‘What’s that chimney up there?’

I have a booklet with this very title and on our exercise walk today we passed this sight so decided to make it my blip. Locally known as ‘the chimney field’ this stands above the popular walking area of Goit Stock, a valley created by Harden Beck. It is about half way between where we live now and where I was brought up so I’ve known it a long time!
So a little bit of history. 
Whilst clearing out my bookcase at the weekend I found and reread the booklet which I have had since 1995.
It outlines the history of the valley. The people who owned the house and then caravan park at that time were members of the village music group as was I and they produced the booklet to answer the constant question from visitors ‘What’s that chimney up there?’
In the late 18th century Benjamin Ferrand of the St Ives Estate owned the land and had a cotton spinning mill built for Timothy Horsfall. It was built of locally quarried stone and used water power from the beck. The beck fed a large lake behind the house from where a mill race ran to the water wheel. Access was via the narrow Leech Lane. This eventually gave way to steam power, hence the chimney linked by a stone lined flue, but by the mid 1860’s Horsfall was lured away by the more prosperous wooden mills in nearby Bradford.
In the late 19th century it was taken over by Henry Beldon to breed exhibition poultry and pigs!
You can see the situation of the mill in my painting in the extra, this was painted by my grandmother’s uncle as a wedding present in 1913 and now hangs in our lounge. In this picture the chimney would be just to the left of the path out of sight.
The (later) Ferrands eventually sold off the land and in 1919 a pleasure resort was developed called ‘Happy Valley’. The top floor of the mill became a massive dance hall and the floor below a cafe with seating for 1500! There was a boating lake, bandstand, bowling and putting greens, clock golf and cricket, a toboggan slope, an outdoor tea pavilion, swings and roundabouts, a paddling pool and an aviary and monkey house! There were even kiosks in the woods selling snacks.
This may seem way over the top but on Easter Monday 1927 20,000 people made their way from train stations in Cullingworth and Bingley by half hourly charabancs to Harden. Sadly that night the mill caught fire and the dance floor and the bands instruments were destroyed.
There was a subsequent refurbishment but it was never the same, finally going under the hammer in 1932.
If that chimney wasn’t still there maybe much of this history would have been forgotten.
We returned to the village via Leech Lane - walk compilation -  extra. 
Calling in at the village shops on the way home. We really do need to support them. Chris went in the ‘One at a time’ butchers and got some pies for lunch among other things. 
Over coffee had a zoom conversation with a friend to try it out for a possible Whats app group get together later.
Since then I’ve been checking my 10th blip year diary on the lap top as Blurb have just announce 41% off their books to this weekend, good timing!

(Sorry about all the writing but I’m sure it will be of interest to people who know the area)