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Coal in the Blood
Bentley Colliery. Courtesy of Jill Lowe.The Story of a Mining FamilySometimes I come across something on Facebook and I know I just have to find a place for it on Bentley Village, A History. So when I...
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Let's Go To The Park
Relaxing by the Lily Pond. Photo courtesy of Den LoweMemories of Bentley ParkIn the previous article A History of Bentley Park and Pavilionwe looked at the history of the park, it's origins, features,...
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A History of Bentley Park and Pavilion
A Special ParkBentley Park has always offered a little oasis of calm from the hustle and bustle of central Bentley. With it's sweeping walkways, immaculate bowling greens, peaceful lily pond and...
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A Place of Worship
Wesleyan Chapel, High Street, BentleyBentley ChurchesIt's hard to imagine that Bentley wasn't an ecclesiastical parish in its own right until a hundred and twenty years ago. Until then Bentley shared a...
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A Royal Visit to Bentley
The car carrying King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in the Royal car at the Bentley Colliery offices.Photo courtesy of Tony SmithThe Day Bentley Colliery Welcomed the King and Queen Seventy five years...
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Bentley - Town of Sorrow
Bentley Pit Disaster News ArticlesFollowing the terrible underground explosion at Bentley Pit which claimed the lives of 45 men and boys in 1931, there were many stories in the national and local press...
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A History of Toll Bar
Askern Road, Toll Bar, about 1914Toll Bar is a relatively young village which grew out of a necessity for extra housing. Following the population explosion which came hot on the heels of the sinking of...
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The Hidden History of Rostholme
1938 Bentley map showing Rostholme Look at any modern street map of Bentley (except Google Maps*) and you will probably notice the word 'Rostholme' lying north of the town centre, off the A19 Askern...
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Educating Bentley
Cooke Street School 1914The History of Education in BentleySchools have always been a vital part of any community, not only to educate the young, but as a place to bring families together. Bentley has...
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Huts of War and Peace
Nissen Hut in Bentley.Photo courtesy of Graham WestermanThe Story of Bentley's Nissen HutsEvery now and then I manage to dig up a piece of Bentley history that has been so well hidden, I knew nothing...
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A Brief History of Bentley - Part Two
Top left to right, High Street, St Peter's ChurchMiddle, Park and Pavilion, Bentley CollieryBottom, The Avenue, Bentley RoadA Time of ChangeIn part one we saw how the tiny village of Bentley grew up in...
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A Brief History of Bentley - Part One
Top left to right, Bentley Bridge at Playfair's Corner, Old Stone Bridge.Middle, Farm House on Church Street, Bentley Bridge and Mill Stream.Bottom, Finkle Street, High Street.  Bentley in the...
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The House On The Bridge
North Bridge Villa, abandoned (image, Google Streetview)North Bridge VillaI hope you will forgive me for straying outside the confines of Bentley for this one-off article in which we visit the Marsh...
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Bentley Colliery Jubilee Celebration Booklet
Front of bookletBentley Colliery 1908 - 1958This booklet, pictured above, was on my wish list for quite a while, then all at once, I not only received a set of scans from one contributor, but I was...
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The Big Drum
Bentley Hotel, Aka The DrumThe Story of Bentley HotelThe large, imposing building of The Drum (formerly Bentley Hotel), has been a favourite watering hole for Bentley residents (and those further...
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In The Line Of Duty
   2nd Lieutenant James Scott The Story Of A Soldier Who Settled In BentleyI am always delighted when someone takes the time and trouble to send in a piece of research or start me off on a story...
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"It's Like New Wine To See You Again Lass"
 A Book By John ChurchNovember the 20th 1931 was one of the darkest days in the history of Bentley, as it was on this day that 45 men and boys lost their lives in an explosion at Bentley Colliery.Every...
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When Hitler Came To Call
 A German bombing raid (Google image)The Bombing Of BentleyDecember the 21st 2020 marks eighty years since Bentley was hit by enemy bombs during World War II.In this article we look back at the history...
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The Lido Shuffle
 Bentley Lido about 1934Bentley Lido Skating RinkBentley in the 1930's had many places you could go to for fun and leisure. There was the Coliseum - or 'Colla' - cinema on High Street, the pavilion for...
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A New Village For Bentley
 The Avenue 1914The Story of Bentley New VillageBentley New Village is the name given to an area of Bentley which was built to house the large influx of workers who came to work here after the sinking...
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Two Bentley Lads
 Memories of BentleyA new book has just been published which recall the memories of two brothers who grew up in Bentley in the 1920's and 30's. This short article serves as an introduction to the book,...
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The Mourning Brooch
 The Story of the Addy Family When I was asked to assist with some research for a forthcoming novel I had no idea what a captivating story it would turn out to be. The Mourning Brooch by Jean Renwick...
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Building Bridges
 The Mill Stream BridgesThe mill stream which runs through central Bentley has two crossing points, one on High Street and one on Cooke Street. Integrated into the road network, some may not even be...
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Little London Calling!
 Little London off Church Street, Bentley 1931Uncovering the Hidden History of Little LondonAbout a year ago I was asked to look into the history of a mysterious part of Bentley known as 'Little...
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Mills and Mustard
 A History of Milling in BentleyOver the course of history Bentley had as many as four mills, two water driven corn mills, a corn windmill and a mustard mill. These mills were the oldest indicator of...
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