Burley in Wharfedale

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Burley in Wharfedale

Coordinates: 53.9137° N 1.748° W
Population	6,397
OS grid reference	SE165464
Parish	Burley
Metropolitan borough	City of Bradford
Metropolitan county	West Yorkshire
Region	Yorkshire and the Humber
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ILKLEY
Postcode district	LS29
Dial code	01943
Police	West Yorkshire
Fire	West Yorkshire
Ambulance	Yorkshire
UK Parliament	Shipley
European Parliament	Yorkshire and the Humber
List of places: UK • England • Yorkshire

Burley-in-Wharfedale is a village in the county of West Yorkshire, England. Along with Menston, Burley is part of Wharfedale Ward in the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford. It lies on the A65, approximately fourteen miles north-west of the centre of Leeds, between Otley and Ilkley. Burley has a railway station on the Wharfedale line, with direct trains to Leeds, Bradford and Ilkley.

Despite the great transport links to local urban areas Burley in Wharfedale retains its rural feel and setting in the green Wharfedale valley.

The village is adjoined by Burley Woodhead, a small cluster of farms and homes at the foot of Burley Moor.

Originally a small agricultural community with likely Roman and Anglo-Saxon roots, Burley developed in the late 18th and 19th centuries into an industrial village with many residents employed at the cotton mills known as Greenholme Mills, which were powered from a goit fed from the River Wharfe.

The development of industrial and commercial centres in the nearby cities of Leeds and Bradford, combined with rail and bus links, prompted major changes to the village in the early 20th Century. Council housing was built in the 1920s and 1950s, as the village became a dormitory settlement for the two cities.

Developments in the second half of the twentieth century have seen Burley become a prosperous but socially diverse village. The village has a high percentage of elderly and retired people, as well as many young families attracted by job opportunities, local schools and new housing developments.

Whilst the cotton mill no longer operates, the village retains a strong range of local businesses and a strong community atmosphere.

Whilst the 1991 census give a population figure of just over 6300, the development of new housing estates has resulted in a significant population increase.

The village has two state primary schools, Burley and Woodhead Primary School and Burley Oaks Primary School, along with Ghyll Royd School, a private primary and nursery school for boys.

It also has an Anglican Church, an United Reformed Church, a Methodist and a Catholic Church.

It benefits from a range of public buildings, such as the Queens' Hall, originally built as a lecture hall for mill workers. Recent work by community groups has resulted in developments including a new nature reserve and village green.

Burley Woodhead was also the home of the late Richard Whiteley, a popular television celebrity, until his death in 2005.