Huddersfield
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Huddersfield is a large town in England near the confluence of the River Colne and the River Holme. It is in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire and is located within the historic borders of the West Riding of Yorkshire.
[edit] History
There has been a settlement in the vicinity since Roman times, as evidenced by discovery of the remains of a Roman fort at Slack, just west of the town. Castle Hill, a major landmark of the town, was originally an Iron Age hillfort. Huddersfield itself was noted in the Domesday Book as a village known as Oderesfelt.
Huddersfield was incorporated as a municipal borough in the ancient West Riding of Yorkshire in 1868. The borough comprised the parishes of Almondbury, Dalton, Huddersfield, Lindley cum Quarmby and Lockwood. When the West Riding County Council was formed in 1889, Huddersfield became a county borough, exempt from county council control. Huddersfield expanded in 1937, including parts of the Golcar, Linthwaite, and South Crosland urban districts.[1] The county borough was abolished in 1974 and its former area was combined with that of other districts to form the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire.
Huddersfield has been known as a Market town since Saxon times. After the status of the local Polytechnic was changed to University of Huddersfield it is sometimes, described as a University Town.
Attempts by the local council to gain support for city status were rejected by the town's population in an unofficial referendum held by the local newspaper, the Huddersfield Daily Examiner. The council did not apply for that status in either the 2000 or 2002 competitions. [2]
According to the 2001 census the population of the Huddersfield urban sub-area of the West Yorkshire Urban Area was 146,234, and the population of the former area of the county borough was 121,620. The wider South Kirklees area had a population of 216,011.
[edit] Civic honours and freedoms
On 2 July 1952, in recognition of historic ties and links with The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding), The Huddersfield County Borough had conferred on the regiment the Freedom of the Town. This gave the regiment the right to march through the town with 'flags flying, bands playing and bayonets fixed'. Many of the town and district's male residents had served in the regiment during its long history. This right to march was technically lost when the County Borough itself was merged with Dewsbury to form Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council though, unofficially, continued as on 25 March 1979, Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council gave the Freedom of Kirklees to the 3rd battalion of the Yorkshire Volunteers. The 3rd Battalion was the Duke of Wellington's Territorial Army unit.
However when the 'Dukes' were amalgamated with the Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire and the Green Howards' to form the Yorkshire Regiment on the 6 June 2006. The right to march was finally ended as the award did not give the right, for the freedom to march, to be passed on to any heirs or successors. The majority of the Yorkshire Regiment is now composed of soldiers from the north and eastern areas of Yorkshire. The Yorkshire Regiment has requested the right to march to be transferred to them. However the county Borough no longer exists and so there is no authority to do so. The freedom given by Kirklees to the 3rd battalion of the Yorkshire Volunteers did not permit any transfer to heirs or successors and effectively that freedom also ceased when the battalion was amalgamated into the East and West Riding Regiment. The East and West Riding Regiment ceased to exist on 6 June 2006, having been merged into the Yorkshire Regiment as its 4th Battalion.
[edit] Institutions
[edit] Schools and colleges
Huddersfield is the home to two sixth form colleges, Huddersfield New College located at Salendine Nook, and Greenhead College. It has one general further education college, Huddersfield Technical College and one establishment of higher education in the University of Huddersfield. The current Chancellor of the University is the actor Patrick Stewart who comes from Mirfield.
[edit] Hospitals
Huddersfield has one main hospital, the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary situated in Lindley, and the smaller St Luke's Hospital at Crosland Moor, which mostly provides geriatric and psychiatric care. Kirkwood Hospice provides care for the terminally ill, and is dependent on private donations and charitable gifts. Greenhead's Princess Royal Hospital originally provided Huddersfield with its maternity facilities until the risks of not being able to get an ambulance to A&E in the event of complications were judged to outweigh the benefits of specialist service provision. It now functions as a day clinic, family planning consultation centre and GUM Clinic.
A recent decision to move most of the maternity services provided by the Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust to the Calderdale Royal Hospital will change these facilities in 2007, despite strong opposition from some of the local population. The campaign was led by Save Huddersfield NHS which elected a councillor, Dr Jackie Grunsell in the Crosland Moor ward. It is planning to stand more candidates, and is still active.
[edit] Historical landmarks
Huddersfield is notable for its abundance of fine Victorian architecture. It has the third highest number of listed buildings of any town or city in the UK. The most conspicuous landmark in the Huddersfield area is Victoria Tower on Castle Hill. Overlooking the town, the tower was constructed to mark Queen Victoria's 60th Jubilee Year. A picture of the Victoria Tower features on the New Zealand wine Castle Hill.
The colonnaded Huddersfield railway station in St George's Square was once described as 'a stately home with trains in it', and by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner as 'one of the best early railway stations in England'.[1] A bronze statue of Huddersfield-born Harold Wilson, Prime Minister 1964-1970 and 1974-1976 stands before the entrance in St George's Square.
The Huddersfield Parish Church (St Peter's Church) was constructed in 1838 and is located adjacent to the town centre, on Byram Street, near the Pack Horse Centre.
The Pack Horse Centre is a covered pedestrianised shopping area constructed over the former cobbled street known as the Pack Horse Walk, named in memory of the beasts of burden which ferried merchandise over the Pennines before the Standedge Tunnels were built. This pedestrian-only link passes from Kirkgate, across King Street and along Victoria Lane, by the Shambles, to the Piazza and the distinctive Market Hall at Queensgate, which was built to replace the old Shambles Market Hall in the early 1970s [3]. Next to the Piazza is the Victorian Town Hall and the 1930s Public Library.
A distinctive art nouveau clock tower in the village of Lindley (a suburb to the west of the town) was constructed in 1902 by a local mill-owner, so that his workers would have no excuse to be late for work.
[edit] Shopping and entertainment
Huddersfield has a large and diverse shopping area, compared to most towns of its size. One of the central shopping areas is the Kingsgate Centre which was completed in 2001. There is a covered market hall, which has listed building status due in part to its distinctive roof formed by hyperbolic paraboloids, adjacent to the town hall and public library (see Historical landmarks above), and an open market on the opposite side of the town centre.
Nightlife has improved dramatically in recent years, with many fashionable pubs and bars having opened in an area surrounding King Street and the Kingsgate Centre. These have proved popular with the ever expanding student population.
The Lawrence Batley Theatre, opened in 1994, housed in what was once the largest Wesleyan Chapel in the world, presents dance, drama, comedy, music and exhibitions.
[edit] Transport infrastructure
[edit] Road
Huddersfield is well connected to the national motorway network via the M1 and M62 motorways. The M1 passes near the eastern fringes of the town about ten miles away. The M62 comes much nearer (about 2½ miles away) and Huddersfield is served by three junctions: Mount (A640, J23 - limited access), Ainley Top (A629, J24) and between Brighouse and Cooper Bridge (A644, J25).
The Huddersfield Corporation built an inner ring road (part of the A62) in the 1970s. The area within this ring road has come to define the central business district of the town. The ring road is effective in relieving traffic congestion in the town centre where many roads are now pedestrianised.
[edit] Rail
Huddersfield railway station enjoys a comprehensive local and regional rail service. However, there are no Intercity services or a direct service to London, with passengers having to change at either Leeds or Wakefield Westgate. Many services are subsidised by the local-government public transport co-ordinator, Metro. A frequent express service operates to the nearby principal cities of Leeds and Manchester and a regular service to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Sunderland, Darlington, Middlesbrough, Scarborough, York, Hull, Manchester Airport and Liverpool. This is operated by First Transpennine Express. There are also local stopping services operated by Northern Rail which link Huddersfield with Leeds, Dewsbury, Bradford, Halifax, Wakefield, Barnsley and Sheffield.
[edit] Bus
Huddersfield Bus Station is the busiest bus station in West Yorkshire with a daily footfall of almost 35,000.[2] The majority of bus services pass through the bus station. Many services are subsidised by Metro who are also responsible for co-ordination, planning and timetabling of services throughout West Yorkshire.
Huddersfield's bus operators reflect the national situation; three dominant national operators provide most of the services in the area: First (in Huddersfield & Halifax) who provide most local services across Huddersfield, Arriva Yorkshire, who provide frequent services along Leeds Road towards Dewsbury and Leeds and Stagecoach Yorkshire through its recently-acquired subsidiary, Yorkshire Traction, who provide almost all services in the south east of the town. Other smaller operators include K-Line and FairRider who are both based locally.
In November 2006, a free bus service was launched on a nine month trial. Buses run every ten minutes from 7.30am (from the train station) to 7.00 pm Monday to Friday and from 8.30am to 5.30pm on Saturday. Stops on the route include the bus station, University of Huddersfield, Kingsgate, and the indoor market. The service mirrors such in larger British cities. The service possibly makes Huddersfield the only region to have a Free Town Bus as opposed to a Free City Bus. A video of the bus making a full journey can be found on Virtual Huddersfield.
[edit] Canal
The Huddersfield Broad Canal, originally the Sir John Ramsden Canal, and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal (both navigable by narrowboat and the former by wider craft also) wind around the south side of the town. To the rear of the YMCA in the Turnbridge section there is an electrically operated road bridge, which is still in use, to raise the road and allow boat traffic to pass. This bridge was originally opened by use of a windlass system.
[edit] Development
Huddersfield has seen many new development projects proposed and approved. Some of the schemes approved include:
- St George's Quarter scheme, a £50 m scheme which includes a 153-bed luxury hotel, retail units, offices, flats and a landscaped public area
- Queensgate Revival, a £200 m scheme centred on the Piazza, Public Library and Queensgate Market Hall
- The Waterfront Quarter, a £175 m scheme to regenerate land at Chapel Hill
- Huddersfield Media Centre expansion
- The Leeds Road corridor, a new £100 m economic zone
- St George's Square Revival
- Kingsgate II
[edit] Sport
[edit] Rugby Football
[edit] The split
Rugby was first recorded in the town in 1848 and the Huddersfield Athletic Club, the direct progenitors of the current Huddersfield Giants, formed in 1864, playing their first rugby game in 1866. It was in Huddersfield on August 29, 1895 that 22 northern clubs held a meeting in the George Hotel and voted to secede from the Rugby Football Union to set up their own Northern Rugby Football Union. In 1922 this became the Rugby Football League.
[edit] Rugby league
Following the split of 1895 Huddersfield became a focus for rugby league and is currently represented by the Huddersfield Giants in the Superleague, and by Huddersfield Underbank Rangers in National League 3. The Huddersfield Giants (under their original name of Huddersfield Rugby League Club) have won the Rugby League Championship seven times, most recently in 1961-62, and the Challenge Cup six times, the last success being in 1952-53.
[edit] Rugby union
After 1895 rugby in the Huddersfield area was played exclusively under the auspices of the Northern Rugby Football Union until 1909 when Huddersfield Old Boys were formed to play under rugby union rules, nomadically playing at five grounds until buying farmland at Waterloo in 1919 and, in 1946, retitling the club as Huddersfield RUFC.
In 1996 the Waterloo junior grounds were sold and a 26 acre, former Bass Brewery estate, at Lockwood Park was purchased for construction of a replacement. With the assistance of a matching £2 million grant from Sport England, the club has transformed the site into a major sports complex, conference centre and business park.
[edit] Association football
Huddersfield Town FC is the town's senior association football team, founded in 1908, and currently playing in Coca-Cola League One. They are presently under the caretaker management of Gerry Murphy following the departure of Peter Jackson on 6 March 2007, according to a Board statement, "due to our form and the inability to attract key players".[3]
In 1921-22 Huddersfield won the FA Cup and between 1923-26 they became the first club to win the League Championship three times in a row, an achievement matched only by three other teams. The club left its ground on Leeds Road in 1994 and now shares the Galpharm Stadium with the Huddersfield Giants rugby league team.
Notable ex-players include Scottish international Denis Law, Ray Wilson, a World Cup winner with England in 1966 and Trevor Cherry, England international. Bill Shankly and Herbert Chapman are notable former Huddersfield Town managers.
[edit] Motorsport
Notable local people include James Whitham, former 'British Superbike Champion', and former British Stock Car Association (BriSCA) Formula 1 driver, Kev Smith.
[edit] Arts
[edit] Music
Huddersfield Choral Society, founded in 1836, claims to be the UK's leading choral society. Its history was chronicled in the book 'And The Glory'[4] to commemorate the Society's 150th anniversary in 2001. The author was a choir member for over 35 years.
Huddersfield is home to the Lawrence Batley Theatre, the annual and internationally-famous Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, the Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra and the Huddersfield Singers. As well as its strong orchestral and choral tradition, the Huddersfield area also hosts the Marsden Jazz Festival [5] and, reflecting the town's fondness for popular live music, the now-defunct Ivanhoe's venue is where, on Christmas Day 1977, the Sex Pistols played their last UK gig before embarking on the ill-fated US tour that forms the backdrop to the Alex Cox film 'Sid & Nancy'.
In addition there are many local music festivals Mrs Sunderland[6], Janet Beaumont, Holmfirth and Hadyn Wood being the closest. Haydn Wood focuses on junior musicians. There are also many youth choirs both school and independently run.
Home-grown musical talent of all kinds are complimented by the student intake to the University of Huddersfield's music department.
[edit] Film and televisual arts
Various long-running television series have been filmed in and around Huddersfield. These include Last of the Summer Wine, which is usually associated with Holmfirth but uses various locations in both the Holme valley and Colne valley; Where the Heart Is, filmed in the Colne valley around Slaithwaite and finished filming in 2006; Wokenwell, also shot on location in the Colne valley in Marsden; and The League of Gentlemen, that also makes extensive use of locations around Marsden.
Playing lower-key roles in television production with reputations based on their expert knowledge of their subjects, Huddersfield can claim links with Time Team by way of osteoarchaeologist Alice Roberts [7] and Life on Earth through local teacher Dr Jeff Carr's encyclopaedic knowledge of polar bears.
[edit] Visual arts
Kirklees council's cultural services also ensure that the art gallery, which occupies the top floor of the library on Princess Alexandra Walk, offers a balanced schedule, all year round, which showcases local painters and photographers alongside commissioned artists' displays.
[edit] Cultural events in Huddersfield
[edit] Huddersfield Festival of Light
This festival takes place in mid November when the town centre becomes illuminated with Christmas lights. A celebrity switches the lights on after an evening display of fireworks and circus tricks. Other attractions include an ice skating rink and a mini train carrying shoppers around the town centre.
[edit] Huddersfield Caribbean Carnival
The carnival, usually in mid July begins with a procession from the Hudawi Cultural Centre in the suburb of Hillhouse, through the town centre to Greenhead Park where troupes display their costumes on stage. West Indian food, fairground rides and various stalls and attractions are available to try. A 'young blud' stage presents Hip Hop, Garage and RnB.
[edit] Kirklees Asian Mela
The mela usually follows on the day after the Caribbean carnival. attractions include Asian displays on the stage including Indian dancing, Bhangra music and Asian garage. Stalls sell an array of Asian foods, Henna designs, jewellery and colourful saris.
[edit] St Patrick's Day
Celebrating the Irish patron saint. The Irish diaspora hold an event on 17 March in Huddersfield town centre. Features including the St Patrick's day parade and various celtic traditions are held.
[edit] Jamaican Independence Day
The Jamaican population of Huddersfield gather at the Fartown pavillion cricket ground to celebrate the annual independence day of Jamaica. A morning congregation at the Hudawi Cultural Centre is followed by a small carnival procession from the centre to the Fartown Pavillion. Many Jamaican flags are displayed across the cricket ground. stalls selling Jamaican food, clothes and music are found while Reggae and Dancehall is played from sound systems.
[edit] Pink Picnic
Huddersfield's Pink Picnic is held on Castle Hill by the town gay and bisexual communities. The event has been held annually since 1987.
[edit] Politics
Huddersfield had a strong liberal tradition up to the 1950s and this is still reflected in the large number of liberal social clubs in the town. The current Member of Parliament (MP) for the Huddersfield constituency is Barry Sheerman.
Kirklees Council was the first in the UK to have a Green Party councillor: Nicholas Harvey who represented the Newsome Ward. He declined to stand for a second term and no longer lives in Kirklees.
[edit] Demographics
Huddersfield is home to over 146,000 people, 80% of whom are white caucasians, many of them being of Irish or Scottish descent. Other ethnic minorities include Asians from India and Pakistan. Eastern Europeans from the Ukraine, Poland and Hungary. Kurdish and African immigrants, from Nigeria, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The most populous ethnic minority group are those of West Indian descent. Mainly from Jamaica, Barbados, Grenada or Trinidad and Tobago.
[edit] Notable people born in Huddersfield
- Simon Armitage, poet and author
- Lawrence Batley, British entrepreneur
- Andy Booth, footballer for Huddersfield Town
- David Borrow, Member of Parliament for South Ribble
- Sir David Brown OBE, British businessman
- Roy Castle OBE, presenter, dancer and entertainer
- Lord James Hanson, British and international businessman
- Sir Harold Percival Himsworth, scientist
- George Herbert Hirst, English test cricketer
- Nina Hossain, broadcaster
- Derek Ibbotson, Olympic athlete
- Gorden Kaye, actor
- Anita Lonsborough Olympic swimmer and commentator
- Zöe Lucker, actress, known for playing Tanya Turner in the ITV1 Drama Footballers' Wives
- James Mason, actor
- Wilfred Rhodes, English test cricketer
- John Whitaker MBE, Olympic equestrian
- Harold Wilson KG OBE, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1964-70 and 1974-1976
[edit] Suburbs of the town
- Ainley Top, Almondbury, Armitage Bridge, Aspley
- Beaumont Park, Berry Brow, Birchencliffe, Birkby, Blackmoorfoot, Brackenhall, Bradley,
- Clayton West, Colne Bridge, Cowcliffe, Cowmes, Cowlersley, Crosland Moor
- Dalton, Deighton,
- Edgerton
- Fartown, Fenay Bridge, Fixby
- Golcar, Grimescar
- Hall Bower, Highburton, Highfields, Hillhouse,
- Kirkburton, Kirkheaton
- Lascelles Hall, Lepton, Lindley, Linthwaite, Lockwood, Longley, Longroyd Bridge, Lowerhouses, Longwood,
- Marsh, Milnsbridge, Moldgreen
- Netheroyd Hill, Netherton, Newsome
- Oakes
- Paddock, Primrose Hill
- Quarmby
- Rawthorpe
- Salendine Nook, Sheepridge, South Crosland, Springwood
- Taylor Hill, Thornton Lodge, Turnbridge
- Waterloo
[edit] Nearby places
[edit] Towns and cities
Elland, Barnsley, Bradford, Halifax, Leeds, Mirfield, Sheffield, Wakefield
[edit] Villages
Birdsedge, Clayton West, Denby Dale, Dunford Bridge, Emley, High Flatts, Holmfirth, Honley, Lower Cumberworth, Lower Denby, Marsden, New Mill, Scissett, Shelley, Shepley, Skelmanthorpe, Slaithwaite, Upper Cumberworth, Upper Denby, Wellhouse
[edit] See also
- Haddersfield, Jamaica, locally referred to and named for Huddersfield[4]
- Wikitravel - Huddersfield
[edit] References
- ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus; Radcliffe, Enid (Ed.) (2002). The Buildings of England: Yorkshire: The West Riding. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-09662-3.
- ^ Huddersfield Bus Station. West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive. Retrieved on May 24, 2006.
- ^ "Huddersfield sack manager Jackson", BBC Sport, 2007-03-06. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
- ^ 'During the periods 1822 - 1832 the 33rd Regiment of Foot, recruited from West Yorkshire was stationed in Jamaica. At the end of the tour 142 men chose to remain in Jamaica, having married and raised families, some of which may have originated from Huddersfield, thereby originating the name. Over 560 officers and men died and were buried in Jamaica during this period, from endemic diseases. In 1861 the regiment formally became known as the The Duke of Wellington's Regiment. The regiment's second battalion was again posted to Jamaica (Newcastle Camp) from the 18th of March 1891 to the 10th of April 1893.' Brereton, JM; Savory, ACS (1993). The History of the Duke of Wellingtons (West Riding) 1702 - 1992. Halifax : The Duke of Wellington's Regiment. ISBN 0-9521552-0-6.
See also E.A. Hilary Haigh ed. (1992) Huddersfield: A Most Handsome Town - Aspects of the History and Culture of a West Yorkshire Town. Kirklees MC, Huddersfield, pp704.
[edit] External links
- BBC Voices - Audio recording Huddersfield residents who have roots in Jamaica talk about storytelling traditions and the generation language gap.
- Aerial view of the town centre, South to North
