THE FIRST WORLD WAR IN

THE WEST YORKSHIRE HER

PRN 4981: BARNBOW MUNITIONS FACTORY

Barnbow was a First World War munitions factory situated near Leeds, built

during 1915, and officially known as National Filling Factory No. 1. In 1916 the

factory suffered the worst tragedy in the history of the city (in terms of fatalities),

when a massive explosion killed 35 of the women who worked there. The

original site apparently covered some 200-300 acres, of which perhaps 60% still

survives as earthworks.

Barnbow was Britain's top shell factory between 1914 and 1918, and by the end

of the war, a total of 566,000 tons of ammunition had been shipped overseas.

During the height of work production around 93% of Barnbow’s workforce were

female. The factory’s main activities included the production of cartridges, quick

firing ammunition, primers, smoke bags and exploders. After the Armistice in

1918 the site was used as storage depot for surplus war stores, before parts of

it were demolished.

Many of the original buildings at Barnbow were constructed of wood, but some

were brick built and it is these that still survive on site (although in a ruinous

state), along with some sections of the internal railway which served the many

sections of the complex.

The West Yorkshire Historic Environment Record (HER) is a publicly

accessible record of the region’s archaeology and built heritage. Our

records include an increasing number of First World War sites, however

we are hoping that during this centenary period (2014-2018) many

more will come to light. This leaflet has been created to provide some

basic information regarding some of our region’s more substantial

WW1 sites. If you know of any others, however, and would like to share

any information please contact the HER via wyher@wyjs.org.uk, or

contribute online to the Home Front Legacy project (which is highlighted

on the back of this leaflet).

NB: The reference numbers used to prefix the site names on this leaflet

are the HER reference number (i.e. PRN XXXX). If you would like to find

out more about any particular site featured please contact the HER

directly, or search our records on the Heritage Gateway website.

How to contact us:

Email: wyher@wyjs.org.uk

Telephone: 01924 306797

Website: archaeology.wyjs.org.uk

Facebook: /WestYorkshireHER

Heritage Gateway: heritagegateway.org.uk

West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service

(Part of West Yorkshire Joint Services)

West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service

Registry of Deeds, Newstead Road,

Wakefield WF1 2DE

PRN 5715: HEADLEY HALL AIRFIELD

The airfield opened in Spring 1916 as the

Royal Flying Corps Landing Ground Bramham

Moor. ‘B’ Flight of 33 squadron were stationed

there, and their main task was to protect the

nearby cities (Leeds and Sheffield) from aerial

attack by Zeppelins, although later it was also

used as a training depot.

The site was in use for the rest of the First

World War, but was closed down in late 1919.

Today, only one of the air hangars remains, as

a listed building, among the barns of Headley

Hall Farm (seen far right in the aerial photo

above).

Aerial photographs (see above) still show the

outline of the other hangars as negative

cropmarks. There were never any concrete

runaways laid, so the planes had to land on the

grass field (which apparently was not very well

levelled!).

2

Left: A memorial stone commemorating the women who were killed during the 1916 explosion at Barnbow.

Right: Some of the women working in the munitions factory

Top: cropmarks of two former hangars of the WW1 Bramham Moor Airfield (© English Heritage, 1991)

Bottom: the surviving grade II listed hangar

Are you inspired to learn more about Home Front WW1 heritage? Why not take part in this project?

The Council for British Archaeology is working with English Heritage and partners across the UK to help local

communities identify and map the remains of the First World War in Britain. Local people can help to document

and preserve our stories, and vulnerable remains, for future generations.

Running from 2014-2018, the Home Front Legacy project is supporting community groups researching local

places associated with the Great War with an online toolkit and guidance for recording the remains of surviving

sites, structures and buildings around Britain.

This knowledge is presented on a UK-wide map of sites and projects, helping us to better understand the legacy

of the War on our landscape and consciousness. The data is also submitted to the UK’s national and local

archaeological records (including West Yorkshire HER) to inform planning decisions and help safeguard First

World War remains for generations to come.

For more information visit: http://www.homefrontlegacy.org.uk

The Physical Legacy of the First World War and its Home Front, 1914-18 is a UK partnership project, coordinated

by the Council for British Archaeology, with funding from English Heritage, Historic Scotland and Cadw.

COUNTRY HOUSES TURNED

INTO MILITARY HOSPITALS:

Country houses, across the whole of the UK, were used by

the government for various purposes during the war, and

the ones in West Yorkshire were no exception. Temple

Newsam House (PRN 12550), Lotherton Hall (PRN 3990),

and Harewood House (PRN 6896) were all utilised as

military hospitals, while Shelf Hall, near Bradford (PRN

7907 - which is now demolished) was used as a prisoner of

war camp for captured Germans.

WAR MEMORIALS:

There are hundreds of war memorials across the

five districts of West Yorkshire which remember

and commemorate the local people who served

during the First World War, and not all are stone

monuments and crosses. For example, the

memorial located in the grade II listed Ramsden

Building at Huddersfield University (PRN 8921)

includes a heavily symbolic mural painted a few

years after the end of the war by the Technical

College art lecturer at the time - a John Richard-

son Gauld. Lotherton Hall: The Victorian house served as a military hospital from

November 1914 to 1918.

Huddersfield University WW1 memorial painting - unveiled

during 1924.