The story behind the Blue Houses on Guycroft, Otley
The glazed bricks of 1-5 Guycroft have produced theories of toilets and swimming pools, when the more likely story is that they are probably from a job lot from the Leeds kiln sample books. The bricks are stamped “The Farnley Iron Company Near Leeds”. (This is Farnley, near Armley, Leeds, rather than the Farnley near Otley).
The detailed plans for these houses in 1882 were developed by a Mr Dickinson. Unfortunately, the Museum does not hold the plans but does have the handwritten entry in the ledger for 3rd April 1882 – five houses for Mr Dickinson.
Paul Wood’s article in the Otley Local History Bulletin – Bricks and brick making, posted on 15th January 2021 https://otleylocalhistorybulletin.wordpress.com, notes that “Marmaduke Foster, sanitary pipe and brick dealer of Piper Lane, might have supplied the star attraction”. This may well be the case, as when you look at the far end wall of the short terrace (not the one facing Westgate), you will see what must be all the colours of the bricks they manufactured. Black, white, green, dark grey, pale grey, yellow, pale yellow, dark blue, medium blue and pale blue. More likely the job lot, which also provided them with a permanent advert for the company’s colour range!
