A Short History
In the hilly country of the Pennines, trade between centres of population depended on the packhorse. A map of 1772 shows a network of packhorse routes in Yorkshire and Lancashire. One such route was the road which passes Coldwell en route from Colne to Halifax, known as The King’s Highway. The road, or track as it was then, was marked at intervals by wayside stones or crosses, where the carriers and their animals could find shelter, food and rest. Ponies carrying cloth from the handloom weavers of Lancashire to the textile markets of the West Riding would pause before tackling the rough moorland track ahead of them. Originally, a templar cross (one with four arms) stood on the south gable marking the building as a place of refuge and hospitality. With the eventual demise of the pack horse as a means of transport the Inn at Coldwell became an ordinary public house.
In more recent times, the Inn acquired a notorious reputation as the principal venue of gamblers from a wide area. Many police raids took place over the years, the largest occurring in October 1922 when a military-style operation resulted in mass arrests and fines by Nelson Magistrates.The fines totalled over £1800, a considerable sum in those days.
The building was badly damaged by fire in October 1924 and was left in a derelict state for almost 50 years. During the late 1970’s several conservation schemes were advanced for saving what was left of the old building. Eventually, through the vision of two Lancashire Probation Officers, Don Kitson and Elsie Marshall, a plan for the future of the building was devised in conjunction with the owners of the building, North West Water (now United Utilities). It was decided to turn the ruin into a residential group holiday centre for those people who were disadvantaged or those with disabilities. Both the National Probation Service and United Utilities made a substantial financial contribution to the refurbishment of the building. The support of United Utilities as part of their corporate social responsibility strategy continues to enable Coldwell to develop and deliver its wide range of services and facilities. All visitors to Coldwell now benefit from a wide variety of opportunities ranging from group holidays to state-of-the-art Information Technology and Media training facilities.