Hi
 

Just joined am interested in Radcliffe and Hauxley. Have lived in Radcliffe since 1986 and would love to find out more about our house.

Hi Jinnan, welcome to the forum, delighted to have someone from Radcliffe here!

What house is that?

On the subject of Radcliffe generally I had always assumed that the village had been opencast right up to within a few tens of metres of the remaining houses, but the current "Google Maps" show this not to be the case -as you can still see the pattern of Dandsfield place, their gardens etc. in the ground discolouration in the fields. So the opencast pit never made it that far west. Looks like they clipped off the land under Stable Row and up to the old Colliery mine shafts though:

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=amb...gl=uk&t=h&z=16

Opencast sites.
 

The topsoil, which is formed into baffle hills around the site, takes up more space than you would imagine therefore quite a lot of old Radcliffe, ie the Dandfields, Long Row and the road end of Leslie Row will have been untouched

So the Holy ground on which they built the Holy City survives intact!

(Wonder why they called it the Holy City?)

You can find out about the late Victorian and Edwardian occupants if you can ID your house in relation to the last few published censuses, 1891, 1901, 1911. (Assuming it existed then)

The deeds can contain some useful information too, such as the original landowners, builders and purchasers, but they are normally locked away in solicitors offices.

Hi Alan J
Hawthorn House, the first house on right hand side after leaving Amble

Hawthorn House.
 

Hi Jinnan,
In my recollection,ie 1950's onwards, your place was "George Craiggs farm".This is the same Craiggs family as the buses as George was a cousin I think. He had what could be called a larger type smallholding/ small farm and farmed the fields behind your house and those between the school and South Dandsfield also the field to the North of North Dandsfield. He usually made sure one of the fields was cut and available for the school sports each year. He was a batchelor and lived with his sister but seemed to sell up about the time of the opencast, 1970ish and ended his days in Amble. If you check the Radcliffe site the Radcliffe map shows your house directly opposite North Dandsfield.
The 1911 census shows the Craiggs family living there but seems to be before George took up farming as he is 16 years old and is a "fitter at colliery", his father is down as "Engine Wright colliery above ground". A brother,Henry,"joiner at colliery" was there along with a sister Elizabeth Mary and mother Margaret.

Thanks for that information, I think the deeds of the house also mention a Mr Dand, but not sure as we don't have a copy, will have to chase that one up sometime :)

Hawthorn House.
 

Dand were the major landowners in the area so your place was probably rented from them by the Craiggs family. Dandfield Place was obviously named as a tribute to the Dands,George Dand was in the Moorhouse Farm until the opencast era and he sold up to them and went up to the borders for a few years.On retirement he bought Lucker Hall which was subsequently destroyed by fire in the late 80's or early 90's resulting in the deaths of both him and his wife.

New member introduction zone
 

hello I just signed up today, have quite an interest in Radcliffe. Just read JINNAN's item on hawthorn house and its history, I lived in the house with family in 1982-3 until the house at Moorhouse (Dand's Farm) was repaired. Used the garden at hawthorn house to store the machinery. Hope this helps.

the moor

Welcome to the forum! have you done any research into the early history of Moorhouse? - or later history for that matter - seems an interesting little corner of the parish. :)

I can remember the house (and two cottages?) being restored but cannot remember what they were like beforehand, (whether abandoned or just due modernization). Is there a known date for the original build?

Moorhouse Farm
 

The front part of house seemed to be built about 1900, cottages were built in the 1850s the back part of house in 1913. The farm builings go back to 1757 mentioned in Warkworth Burial Records as Amble Moor and in 1774 as Amble Moor House. Half the old buildings were demolished in 1982 including the original farm house, the blacksmiths shop and cottage (Bill Ireland) and about 2 cottages. Moorhouse was sold from Widdrington family in 1808 to Edward Werge and resold to James Dand in 1882. Ralph Dand, George and Middleton came to live here in 1939-40 from Hauxley Cottage. I have pictures of the old farm house but not sure how to send them.
the moor.

Moorhouse Farm
 

Dand's bought farm in 1822 not 1882.
the moor

31 souls at 'Amble Moor House' on census night 1851 ?


(7)
Robert Stanners 30 (Farm Labourer) and Isabella Stanners 38, plus 5 children

(5)
Jane Dryden 66, with three adult daughters, Mary 30, Straw hat maker; Alice 28, Farm Servant; Sarah 25, Dressmaker; and 7 year old Emily Dryden (daughter or G. Daughter ?)
[Jane is shown as wife to the head of the household so Mr Dryden must have been elsewhere on census night?]

(5)
William Bowey 43, farm labourer, and Ann Bowey 48; plus their 3 male children, the older two also farm labourers.


(3)
Sarah Chrisp, widow 78, pauper. Adam Chrisp 42, son, Husbandman, Ann Gowans 26, Farm Servant.


(1)
Eleanor (Elenor?) Huntley 74


(4)
Andrew Young 37, Farm Labourer, and Elizabeth Young 29, their daughter Phillis, 7, and servant Jane Boon, 16.

(6)
Joseph Baston 41, farm labourer, and Elenor Baston 38, and their 4 children.