Farnhill and Kildwick Local History Group


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Farnhill and Kildwick History Group


	Very little has been formally written or documented about the history of Farnhill or Kildwick. The aim of this group is to research and present its findings on this web site. Anyone who has information or memories to contribute please contact the web administrator. We usually meet each month in the Village Institute, please check the Events Diary for details. New members are always welcome. Regular updates and new articles feature here, so please bookmark this page. Last updated: 29/11/2025


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History Group Diary

All meetings take place in Farnhill Institute and start at 7.00pm unless otherwise specified.

Spring 2026 meeting dates

Thurs 19th March - Road from Keighley to Skipton

Thurs 9th April - Rycroft "Winter silver" charity

Thurs 21st May - Kildwick typhoid epidemic (1898/99) - Part 1: the dead and the sufferers

Thurs 18th June - TBC - Colin Thunhurst - Leeds-Liverpool Canal

All our meetings are open to all and free to attend. Cash donations to help us cover costs are welcomed.


History Group News A very generous donation For our meeting in October a small group of us gathered in Kildwick school. I gave a talk on "Education in Kildwick" and that was followed by a very interesting talk by Andy Turner who told us about the life of Thomas Henry Haswell, who was headmaster between 1879 and 1890. He rounded off his talk by presenting the headmaster with the portrait of T.H. Haswell which the pupils of the time had given to Haswell when he left the school. Andy bought the portrait at auction recently and very generously decided to gift it to the school, where it will be put on display. Would you like to contribute ? We are always pleased to hear about topics of historical interest that we might research - some of our most interesting articles have started out as suggestions made by visitors to this website. If you have any information on the history of Farnhill or Kildwick that you'd like to share with us, or would like us to investigate further. Please email history@farnhill.co.uk	A Selection from our Archive Each month we aim to display a different selection of items from our archive of photographs and documents. Do you have any interesting items to contribute to the archive ? Please contact history@farnhill.co.uk


New and Updated Items Last updated: 29/11/2025
What's new this month ?
	Kildwick school WW1 memorial First published: 29/11/2025 After the end of WWI a very impressive memorial to the former pupils who died in the war was unveiled in the school. Then, some years later, it disappeared. We don't know what happened to it, but we have found a photograph. Read our short piece on the memorial.
	A Family at War - the Whitaker family in WW1 Updated 29/11/2025 In December 1920, two years after the appalling confusion over Arthur Whitaker’s death in service, his body was laid in its final resting place. Read the updated article on the three Farnhill men from the Whitaker family, all of whom were involved in the war one way or another. Part of the Farnhill WW1 Volunteers project.
	Farnhill and Kildwick 100 years ago 100 years ago - There was talk of possibly getting electricity supplied to Farnhill; but plans for a road connecting Kildwick to Keighley, running along the bottom of the Aire valley, were rejected. Click here to read more.

Other recent additions and updates
	An integrated transport system First published: 25/10/2025 Wouldn't it be good if we had an integrated public transport system. For example if there was a bus service timetabled to arrive at a railway station just in time for a train. Well, it used to happen ! Read our short piece on the buses that met the trains at Kildwick station.
	Kildwick champion egg-layer Updated: 25/10/2025 An update to our piece on one of Kildwick's less-celebrated national champions. Click here.
	Pre-WW1 photos of Kildwick School pupils Updated: 27/9/2025 The History Group archive contains a number of photographs of Kildwick School pupils. For many of these we have dates and the names of some or all the children shown. Some, however – which may be among the oldest items in our archive – come without names and/or dates. They are, nevertheless, lovely photos. Click the image opposite to view.
	WW1 Peace celebrations First published: 30/8/2025 It's largely forgotten these days, but WW1 didn't end on November 11th 1918. It wasn't until June 28th 1919 that a peace treaty was finally signed. July 19th was designated National Peace Day in the UK and celebrations were held. Read our short piece on the events of that day.
	Kildwick and Farnhill Brass Band (1866-1936) Updated: 30/8/2025 This update includes a new photograph of this nationally successful band. Click here.
	Shops and trades in Farnhill & Kildwick Updated: 26/7/2025 The History Group has researched the retailers and the crafts-people in the two villages and have found that for over 100 years, between the mid-19th and the mid-20th century, almost all of life’s needs were catered for. This update includes lists of shops remembered by people who lived in the village. Click here.
	1863 Wedding celebrations First published: 28/6/2025 It's March 1863 and invitations to wedding celebrations are being distributed. Are you on the list ? Click here.
	Paintings and Drawings of Farnhill and Kildwick Updated 28/6/2025 The History Group archive contains a number of scans of paintings and drawings of the two villages – some of them quite old, others more recent. Many are unsigned and/or undated. This slideshow contains a selection of them, in approximate chronological order. Click the image opposite to view.