.

For further details and to register for the walk e mail :- david.marsden1603@hotmail.co.ukor telephone 01924 519370 or 01535 648209.The walk has been organised by Imelda Marsden, President of Mirfield Historical Society.

From the HollyBank Trust's website:

For 30 years, Holly Bank School was based in Huddersfield. However, our residential facilities needed to be developed and our school needed to expand and grow. In 1990, Holly Bank moved to Roe Head (pictured) in Mirfield. Roe Head is the home of Holly Bank School. Part of the Hollybank Trust, it is steeped in history through its connections with the Bronte sisters.

Charlotte, Emily and Anne received part of their education at Roe Head, when the original house was a private school. It was here that Charlotte met her friend Ellen Nussey. Ellen Nussey (who started at Roe Head School a week after Charlotte) describing her first sight of Charlotte wrote, '' ... there was a silent, weeping, dark little figure in the large bay window. '' Apparently, she was very shy and nervous, extremely short-sighted and spoke with a strong Irish accent. Yet Charlotte was to be very happy at Roe Head, and made two life-long friends here.

Looking out from the terrace, Charlotte would see almost the same view that her father had known at Hartshead, the view across Huddersfield and the Calder basin. Inside, the rooms were oak-panelled. The Drawing Room, Dining Room and School Room were all on the ground floor, while the third floor housed 'the ghost', a lady in a rustling silk gown. Naturally, since Roe Head has become a school once more, the ghost has appeared again!

Categories: Alert, Brontëana