Liversedge

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Liversedge is a group of villages in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. It is part of the Leeds-Bradford conurbation. Liversedge lies between Cleckheaton and Heckmondwike about 14 miles to the south west of Leeds. It was named after the Norman nobleman Robert de Liversec, who was granted the land after the conquest of 1066. He also gave his name to local village Roberttown.

In the 15th Century the Lord of the manor was a member of the Neville family. At that time the manor of Liversedge was already involved in the rapidly advancing English woollen manufacture. This trade grew with the centuries and by the 19th century it was very busy in the manufacture of woollen goods. In 1812 it was the scene of a Luddite riot at Rawfolds Mill when the local weavers attacked Edmund Cartwright who was in the process of developing his new power loom. See the entry on Cleckheaton for more details.

Liversedge has a church built at the time of the Battle of Waterloo. Nearby Healds Hall is now a hotel and was at one time the Spenborough Museum. In the days of Charlotte Brontë it was home to Hammond Roberson who she transformed into the Reverend Matthewman Helstone in her novel Shirley.

A river known locally as the Spen Beck and previously The Stink, runs through Liversedge. Liversedge comprises several smaller village like settlements that all are distinctive. Norristhorpe, originally called Doggus, clings to one side of the Spen Valley, looking over the nearby town of Heckmondwike. Roberttown is on the other side of the A62 from here. Millbridge is the geographical centre of Liversedge and together with neighbouring Flush is where the mills of the woollen industry stood. Towards Cleckheaton are the settlements of Hightown and Littletown.

The Aquila Estate used to be in Liversedge, now only referenced by a house known as Aquila Rigg and a street called Aquila Way.

There is only one road sign in the whole area directing motorists towards Liversedge - on the A649 Halifax Road from Bailiff Bridge, with no directions from either the Huddersfield or Dewsbury and Batley sides of the settlement

The postcode for Liversedge is WF15, and the dialling code is 01924.