Throughout its fifty year existence, PontArc

has attempted to record historic buildings

during demolition. Until the middle of the

last century, Pontefract was rich in old

structures, but then along came ‘re-

development,’ a term which usually meant

replacing the interesting with the

mediocre. Of course, buildings do

sometimes reach the end of their useful

lives and have to be replaced. Whatever the

cause, it is important that the older

building is recorded.

In the middle of 1967, Bratley’s old shop

was due to be replaced. Outwardly a

nineteenth century shop, the demolition

revealed a late medieval building with

some unique features. Luckily these

discoveries were made just before the

weekend, when the site would be

accessible. With permission from the

Bratley family a small team from PontArc

began exploring the partly-demolished

structure.

They quickly identified oak panelling, rare

painted wall-plaster, and a unique

Jacobean chimney-piece hidden beneath

later papering. Harry Battye, a professional

Art-Historian, immediately left to research

the documentary evidence, whilst

photographer Derek Thorpe began

recording in black and white. Secretary Eric

Houlder photographed the details in

colour, whilst Don Lodge started to

carefully remove the chimney-piece.

Don Lodge, one-time society President, begins to free the

chimney-piece from its matrix. It is now on display in

Pontefract Museum, having been skilfully restored by Harry

Battye.

The rare painted wall- plaster. Incidently, this was the Society’s

first use of a metric scale!