Gawber Glasshouse Information Board

The Digital Glasshouse

An Information Board for Gawber Glasshouse

A potential legacy for our Hidden Art Project is the placing of an information board on the site of the Gawber Glasshouse. During the Hidden Art exhibition, a volunteer discussed the location and influence of Gawber Glasshouse on Barnsley’s Hidden artists with Councillor Linda Burgess.

Glass making has been an important industry in the borough of Barnsley for nearly five centuries and Gawber Hall Glassworks flourished between about 1730 and 1830. Now there is no sign of either the glass cone or Gawber Hall itself. Artists Richard and William Tate were the sons of Paul Tate a glass worker at the glasshouse and nephew of the owner, William Thorp. Based on archaeological excavations and the age of the building, we believe that the glasshouse was similar in design to the one still standing at Catcliffe, Rotherham. The Catcliffe cone is one of only 4 still in existence in the United Kingdom.

The initial contact with Councillor Burgess led to preliminary meetings with her and representatives of the Darton West Ward Alliance. They were very interested in our proposal and the idea of a public meeting was broached. We would like to involve local people, Gawber Primary school and Gawber and Redbrook Community Group in the project. We hope to form a group of interested residents to take this project forward. If the people of Gawber are interested in this part of the village’s history, Barnsley Art on Your Doorstep can provide a wealth of information about it.

The public meeting is scheduled for
Friday 17 April 2015 7.30pm
at St Thomas’ Church Hall, Church Street, Gawber