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Derbyshire Pubs Past and Present Now largely forgotten and with little evidence of its existence remaining, the Derwent Canteen -constructed of corrugated iron - once existed in a temporary settlement near Bamford. This is an account of its 15-year history… Parliamentary approval for the Derwent & Howden dams project included provision of workers’ housing, reflecting longstanding concerns about the living conditions of ‘navvies’. To accommodate their workforce, Derwent Valley Water Board (DVWB) constructed a settlement at Birchinlee, 800 feet above sea level. Known locally as ‘Tin Town’ because the buildings’ corrugated iron, it housed 250 to 500 people between 1901 and 1914 whilst the Derwent & Howden dams were completed. (Ladybower reservoir was built between 1935 and 1945) Housing
comprised dormitories for single men, smaller huts for
married men with families and separate huts for foremen.
Facilities included two hospitals, a school and mission
room, Post Office, greengrocers, cobbler and barber,
clothier and draper, confectioner and tobacconist,
bathhouse, a recreation hall and police station. Of
specific interest here was the ‘Derwent Canteen’, which
was licensed to sell beer.
Management of the canteen was undertaken by the People’s
Refreshment House Association (PRHA) for an initial fee
of £75 per annum, and the known managers/licensees of
the canteen were: Were DVWB looking to set up a ‘model’ establishment to meet the social needs of their workers, or (given navvies always drank) did they just want to ensure that the resulting profits did not end up elsewhere? Before the canteen opened they had made the right noises - the licence application had stated that the ‘model’ house would prevent the men going off to the nearest inn at Ashopton, getting drunk there, and becoming a nuisance upon their return. However,
Works Committee’s true objectives emerged during a
dispute with temperance campaigners. A representative
from the Temperance Society visited, subsequently
writing, ‘The canteen is just the same as any other pub.
We see lots of men reeling about drunk. You should see
them at night.’ The village PC was also reportedly seen
drinking in the bar! It was further alleged that
licensee Arnut Pack had tried to limit workers’ beer
consumption and had been driven out for his trouble. The
canteen was a profitable venture, with annual profits
during the period 1903-14 often exceeding £2,000. DVWB
only returned relatively small sums to the villagers Evidence that DVWB wanted to ensure that only they made profits from the drinking needs of their workforce comes from the tough stance they took against all possible competition to the ‘Derwent Canteen’. Firstly, they bought the Ashopton Inn from the Duke of Devonshire in 1902. Although it was eight miles away, this was the nearest pub to Birchinlee. The PRHA took over its management in January 1905. To ensure that their monopoly was not infringed, DVWB took steps to block any licence applications that would create competition. For example, in 1901 Mr Pickford proposed to apply for a licence for a canteen to be called the ‘Crook Hill Canteen’. The application was withdrawn - it is not known what pressure was exerted to achieve this outcome. Finally, DVWB opposed an application (made by Mr A Muir Wilson on behalf of Mr J A Wilson) for a canteen to serve the Bamford & Howden railway, then in the course of construction. Unfortunately it has not been possible (to date) to establish which brewery supplied the canteen with beer. There was no facility for brewing beer on site, so deliveries would have been made via the railway, the prime use of which was to take construction materials up to the dam. A surviving photograph in Brian Robinson’s book (see bibliography, item 3) shows the interior of the canteen as a small, sparsely furnished room with a circular bar in one corner. Handpumps are clearly visible in the bar. About a dozen men are crowded around tables at one side of the room. On completion of the dams’ construction, the canteen building was sold to an unknown purchaser in September 1915 as part of the dismantling of the village. Its fate is unknown. An archaeological survey in the early 1990s discovered a three metre deep stone-lined hollow with a doorway - part of the canteen’s cellar. Still in situ today, this is the sole evidence of its existence.
Bibliography: Jim McIntosh This webpage was last updated on Sunday, 07 October 2007 |
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