Victoria Tower, Castle Hill, Huddersfield

The following source list was originally available only on paper in one of the West Yorkshire Archive Service offices. It may have been compiled many years ago and could be out of date. It was designed to act as a signpost to records of interest on a particular historical subject, but may relate only to one West Yorkshire district, or be an incomplete list of sources available.

Introduction

The Victoria Tower, Castle Hill was built in 1898. The corner stone was laid by John Frecheville Ramsden, son of John William Ramsden on 25th June 1897.

It was built to commemorate Queen Victoria's Jubilee (1837-1897) in local stone from quarries at Crosland Moor. The Tower has walls 4 feet thick and cost £3,399 to build. It stands 106 feet high on top of Castle Hill which is over 900 feet above sea level.

The entrance to the Tower is on the ground floor which is approached by a short flight of steps. Inside the Tower the stairs ascend in short flights of steps. There are windows at different stages of ascent and seats are provided at convenient positions. Plans included a kitchen and larder, but these were never completed.

The Tower was officially opened by the Right Honorable the Earl of Scarborough on 24th June 1899.

The Castle Hill Hotel with its square tower and castellated battlements was completed during 1854. Originally the grounds were laid out as pleasure gardens, complete with bowling green, but both have long since disappeared. For many years a separate Castle Hill Temperance Hotel catered for visitors.

History of the Tower

Mr George William Tomlinson proposed that a tower should be built to commemorate Queen Victoria's Jubilee on Castle Hill to 'give an air of classic dignity to the town'. A public meeting in Huddersfield Town Hall on 6th April 1897 heard of Mr Tomlinson's suggestion for a tower on Castle Hill. He was unable to obtain official backing for this scheme and launched an appeal for funds. The £800 mark was passed within a month. A meeting of subscribers was held on 28th May at the George Hotel. Mr Tomlinson was elected chairman and informed the committee and trustees that the Lord of the Manor, Sir John William Ramsden Bart had promised to provide a site for the proposed tower on payment of ten shillings annually. It was finally agreed that a Tower would be built and an advertisement was placed inviting designs for such a Tower.

Around thirty designs were submitted, but one by Isaac Jones, a London architect, was finally selected for a prize award. On 31st August 1897 Mr Jones was presented with his prize money.

Unfortunately Mr George William Tomlinson never saw the Tower being built - he died on 21st August 1897.

On 23rd June 1898 permission was granted by the Queen for the building to be called Victoria Tower- just in time for the laying of the corner stone on 25th June 1898. Under the stone was placed a sealed casket containing a current local newspaper and special references to the afternoon's ceremony. Many of the town's dignitaries attended including Sir John William Ramsden, Sir John F Ramsden, Sir J A Brooke, Isaac Horden and Alderman W H Jessop.

By the end of 1898, the last stone of the Tower was laid and on 2nd January 1899 a rearing supper was held for all the workmen at the Albion Hotel, Buxton Road.

An unofficial opening of the Tower took place on 25th March 1899 in time for the Easter holidays.

The official opening of the Tower was a much grander affair. The Right Honorable the Earl of Scarborough performed the opening duties on 24th June 1899. A procession of carriages made their way to the summit of Castle Hill, his lordship and the members of the committee ascended to the turret where the Union Jack was unfurled. The guard of honour gave a salute and the band played 'Rule Britannia'. A path had also been laid from Kaye Lane which enabled visitors to climb the final ascent. It was estimated that some 20,000 people attended the ceremony. The church bells at Huddersfield Parish Church were rung for an hour, and a public luncheon was held at the George Hotel.

The Tower was opened at weekends and Castle Hill became a popular visiting place for the public, but the First World War brought about a suspension of these activities and there were few visitors during those years.

The Estate Committee of the town council took over responsibility for the Tower in 1935. Shortly after the outbreak of World War II, the Tower was again closed to the public and taken over by the Home Guard as a temporary look-out post.

During 1957-1958 Huddersfield Corporation undertook repair work to the Tower. New windows were installed and necessary repairs to the stonework were carried out in time for the Tower's Diamond Jubilee in 1959.

Records relating to Victoria Tower can be found at WYAS: Kirklees office under the reference numbers DD/RE/333, DD/RE/343, DD/RE/347, DD/RE/353, Almondbury Building plans no 118.