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The Old Library and Bilton Social
Club - Skipton Road
Some will remember one of this pair of halls
used as the Bilton Library prior to 1973. But up until 1906
these same buildings served as the main Harrogate Library
on Raglan Street/Victoria Avenue. When the new Carnegie Library
(itself just the west wing of a planned municpal “palace”)
was built, these old library buildings were moved to Skipton
Road as temporary buildings for the Bilton Social Club. The
buildings are still in regular use almost a century later!
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The Old St Johns Vicarage - the current
Bilton Library
In 1973, the Bilton Libary moved
to its current location on Bilton Lane in the former St John’s
Church Vicarage.
The vicarage was built in 1868, some 11 years
after the church behind it was completed.
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Church of St John The Evangelist - Bilton Lane
This major landmark for Bilton was completed in 1857. The
original plans included a steeple but this was never completed
as the tower was found to be leaning! Church records have
been transcribed by Alan Oliver for the Society and are available
on Microfiche.
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The old Knox House Farm - now the Knox Arms
The Knox Arms pub has been adapted from Knox House Farm of
the late 1700s - these are the surviving farm buildings in
the Knox Lane area. The land became the Old Trough Way estate.
Knox Lane was formerly known as Old Trough Lane.
The two other main farmhouses in the Knox Lane area were
demolished to make way for the Knox estate, built by Hurren
and Robinson in the early 1960s. The main Knox Farm stood
at the top of the hill above Knox House Farm, west of the
junction of Knox Avenue and Redhill Road (I recall it as “Lambie’s
Farm” at the end of “Lambie’s track”,
part of which still exists between Skipton Road and St Johns
Grove). Hill Top Farm was behind Hill Top Road, with its entrance
at the junction of Crab Lane, Knox Lane and Bachelor Gardens
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The Gardener’s Arms, Bilton Lane
In contrast to the Knox Arms, the Gardeners Arms has existed
as a pub for centuries (pre-1700) and retains its original
charm. I am always reminded that the average height of the
population was somewhat less when it was built - hence very
low doorways! This is a real piece of Bilton history that
we can still enjoy..
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The former Bilton Endowed School on Bachelor Gardens.
Now a private house, surrounded by more modern houses in
a sympathetic style, the old school dates back to 1793.
The former school’s function was replaced by the Richard
Taylor School on Hall Lane in the early 1970s.
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Bilton Grange
School, Bilton Lane
In contrast, Bilton Grange School is a much larger primary
school which dominates the corner of Bilton Lane and Skipton
Road.
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