Cell block
There were originally 8 cells in the building – four on both the ground and first floor. Two ground floor cells were converted in 1953 to form a ‘Mess Room’ for the police (with a new gas cooker/boiler – prior to this the staff had to find refreshment elsewhere). Oral history records from the cleaner at the time (Miranda Turner) explain that food was not kept on the building’s premises and if prisoners needed feeding, she had to go home and cook it for them!
In 1965 the other ground floor cells were removed to create a waiting room. The Mess was split to form an interview room and a solicitors’ room. On the waiting room floor was painted the straight white line feared by those suspected of being the worse for drink, along which they were asked to walk as a test of their sobriety.
The ground floor cell area now houses the cafe/bar.
From 1965 only the 4 first floor cells were used for detaining prisoners. The cells were generally used as ‘holding’ cells prior to Court appearances and rarely held prisoners for more than one or two nights.
The cells are tiled and have a surprisingly light and airy feel! Similar in design to those at Ripon Police Museum, they are built with significant style, suggesting Otley’s status as a centre for justice.
Central heating, toilets (with special flushing mechanism), bells (to call warders) and electric lights (accessible only from outside the cells) were probably all 20th century additions
Superintendent’s House
Click on the images below to see 1853 plans & elevations and other plans and photos.
On 5th October 1934 Alderman Newton and Major Moore visited the Otley Divisional HQ, when the police office was described as “a dark room, as is every other room in the block apart from the Courthouse. It seems to have been built many years ago when small windows were usual, and nothing has been done since…”
Courthouse Plaques
When the Courthouse opened in 2004, local artist Les Biggs created the bronze plaques which are inserted in the courtyard’s York paving stones. These are based on actual 19th century legal documents, recording some of the cases which came before the Otley bench. Visit us and ask for a leaflet which explains each plaque in full.
Otley Townswomen’s Guild Tapestry
Otley Courthouse is home to the Otley Townswomen’s Guild Tapestry which portrays a huge range of classic Otley themes and views. The tapestry was originaly housed in Otley Civic Centre and the Courthouse gave it a new home when the Civic was closed. It is currently hung in the Robing Room and can be viewed at any time during the Courthouse’s opening times – so long as the Robig Room is not being used for a hire or event. Just ask at Reception.
Origins
In the early 90’s the Fabric Craft group of Otley Townswomen’s Guild, under the instigation of Shirley McClintock, decided to create a wall hanging to record some of the features and interests to be found in the old market town of Otley. Shirley, the chairman of the Guild at the time, researched and planned the creation of the tapestry. A request was put to the Town Council for permission to hang the completed work in the Civic Centre, formerly the Mechanics Institute, in which, in the latter part of the 20th century, the Guild had held their meetings and where there was access for the public to view the work. Working parties were held and, with the benefit of much brainstorming, plans began to emerge.
Design
The overall image represents the architectural features of the Mechanics Institute, built in 1871, which became the Civic Centre. Five separate strips cut from dark navy wool cloth, that had been donated by Ackroyd’s mill in Otley, was used to echo the five curved windows and balustrades on the outside of the building. Members of the craft group were allocated aspects of the design to work on.
Panel 1 Religion and Education
Religion – The symbol of the stained glass window, based on a window in the parish church, represents religious denominations to be found in Otley i.e. Church of England, Catholic, Methodist and Congregational.
Education – The building depicted is “The Grammar School of Prince Henry”, in Manor square, which was founded and named by Thomas Cave in 1611 and used as a grammar school until 1874. The building is now an art gallery and architects office.
Prince Henry’s Grammar School, now located on Farnley Road, continues to educate children from Otley and surrounding districts and is now a comprehensive school.
The Mechanics Institute (Civic Centre), built in 1871, was also used for education in the late 1800’s and in 1918 by the Grammar School.
Panel 2 The rural community and market town of Otley.
The farming elements are shown by the tractor and fields with sheep. At the time the wall hanging was created Otley had weekly markets for animals and produce. The annual Otley Show, being the first agricultural show in 1799, is the first show in each year and is represented by the marquee, bull’s head and 1st prize badge.
Panel 3 Otley
The white rose of Yorkshire, bears the symbol of the Townswomen’s Guild in gold work.
The Jubilee clock, built in 1888 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, bears a plaque to honour two Otley men who lost their lives in the Boer War. Another plaque records the thanks of Belgian refugees to the people of Otley for their hospitality during the 1914 – 1918 war.
The Buttercross has benches for placing butter, hence its name, and other homemade produce for sale in former times. It is now used as a meeting place and for selling by charities on Fridays and Saturdays. The square on which it stands is now used for weekly markets, thereby upholding the tradition of selling produce.
The Otley Coat of Arms shows three castles, representing the three manors i.e. Otley, Cawood and Wistow, under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of York, hence the cross keys.
Panel 4 The Chevin, the river Wharfe and its role in some of Otley’s industries.
Otley is set in the Wharfe valley and has a geological feature known as Otley Chevin which was created in the ice age. There is a beacon on top of the Chevin and also a cross is erected there every Easter time. The Chevin is represented by the hills on the panel.
Otley has an ancient bridge crossing the river Wharfe, first built in 1675 and widened in 1776. The river provided a good water supply for Ackroyd’s woollen mill, corn grinding and the production of paper at Garnets mill which is shown on the panel. The weir on the river was built to aid the water supply to the mills.
Leisure activities, such as boating and swimming from the banks of Wharfe Meadows Park, are represented as an integral part of Otley’s diversity. The park also provides open spaces where young and old can play, relax, feed the birds and walk by the river.
The printing press shown is a “Wharfedale” flat bed printing press, designed and developed in Otley by David Payne and manufactured by William Dawson.
Panel 5 Chippendale, Weaving and sport.
The renowned furniture designer, Thomas Chippendale, baptised in Otley Parish church in 1718, is shown beside a chair of his creation. The chair was upholstered using part of a silk tie handed in at the local Oxfam shop!
Spinning and weaving is represented by a piece of woven cloth, a shuttle, made by the husband of one of the craft groups’ members, and some reels.
Otliensians are a famous local rugby club and had to be included in the hanging as an acknowledgement to their achievements and as an example of the many sporting activities held in Otley. The rugby shirts were knitted on hat pins!
The panel was originally housed in a wooden and glass frame, purchased from £224.18 raised at a Buttercross stall on 10th July 1998. The piece was handed to Otley Town Council in October 1998 by the then current chairman, Dorothy Saul and hung in the Civic Centre until its closure.
The picture shown above has some of the members of the fabric craft group responsible for the creation of the wall hanging. They are:-
Back row from left to right – Norah Dibb, Wendy Hargrave, Shirley McClintock, Chairman Rita Walker, Gwen Wooliscroft, Val Orr, Val Churchman.
Front row from left to right – Visitor, Margaret Edward Smith, deputy mayor Susan Eagan, Dorothy Saul and Pauline Grinham.
Other members of the fabric craft group many of whom were involved in the creation of the wall hanging were:-
Val Birkby, Mary Burniston, Dorothy Clayton, Dorothy Hartridge, Carol Lindley, Dorothy Longbottom, Mary Pitts, Annis Somers, Carol Wells.
Grateful acknowledgement is given to Shirley McClintock, Rita Walker, Val Orr, Val Churchman, Wendy Hargrave, Nora Dibb, Barbara Wilby and Bill Edward-Smith who have researched, delved into their memories and were able to supply this information.
Janet Hobson
Chair, Otley Townswomens Guild 2014
