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DYKE FARM
SOURHALL
TODMORDEN |
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What a wild spot this old farm occupied! It was right on the moor at Sourhall, exposed to all the winter weather that Todmorden could muster. Only the hardy would have farmed here, and the Law family were certainly a hardy lot. |
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They lived on this moor for many generations, using Dyke Farm and its close neighbour Dyke Green Farm. The two farms are a couple of hundred yards apart and easy to confuse, but remained always two separate farms. |
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An old date stone, no longer surviving, read 1782 JCM. This indicates it was built or re-built in 1782, and was at the time owned by John and Mary Crossley of Scaitcliffe Hall. It later passed in to the hands of the Taylor family of Todmorden Hall, but for at least 100 years this farm was home to the Law family. |
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Thomas Law, son of Robert "Rough Robin" Law of neighbouring Dyke Green Farm, was the first known tenant and was resident at Dyke by 1786. His brothers John, Robert and Samuel were all successful men who made significant marks on the development of Todmorden. Their stories can be read from the links below. |
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Thomas and his wife Mary Stansfield raised their children at Dyke at a time when Sourhall was a busy and thriving community. The old packhorse trails criss-crossed this village, carrying folk from Todmorden to Bacup, Burnley and other places. |
icicles in the grass by the side of the track outside Dyke Farm |
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Sourhall was a populous place where handloom weaving was the staple industry, and was an important port of call to the traders using the packhorse trails, as there was a licensed public house to give them some respite from the weather. |
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an original gate post |
The name Sourhall was derived from Sower-milk Hall, as it was described in the register of St. Mary’s church in 1688 when a William Dewhirst was born there, in 1697 when a Susan Dewhirst arrived in the world, and again in 1718 when James Hartley was born. |
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Thomas Law was paying an annual land tax of 4s.2d. during the 1780’s and continued as such until his eldest son Samuel succeeded him at the farm. Thomas retired to High Barn farm in 1800 to be with his second son, John and his wife Susan Butterworth.
Samuel and his wife Susan Bentley succeeded his father and remained there until 1811 at which point the farm was taken over by Robert Holt, a member of another long-time Sourhall family.
Some time after 1826, the Laws were back at Dyke in the shape of John Law, second son of Thomas, who moved across from nearby High Barn with his wife Susan.
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John and Susan had 9 children and had 5 of them helping out at Dyke in 1841. The 1843 tithe survey shows the farm to possess 10 acres and that it was owned by James Taylor of Todmorden Hall. The land consisted of fields, meadows and a croft, plus the farmhouse, garden and yard. |
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The original well set in a boundary wall |
John and Susan were still farming there in 1851 when John was 80 years old and Susan a mere youngster of 70. Son Peter was helping along with two adult grandchildren. Their son William was doing a spot of handloom weaving, which was probably as much as he could manage, as he was blind. |
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By 1861 the Law family has moved on. The new tenants are newly weds William Uttley and his bride Susey Holt – daughter of James Holt who, with his 5 brothers, developed major picker making enterprises in the area. Their stories can be read from the link below. William was working as a picker maker, presumably for the Holt brothers, although by 1871 he had taken up farming the 10 acres at Dyke.
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Ormerod Crabtree was the next known tenant with his wife Sally. He worked as a cotton weaver. Following Ormerod was his sister Mally with her husband Thomas Hardman. Thomas was the last known farmer at Dyke, and by 1901 the farm was unoccupied. |
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Dyke Farm now stands in ruins, as can be seen from the photographs. The original stone gate posts survive, along with the old well set in the boundary wall, but little else. It is now used as a sheep collection point and dip. |
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