Lanehead Cottages

         Lanehead Cottages, Baslow Road

One of Bill Carter Wigg's last efforts for the Totley Independent was to gather memories of the occupants of Lanehead Cottages from Mrs Nellie Horton (nee Smith) who used to live there.

In the lowest house (nearest Totley) lived Mr and Mrs Salt and their four children. Mr Salt was Pit Deputy at the Strawberry Lea mine but was killed in a shot-firing accident in the 1930's.

At first the Puttrell's lived in the second house until Mr and Mrs Smith moved in. Mr Smith worked as a groom at Totley Hall until he began working at the mine. He usually worked 6-2. and then did some part time jobs such as haymaking and killing pigs. Mrs Horton remembers him walking to Bakewell Market on Mondays if he wasn’t working at the mine. He drove the beasts bought by the butchers hack to Totley and was always relieved to get over Baslow Hill before dark. He was also an umpire for the local cricket team who used to travel to away fixtures in the back of a covered lorry. Later Mr Smith worked for Mr Elliott, the builder.

After the Smiths left the third house to move next door, Mr and Mrs Ramsell and their daughter Winnie lived there.

Another worker in the ganister mine, Mr Ward lived in the fourth house with his wife, son and daughter.

Mr and Mrs Jim Green lived in the fifth house. Mr Green was a mason by trade but known locally as both a musician and a cricketer.

The sixth house was occupied by the Johnson family who had some connections with the caretakers at the Officers Mess at the Rifle Range.

At the top house lived the Gascoigne family. Mr Gascoigne is particularly remembered because he had a traction engine which he kept near the house.

Thank you Bill and Mrs Nellie Horton for giving us these memories of bygone Totley.