Model Houses for Miners
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Mining Companies regarded housing for miners and their families to be their responsibility.
In the years immediately before the war a great change came over many of the coal-mining districts. In the development of the numerous new coalfields destined to become important centres of population, colliery companies realized that it was essential to the success of their enterprise that the miners and other work people should be well and comfortably housed amid surroundings which afforded all the amenities which make for a satisfied and well ordered community.
Pre W.W.1.
Treeton
At Treeton, the opening of the colliery in 1875 altered the landscape and the way of life in the village. New houses were quickly built for the expanding population, together with a school, a reading room (1888) and a chapel.
The houses were built in four lots, one at Bole Hill Row, one at New Bole Hill and one
group at either end of the existing village at Wood Lane and at Mill Lane.These cottages were built out of sandstone
sourced locally from the Bole Hill quarry on the edge of the village. The remaining 123 houses were built out of brick
The houses at New Bole Hill and Bole Hill Row and Well Lane were built as
terraced houses with a shared back yard and an outside toilet per house. Additionally the Bole Hill Row and Well Lane
houses had long allotment gardens which ran out behind the outside toilets.
The properties at Wood Lane and Mill Lane had shared back yards and shared outside toilets. The bath was in the kitchen and as it was the back door that was generally in use, care had to be taken by visitors to avoid catching a bather unawares!
Thurcroft
The first pit houses to be built in Thurcroft were pre WW1; one lot on Woodhouse Green and another on Katherine Road; these two lots were connected by three roads running from Woodhouse Green to Katherine Road - John Street, Charles Street, and Peter Street.
Model Villages
Following on from the 'Garden City' concept, the idea of the 'Model Colliery Village' was conceived and quickly put to practice.
In the South Yorkshire coalfield the movement became a popular feature of colliery development, and the model villages were a notable instance of the pioneer work of private enterprise in the provision of really suitable working-class cottages, and gave considerable weight to the argument that the Government should give large industrial concerns financial facilities to carry out urgent housing schemes for their work people similar to those contemplated for local authorities.
The Model Village is octagonal in plan, consisting of a large central green surrounded by a double row of houses with a service road between them.
Mr. Frederick Hopkinson, of the firm Messrs. Hopkinson and Co., of Worksop, designed and executed colliery village schemes in various parts of the country
Rossington
At the new village of Rossington, some 500 homes had been erected by 1913, out of about 1,600 proposed. Here the 'straight line' was superseded by the 'cresent' in order to give a more pleasing appearance. Also provided was a cinema, institute, bowling green, tennis court, and recreation ground, and a hotel containing a beer garden.
Thurcroft
From about 1918, following on from places like Rossington, the model village idea began to be incorporated at Thurcroft under the same principle.
The Crescent estate pictured to the left, at Thurcroft. Laughton Road, The Crescent, The Crescent End and Steadfolds Lane were built, along with Thurcroft Picture House and a Welfare Hall.
Maltby
It was about 1911 when the model village was begun at Maltby to accommodate the miners required to work the new Maltby
Main Colliery. When completed, the village, which occupied a site overlooking Maltby Craggs, one of the beauty spots
of the neighbourhood, comprised about 1400 commodious and well-equipped houses. There was a circular park containing a bandstand,
a church, and good school buildings, an institute, with a public hall attached, where concerts, dances, cinema exhibitions
and other entertainments took place, a bowling green, and a recreation ground. Practically the whole of the 900 houses
were built before the war, and were sold at a price enabling purchasers to get a return of 6 per cent. on their investment.
At Hatfield, about 10 miles miles east of Doncaster, two types of house were built and they displayed what was regarded as the nearest step then made to the ideal workman's cottage.
Number 1 type, a double fronted house, contained on the ground floor a living room, 15ft. 6". by 12ft.; parlour, 11ft. 6". by 10ft.; scullery (containing copper, tap and sink), 9ft. by 8ft.; bathroom, larder, coal house, and other conveniences, and upstairs, four full sized bedrooms.
Number 2 type, a single fronted house, containing on the ground floor, living room, 13ft. 6". by 12ft.; parlour, 13ft. 6". by 10ft. 6".; scullery (including copper, tap, and sink, and bath), 9ft. by 6ft. 3".; coalhouse, and other conveniences; and, upstairs, three full sized bedrooms.
These houses contained the best features of earlier model villages, besides many useful improvements, and were planned so as to do away with outhouses, the whole of the accommodation being contained within the four walls.
Although the interior arrangements of the houses took precedence over other considerations, outside beauty was not lost sight of. In the scheme, six different simple but artistic elevations were used in the construction, and later different elevations were used, so as to avoid a monotonous or depressing appearance. The general plan of the village included a church, three chapels, public baths, institute, public hall, schools, picture palace, shopping centre, hotel, a hostel to accommodate 200 casual or unmarried employees at Hatfield Main colliery, and eight open spaces and children's playgrounds.
Before the war, it was stated, the No 1 type of house could be built for £255 and the No 2 type for £186. After the war in 1919, the cost amounted to £500 and £420.
State Help
When a colliery company did not make itself entirely responsible for financing a colliery village project, as in the case of Maltby, the colliery company sold the site for the proposed village in lots to builders. When the houses were erected the colliery company undertook to lease them for 40 years, paying all local rates, executing all repairs, and paying insurance. They also agreed to hand over the property to the owner at the end of 40 years in sound tenantable condition.The property was sold in lots of four houses and upwards to investors, so as to pay 6 per cent, withour deduction of income tax.
Before the war, houses built under these conditions always found a ready sale, for the colliery company always paid the rental every quarter, the investment to all intents and purposes being equivalent to the preference share in the company itself.
Later, this became impossible, for even to get a 5 per cent. return on the property the rents would have to be at least 15s. a week, a figure out of all reason from a working man's point of view. Mr. Hopkinson of Worksop suggested that the Government could assist by lending them money under similar conditions to local authority homes.
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