New research project to record forgotten World War Two houses

Barnsley Museums is supporting an exciting new research project to record a row of forgotten Second World War houses that once stood on Millhouses Street in Milton, Hoyland.

The row of ten prefabs on Millhouses Street were built in the mid-1940s, shortly after the end of the Second World War. The houses were made of aluminium and came in four prefabricated sections that bolted together, so they could be built in a single day. They were relatively small but included a fitted kitchen and bathroom with hi-tech features, including hot running water and a gas-powered fridge. Each house also had a small Anderson-style shelter at the back for storing coal and garden tools. They were demolished in 1969 and the site has now become part of the Forge Playing Field.

During the very dry weather last summer the ghostly outlines of this forgotten street appeared as a series of enigmatic parch marks. Barnsley Museums is now working with students from the University of Leeds’ School of Earth and Environment, to record the site using up-to-date technology, as part of the Elsecar Heritage Action Zone.

What was it like to live in these high-tech, temporary houses during the 1950s and 1960s?

As part of the project we would love to hear from anybody with stories or photos – particularly anybody who lived in them, or who visited friends and family who did. If you have any memories or photos that you would like to share, please get in touch with the Elsecar Heritage Action Zone team: ElsecarHAZ@barnsley.gov.uk