Darley

The modern village of Darley extends for a mile or more along the road on the south side of the River Nidd between Birstwith and Dacre. It includes a wide range of housing both ancient and modern and although public amenities are declining Darley still retains two churches, a primary school and a garage. Darley was part of Knaresborough Forest until the 18th century a fact suggested by its name which means "Deer Field". It still appears to be a rural community but, as elsewhere, very few residents are involved in local agriculture today. Fringhill Mill with its obvious relics of water power indicates industrial activity in the past, something that is confirmed by Darley Mill at the other end of the village and by the remains of other mills on Darley Beck. There are also two sites, that have been involved in iron extraction and smelting.

The name of Cinder Hills at the eastern end of Darley clearly suggests the slag heaps of an ancient industry although the slag heaps themselves disappeared a long time ago probably to provide foundations for local roads and possibly the railway too, although that is now also long gone. Evidence of the iron industry at Cinder Hills still remains, however, most obviously in the form of red water flowing from old adits and some unusually substantial foundations that have been re-used for domestic and agricultural buildings

To the west of the village another site concerned with the iron industry was mentioned by William Grainge, a local historian. In his book of 1871, "Harrogate and the Forest of Knaresborough". he writes "The ironstone occurs in nodules in thin beds in the shales. At Rowden Lane in Hampsthwaite . . . .and also in Darley Bank, on the road to Otley. On widening the road there a few years ago the old galleries of the workmen were found in the side of the hill." This appears to have been on the current road that runs up the hill from Darley Mill towards Menwith Hill where there are many small spoil heaps on both sides of the road as it passes through a double bend. This road is named Hardgroves Hill on some current Ordnance Survey maps

Darley from Dacre Pasture, Darley Mill in the foreground