The Cut was formed by the cutting out of a canal to allow the quarried limestone from the east side of Fairburn to be transported to the River Aire on the west side of Fairburn.

The quarried limestone was brought was stransported under the village by an underground railway system. The railway would then travel from the tunnel to the edge of the cut basin where it was then transferred onto barges and transported to the river and onto its destination.

The remains of the railway can be seen at the Castleford museum

The flooding of the farming land between Fairburn and the River Aire was caused by mining subsidence and is known as "Fairburn Ings." It has in time been used, in its new state, by birds as a natural resting place in their migration. It has now become one of the most important nature reserves in the country and has re-developed into an area of natural beauty much enjoyed by visitors and villagers alike. In the 1930's Fairburn Ings attracted a large number of visitors for an entirely different reason. An area of water located at "the cut" was fed by one of the many natural springs and was therefore fresh, clear, cool and very deep. An ideal place for swimming. A villager recalls "The summer of 1930 was very hot and unemployment was at its height, many hours were spent playing billiards and cards at"the stute" and a short walk down the cut provided a leisurely swim." This was the beginning of "The Fairburn Lido", it was an attractive alternative to walking to Castleford and paying 4d to go to the public baths. Soon people from the towns flocked to Fairburn in fine weather realizing that a trip to the Lido provided a pleasurable days outing. The funds increased and the money was used to establish "The Fairburn Swimming Club"

Changing facilities made from corrugated sheets and canvas to provide a little privacy. Vic Atkinson was chosen, because of his swimming expertise, to be the first person to use the board to test its safety as the water was so deep. The Lido was well used from 1930-33 but in time some residents in the village became anxious about the safety of the swimming and realised that there could be a serious accident as the water was so deep at this point, and it was decided to close it down in 1933.

SKATING
The water in the Ings was again used for the amusement of villagers, adults and children alike. Occasionally, during very severe winters, it used to freeze solid enough to be used for skating. Images of these skating sessions are vividly remembered by many villagers.