Clay House, Greetland
Exterior view of Clay House, West Vale, Greetland.
Author: Unknown
Date: not dated
Location: West Vale
Format: Glass Slide
Document ID: 101811
Library ID: 52
The house was built for John Clay and the Clay family around 1650, although a house owned by Robert Clay on the site is mentioned in 1296 and 1419. In the 18th century it was owned by John Wheelwright, collector of salt duties and local landowner who founded Rishworth School. There is a replica of a Roman altar which was found at nearby Thick Hollins; the original is in the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology.
The house was taken over by Greetland District Council in the 1920s. The park opened in 1924, and in 1929, a war memorial was built in the hall. Clay House is the starting point of the Calderdale Way and is now a social functions and health centre.
The glass slide is from the John Bates Slide Collection held at Sowerby Bridge Public Library.
