Although banned for many years, cock-fighting was still known to carry on in secret in remote rural areas, where betting could run into hundreds of pounds.

Reports of the fights - known as "mains" - are, naturally few and far between but around the turn of the last century a local man gave a vivid account of a "War of the Roses", attended by around 40 people, which took place at Devil's Rock, Eastwood:

The real issue was a match for a stake of £20 between a gamekeeper from Huddersfield and one from Rochdale, truly a fight of the Roses. Shortly after noon the parties began to meet at a hostelry in Eastwood, the arrangements so adroitly carried out that no-one entering the village would have his curiosity aroused.

The visitors had come from all parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire. Different routes were taken but all finally landed at Devil's Rock.

Read the full story in Milltown Memories. If this or other stories stirs a memory, we'd be happy to know - send us your memories and comments.