Who was Elizabeth Love?

Two children, a boy and a girl, sitting on a large animal sculpture in an indoor setting with a painted background.

Joe Love (Left) & Elizabeth Love (Right)

The Love Legacy: A Life in Care, Craft, and Collection

Born on 3rd October 1920’s at Paddock Hook Farm, Barkisland, Ripponden, near Halifax, Elizabeth Love grew up surrounded by the quiet resilience of Yorkshire life. Her brother Joe, born in 1931, shared her deep sense of place and family heritage — their father, George Love, a hardworking farmer, and their mother, Hannah, proud stewards of the land. Their grandfather had once owned a colliery, while their grandmother’s father had worked the coal seams himself — a family bound by both the soil and the stone of Yorkshire’s industrial heart.

Elizabeth and Joe attended Bowling Green School near Ripponden, where their lifelong curiosity and sense of discipline first took root. In 1947, at just 21 years old, Elizabeth began her working life at Marks & Spencer in Leeds, while Joe followed the family’s industrial ties, working as a miner before becoming a clerk at Micklefield Colliery.

After their mother’s passing in 1949, the family moved to Micklefield, where Joe continued at the local colliery and their father eventually purchased Castle Garth around 1962 — the house that would become the heart of their shared legacy.

Elizabeth devoted most of her adult life to nursing, building a career defined by compassion and excellence. From her early training in Cambridge, to staff nurse roles in Nottingham and later at Pontefract General Infirmary (PGI), she rose to become Ward Sister at Ackton before returning once more to Pontefract in the same role. Her professional life was one of care, structure, and devotion — values reflected in her private world, too.

Beyond her career, Elizabeth cultivated another passion — a lifelong love of art, craftsmanship, and pottery. Together, Elizabeth and Joe built a remarkable collection of historic artefacts and decorative objects, each piece chosen with discernment and affection. Their shared eye for beauty, detail, and heritage turned Castle Garth into a living time capsule — a home of quiet wonder.

Before his passing, Joe shared a wish with his sister: that their collection — the story of their lives and loves — should be preserved for the nation. Elizabeth honoured that promise with determination and grace. Aware of her own mortality, she made the extraordinary decision to leave her house and its contents in trust, along with a substantial sum to help ensure that future generations might one day experience the collection as a museum — for the people of Pontefract

It is now time to celebrate Elizabeth and Joe Love — to honour their devotion, admire their exquisite eye for the beautiful and unusual, and step into one of the most fascinating private collections of object d’art in the county.

Two elderly women smiling outdoors, one with short blonde hair wearing a coral jacket and the other with short white hair and glasses wearing a blue patterned jacket, standing close together with positive expressions.

Pauline Lockett OBE (Left) & Elizabeth Love (Right)

The Museum Collection Information

  • Antique porcelain tea set with a teapot and a sugar bowl, a small black-and-white photograph, and other decorative items inside a glass display cabinet.

    The Pottery Collection

    Elizabeth and her brother Joe lovingly collected a remarkable range of Castleford and Ferrybridge pottery, celebrating Yorkshire’s proud ceramic heritage. From the fine whitewares of Castleford to the vivid Pratt-coloured pieces of Ferrybridge, each item tells a story of craftsmanship and creativity.

    Their collection also includes rare examples of English Delftware and Halifax Brownware, offering a beautiful glimpse into the region’s rich pottery tradition.

  • Black and white photo showing a vintage car parked on a cobblestone street, with a woman wearing a hat and dress standing next to its hood. A woman holding an umbrella is also visible near the car, and a sign for 'FARR & SON ANTIQUES' is mounted on a brick wall above an arched doorway.

    History of the Building

    Standing for centuries in the heart of Pontefract, The Old Guard House has a story that stretches back to the 12th century. Originally a timber structure serving Pontefract Castle, it was rebuilt in stone during the 14th century, with Tudor fireplaces and Civil War-era timbers still surviving today.

    Through the ages it has served many roles — from debtor’s prison to military headquarters, and later an antiques shop under local dealer Mr Farr. Each chapter has left its mark, giving this remarkable building the rich character and quiet grandeur it holds today.

  • An antique wooden clock with a decorative face showing hours in Roman numerals and featuring images of two pinkish-red cranes, a moon with a child's face, and floral accents.

    The Grand Clock Collection

    Elizabeth and Joe’s home is graced by a remarkable collection of 29 antique clocks, including longcase, carriage, and wall clocks, many dating from the 18th century.

    Several pieces were crafted by local Pontefract makers such as the Farrer family, Benjamin Booth, and James Berry, while others hail from Tadcaster, Bridlington, Halifax, Manchester, and even as far as Exeter — each one a masterpiece of timekeeping and craftsmanship.

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