Top of Woolshops & Market Street, Halifax, 1890 looking from the bottom of Old Market

Illustration of the Top of Woolshops, as it was in 1890, by J.R. Smith

Woolshops is believed to be the only street in the world known as this. The name is believed to derive from the traders, or staplers who sold wool by the stone (weight) as opposed to by the bale. A staple is a measure of wool, which refers to the fibres. The reason staplers sold wool in these measures was because of the small amounts of cloth produced in homes. The area dates back to medieval times and is mentioned in the 1555 Act of Parliament.

In 1931 the south side of Woolshops was renovated in magnificent 1930s style, with imposing towers and a shopping arcade. The towers were later incorporated into the present-day structure. The road was widened and several buildings pulled down, including fourteen shops and three old pubs. The Prince's Arcade was officially opened on June 2nd 1931.

The modern-day Woolshops was refurbished in the early 1980s, at a cost of £6.5 million. Many of the buildings were deemed to be in an irreparable state but it was requested that they be preserved. The north parade of shops was rebuilt as close to the original structures as possible, but the crowning glory of the complex is the 1670 Tudor-style building standing at the top of Woolshops.

Prince's Arcade on the opposing side of the road was demolished along with the abattoir. A new complex was built in its place echoing the 1930s structure. The road between the shops was closed and made into a pedestrian precinct with a large car park constructed at the bottom of the street. Opened in 1983, later shops were added in 2000.

Postcard of a print from 1893 drawn by Joseph Rideal Smith and printed by Stott Brothers, lithographers of Halifax, from Smith's series of a dozen views, "Old Halifax", the set selling for 50 shillings. So commercially successful were Smith's drawings that he became known as 'Old Halifax'.

From the postcard: "This View is respectfully dedicated to Sir Savile Brinton Crossley, MP 2nd Baronet of Somerleyton Hall, Lowestoft by his humble and obedient servant, J.R. Smith."

Joseph Rideal Smith was born in 1837 at the Waggoner's Inn, which was on the top side of Northgate. He studied as an architect, but due to ill health returned to Halifax in 1870, gaining employment at the Duke of Bedford's estate. After this he worked as the town's first sanitary inspector, he had great influence in building the Halifax goyte* system. He married Miss Empsall of Craven Edge in 1873 and they had one daughter. Smith died in 1915.

After showing one of his sepia drawings based on an old photograph to Alderman Ramsden of the Waggoner's Inn, Ramsden was so impressed that he encouraged Smith's work. Smith went on to produce a set of prints bound into books with the original print on the front cover. Each print was dedicated to local patrons and people of standing.

*goyte - man-made underground passage to channel water.

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