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History » Other Shay Ventures
From the time of the demolition of the mansion, what was left of the Shay Estate became the object of many schemes.
On 9 November 1898, it was announced that a proposal had been put forward to run goods trains to the Shay Estate and build a goods depot there. On 31 May 1902 an agreement was made by the Midland Rail Company for the purchase of the estate, the company having sought powers to construct a loop line at Low Moor and to run a part of the Lancashire and Yorkshire line to Halifax. However, shortly after this, 'owing to the present position of railways and the condition of the money market', there was no reasonable prospect of the proposed railway being constructed in the immediate future, and all plans were abandoned.
Work had actually been started on a tunnel to run under the newly constructed Skircoat Road, on the Well Head side of the road, and this tunnel is still in evidence today, though many people are unaware of its existence. The only purpose for which it was intended for use after this was as one of many air-raid shelters in Halifax during the Second World War.
Between 1908 and 1910 it was proposed to build a slaughterhouse on the Shay. There was, after all, a need for such a thing in the town, though strong criticism of this idea surfaced. How could the Shay Estate - once one of the most beautiful parts of Halifax - end up being the home of a slaughterhouse? Many felt it was an insult, and the Corporation agreed - the plans were thankfully scrapped.
At one point after this it seemed that the Shay would be developed as playing fields for the people of Halifax, though despite being a nice idea it never materialized, and the Shay, now sadly just waste land, ended up a rubbish tip.
All former glories of the Shay Estate were completely wiped out, but even then further controversy raised its head when a fire took hold of the rubbish.
During the First World War the Shay was used by the local Territorial Army to practice trench digging. This was at one end of the Shay and amazingly, right up to 1984, evidence of this could be seen behind the visitors' end of the football ground. The 'trenches' were only flattened in order to provide easy access to the speedway pits.
Trench digging, then, was the last use of the Shay until 1920 when rumours started to circulate that the Shay could be transformed into a football ground. Even then, there was some criticism of the idea, but the board of Halifax Town made an official approach to the Shay's owners, the Corporation, and it was accepted.
The Shay was to take on a welcome new lease of life.
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