Shawclough & Healey February 2018

Forged in Fire
A story of blacksmiths and bonesetters
Walking over the cattle grid at the top of Dewhirst Road
reminds me of the theme tune to “Bonanza”, the TV
sixties Western and with the amount of horses stabled
and grazing in nearby fields, some locals affectionately
nickname the area the “Ponderosa”. Indeed, horse
owners have asked for Horse warning signs to be placed along this fast
stretch of highway, subsequently, a request to the Council has been made.
Back on “Shank’s Pony,” riding over Limersgate,
skirting the foot of Brown Wardle and down into
Whitworth Square, whilst most thirsty walkers head
for the Red Lion. You can stop and go back in time,
250 years to be precise, taking in, the locally
quarried, stone buildings and check out the various
blue plaques, which tell the remarkable story of
how in 1764, a blacksmith called John Taylor not
only sweated over a red hot forge as he shoed
horses from far and wide. He also became probably the first ever “Super
Vet” (Well before Noel on Channel 4) tending all sorts of animals, setting
bones and administering potions.
This led to Mr Taylor, who was first of a long line of Taylors, to practice
medicine on the good folk of Whitworth, with the small village being
described as being in the Parish of Rochdale.
Word got round of the service being provided and the Blacksmith turned
Doctor was soon receiving patients from much further afield with the
Archbishop of Canterbury turning up for an appointment and the Bishop of
Durham coming along for a tooth extraction.
Legend has it that Dr Taylor still preferred horses and stopped halfway
through the Bishop’s tooth pulling only to tend to a horse with Spavin
(whatever that is) According to the dictionary is a disorder of a horse’s hock.
Glancing around the Square, you can see the original buildings which made
up this group of this Community health related practise, which has been
replicated around the country, with the ‘Whitworth System’ being adopted in
the United States of America.
So from its humble origins of blacksmiths turned bonesetters and finally the
now famous ‘Whitworth Horse Doctors’, you could say that this and much of
today’s medical health systems were truly “Forged in Fire”!
Councillor Shaun O’Neill
Labour, Healey Ward.
Chair of Rochdale Township.
ADVICE SURGERY EVERY THURSDAY
1pm-2pm at Syke Community Base, Syke Chapel.
Tel: 07812 238323 or 01706 633585 Email: shaun.oneill@rochdale.gov.uk
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