[Digvul]

I've always been intrigued by the street pattern in Radcliffe. Most pit villages had parallel rows of houses near the pit – think of East Chevington Drift and Ashington for example, and I believe, some were built in squares. But the street pattern in Radcliffe seems to have been almost random and Long Row was bent in the middle. The older streets, Long Row, Cross Row and Burn Row almost formed three parts of a square - but it's a distorted square and Stable Row doesn't fit into any sort of pattern. The later streets, Leslie Row, Centre Row and the two Dandsfields, at first glance, seem to have been just plonked down anywhere.

Does anyone have a theory about this?

My only thoughts are that it must have been something to do with the lie of the land, but I don't know how this worked. Perhaps the newer houses were situated to avoid pit falls (areas of subsidence) but I just don't know.

I'd be interested in any theories.