AN INVENTORY OF FISHLAKE ROADS AND LANE PAST AND PRESENT.
An alphabetical list of Fishlake roads and lanes past and present. Not including minor footpaths or footways as listed and described in the Fishlake Enclosure Award 1825. Sources used include Survey Map of 1752, 1825 enclosure map and documents and subsequent OS maps from 1850 onward.
Over the century roads and lanes have had a particular fascination for local historians and archaeologists alike due to the importance they serve to local communities who used them. They can also be very ancient indeed helping to reconstruct the topographical history of a given landscape, giving clues as the way and how a settlement has developed. Fishlake is no different.
Road and lanes prove a vital communication and access mechanism to all parts of a local village and township. Footpaths provide an even deeper micro level of access provision. Many of these practical means of communication, Fishlake included, have become redundant, ploughed up and lost forever. This list is limited to roads and lanes which are named as opposed to footpath which are generally not.
Then there are the names given to these large and small highways which are often rich and descriptive in nature. Over time these names are seen to change for a variety of reasons. Ferry Lane has an obvious meaning but changed to Wood Lane when the Ferry was replaced by the bridge in 1887. The short lane from Pinfold Lane to the Church Street was various known are an Ancient Lane, Cheetham Road (in the 1820's due to the location of George Cheetham's premises) then Church Lane.
The list below records principle and significant highways, roads and lanes. I have avoided including the many dozens of occupational access roads to crofts and closes which are of minimal interest or disused. For those who are interested the Fishlake Enclosure Map and Award of 1825 record a great many of these, e.g. Spooner Road, Milnes's Road, Perkins Road, Stones Road all refer to private roads leading to lands or property occupied by the person named in many cases.
Here are a couple of illustrations.
Wood Lane formally Known as Wykehouse Lane, running from New House Lane to Hushells Lane. Spring 1976.
Peg Lane, running West from Thesholds Lane, now disused. Spring 1976.
A.
Ancient Lane now a road leading West out of the village renamed Fishlake Nab Road.
Ancient Lane now Church Lane.
Ancient Lane now Moor Lane from Enc. Map 1825.
Axle Moor Close Road. Now Axle Moor Road, condition: track, occupation lane running north from Westfield Road at SE639142.
B.
Black Syke Lane. Condition Metalled. Situation North East and East from Geesness Lane to the junction of Wormley Hill Lane and Black Shaw Lane. Blakesyk Lane an early spelling appears in a Tithe dispute of Hay in 1452 between Prior and Convent of Duham and William Thornholm of Fishlake.
Bell Green. A short lane extending from Snatchells Lane. Metalled.
Bramwith Road. Metalled road runs from East/West linking Sour Lane and Pinfold Lane.
Briggs Lane formally Hornby Lane. Condition: track. Situated North then North East from top of Nab Lane to Trundle Lane at SE645135.
Burial Place Lane. Condition: Track. Situated West and North from Pinfold Lane to Sorrel Lane at SE652146. Refers to the site of a Quaker Burial Ground, now cleared.
Butler Lane, now disused, West from Pinfold Lane to East Field Road. SE 653135. Personal name.
C.
Carrhead Lane. Condition: Track. Situation West from the junction of Geesness Lane and Black Syke Lane to top of Foster House Green Lane.
Cheetham Road see Enc Map of 1825, a short lane close to Church Farm what is now Church Lane (but was also known at a different time as Ancient Lane). Named after George Cheetham, a carpenter 1822 and publican in 1830's of the Ring O Bells which so must have been close by?
Church Footway see Enc. Map 1825 extending from School to crossing Pinfold Lane to Lord Ings Road.
Church Lane formally Ancient Lane. Condition Metalled. Situation from Pinfold Lane to the Church Gate at SE657132.
Church Street. Condition Metalled. Situation East from the "cross" to the Church Gate at SE656132
Church Walk. Condition part metalled, part track. Situation South East from Pinfold Lane to the Church Yard at SE657134.
Court Lane. Named in the Bylaw Book in 1687 in relation to Court Lane Howle but far unidentified location. As this name may refer to the Bylaw Courts, which we know were held in Mill Field, possibly not far from Hushells Lane.
Cowick Road. Runs a North/South from Jubilee Bridge to Blackshaw Dike. Parallel with river Don.
D.
Dirty Lane colloquial name Mucky Lane. Condition metalled. Situation North from Fishlake Nab to Trundle Lane at SE 654133.
Dunghill Lane colloquial for a lane running North from the junction of Mill Field Road with East Field Lane. Condition track. Occupation lane. Situation North West from the top of East Field Road at SE 645135.
E.
East Field Road. Condition metalled. Situation North West from Trundle Lane by Manor Farm to Mill Field Road at SE 652146.
F.
Far Bank Lane. Extending west along Far Bank. Condition track.
Fen Lane. Running North from Hushells Lane, serving Little Fen Field (Foster Houses). Occupation lane.
Fleet House Lane now incorporating Trundle Lane. Metalled.
Fishlake Church Road Enc. Map 1825 Extending from Lord Ings Road passed Vicarage towards the river.
Fishlake Road Enc. Map 1825. Now Fishlake Nab.
Fishlake Nab formally Ancient Lane. Condition metalled.
Fishlake Nab Road formally Stainforth and Fishlake Road. Extending from Stainforth Bridge to Church Street.
Ferry Lane see OS Map 1852 lane running south from Church Lane, formally known as Ancient Lane.
Ferry Lane formally a section of lane from Thorninghurst to Jubilee bridge now known as Wood Lane. See 1752 map. Condition track.
Foster House Green Lane. At Fosterhouses, running North from Hushells Lane to Carrhead Land. Known as Green Lane in 1891 OS. Map. Condition track.
G.
Geeseness Lane, Fosterhouses, running north from Sorrel Lane.
Germaine Lane, location umknown. Mentioned in Bylaw Book 1736.
Green Lane OS map 1891. Now Wood Lane, near Fosterhouses.
Green Lane. Now Foster House Green Lane.
Grove Road. Running North from Sour Lane, Haygreen. A modern (1960's) metalled road.
H.
Hayes Lane. Running North/East from Pinfold Lane. Hayes meaning a clearing in a wood.
Hornby Lane now Briggs Lane. Running North and East from Far Bank Land to Trundle Lane. Hornby and Briggs are both family names.
Hudson Croft Road. Now to section of Westfield Lane. Condition track. Hudson is a family name.
Hushells Lane. Running from Sorrell Lane at Fosterhouse Green to Snatchells Lane
J.
Jarmin Lane. From 1825 enclosure map. A most North/Westerly stretch of what is now Trundle Lane.
Johnny Hall Lane formally Windmill Road. Running North from Mill Field Road. Condition track. Occupation lane.
L.
Ley Ing Lane now Steward Ing Lane. See 1752 map.
Lord Ings Lane. Running East from Pinfold Lane to Church Walk. Condition track.
Low Ings Lane. Running South from Sour Lane towards the river.
M.
Main Street running from Church Street to Fishlake Nab Road. Modern name.
Mill Field Road formally Fosterhouse and Bramwith Road. Condition metalled.
Moor House Gate Lane. Enc. map 1825. Now upper part of Trundle Land.
Mucky Lane, connecting Trundle Lane to see Dirty Lane.
N.
Nab Close Road. Condition track.
Nab Lane. Running North from Stainforth and Fishlake Road, (Fishlake Nab), towards Far Bank.
New House Lane formally Rylah Lane. Runs North from Westfield Road to New House Farm.
North Lane, running East from Wood Lane at Haygreen. Now shortened. Fist recorded in The Grave Book in 1736.
Norton Field Lane. 1850 OS map. Extending West from Smallhedge Farm, now split by New Junction Canal.
P.
Peg Lane. Running West from Threshold Lane. Occupation lane. Now disused.
Pennyshaw Lane. Wrongly called Wood Lane OS map 1891. North towards Bell Green and Clay Bridge.
Pinfold Lane, running from Fosterhouses to The Cross in central village condition metalled.
Plumb Tree Hill Road. Extending from Fishlake Nab Road North towards Bramwith Woodhouse.
Poor Close Road. Poor Lands Road encl map 1825. Now lower end of Westfield Lane. Occupation road.
R.
Rylah Lane now New House Lane.
S.
Saunders Lane now Westfield Lane.
Smallhedge Lane. Approach to Smallhedge Farm.
Snelsholme Lane. Extending East from Sorrel Lane to Steward Ings Lane. This might be the same as Snellstill in the Will of William Trimingham of 1527 leaving monies to repair the highway at that place.
Snatchells Lane. Running North from Hushells Lane to Bell Green and Clay Bridge.
Sorrell Lane, Fosterhouses. Runs parallel East/West. Metalled.
Sour Lane. Earliest known reference is from the Bylaw Book in 1688. Along Haygreen to Jubilee Bridge. Metalled road.
South Lane. Location unknown. First recorded in The Grave Book in 1736.
Stainforth and Fishlake Road now Fishlake Nab Road. Metalled.
Stewards Ing Lane, Early mention in Bylaw book 1716. Known as Ley Ing Lane see 1752 map. Runs parallel East/West from Snelsholme Lane to Cowick Road.
Stony Lane. A lane running between Trundle Lane and Fishlake Nab Road.
Stony Lane. Stones Lane in 1825 Enc. Map. Runs West from Smallhedge Road now split by New Junction Canal. Occupation lane.
Strunns Lane. Running North from Carrhead Lane to Clay dike.
Sykehouse Road. Enclosure Map 1825, now part of Pinfold Lane at Haygreen. Metalled.
T.
Taining Lane. Running West from Far Bank Road Condition track. Taining Drain close to Taining Lane first mentioned in the Bylaw Book in 1588.
Thacker Lane. Running North from Far Bank Lane to Nab Lane.
Thresholds Lane, Fosterhouses, running north from Sorrell Lane.
Thorninghirst Road. Enc. map 1825. Track. Runs West from Cowick Road to Thorninghirst.
Town Ing Road. Condition track. Running south from Sour Lane. Occupation road.
Town Street. Enc. Map 1825 a stretch of road by the Butter Cross.
Trundle Lane, running East/West from Westfield Road to Pinfold Lane. condition Metalled. Runs next to Trundle Dike first mentioned in the Bylaw Book in 1651.
W.
Wenchurst Lane, Fosterhouses, running parallel but North of Sorrell Lane. Wenchurst a family name.
West Field House Road. OS map 1850. Running East from West Field House Lane.
West Field House Lane. Approach to West Field House Farm. Occupation lane.
West Field Road. Running parallel East/West. Metalled.
Westfield Lane formally lower part of Poor Croft Road and upper part of Hudson Close Road. Runs North from West Field Road.
Windmill Road. OS map 1850. Running North from Mill Field Road, now Johnny Hall Lane. Metalled. Occupation lane.
Wood Lane at Haygreen, running North/East. The Thorninghirst to Jubilee Bridge section formally known as Ferry Lane as early as 1752.
Wood Lane. Near Fosterhouse formally Wykehouse Lane. Then Green Lane OS map 1891. Running North /East from New House Farm to Hushells Land.
Woodhouse Gate Lane. Enc. map 1825. Now upper part of Trundle Lane. Metalled.
Wykehouse Lane. OS map 1850 now Wood Lane.
Rob Downing March 2020.