Liversedge

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Liversedge
Liversedge (West Yorkshire)
Liversedge

Liversedge shown within West Yorkshire
OS grid reference SE186240
Metropolitan county West Yorkshire
Region Yorkshire and the Humber
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town LIVERSEDGE
Postcode district WF15
Dialling code 01274/01924
Police West Yorkshire
Fire West Yorkshire
Ambulance Yorkshire
European Parliament Yorkshire and the Humber
UK Parliament Batley and Spen
List of places: UK • England • Yorkshire

Coordinates: 53°42′24″N 1°41′24″W / 53.706667, -1.69

Liversedge is a township which is group of villages in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. 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 (local dialect translating as "Dog House"), 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.

Liversedge has a strange status as it has no town or village centre. It has a Wakefield post code (WF15), parts of Liversedge also have a Wakefield dialing code (01924) while others have a Bradford dialing code (01274) and Council Tax payers pay their bill to Kirklees Council, whose headquarters are in Huddersfield.

Politically, for Kirklees Council, the Leeds/Huddersfield Road acts as a boundary between electoral wards. Roberttown, Hightown and Littletown are within the Liversedge & Gomersal ward, while Norristhorpe and Flush are part of the Heckmondwike ward.


Contents

[edit] Settlements within Liversedge

The Liversedge area includes the following settlements; Firthcliffe estate, Flush, Hartshead, Hightown, Littletown, Millbridge, Popeley Hill, Roberttown and Windybank estate

[edit] Sport

Liversedge F.C. are a football club in the football league pyramid, playing in the Northern Counties East Football League Premier Division for the 07-08 season. They play at Clayborn, 1 km from Cleckheaton town centre.

Liversedge CC play Cricket at Roberttown Lane near to the New Inn, and play in the Central Yorkshire League.

There are many Sunday League football teams in and around Liversedge playing in the Heavy Woollen Gate Sunday Alliance.

[edit] Famous sons

  • Ken Mackintosh, band leader - Ken Mackintosh was one of Britain's most distinguished band-leaders of the 20th century accompanying singers of the stature of Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey and Matt Munro. He was born in Halifax Road, near Knowler Hill, in 1920 and devoted his life to music after buying his first alto sax at the age of 15. After a period in the army he went to London and joined various big bands such as Oscar Rabin. He then formed his own orchestra and toured extensively at home and abroad. Ken also wrote his own music such as The Creep and played regularly on the Music While You Work radio shows. Among his countless fans was the Queen Mother for whom he played twice at Windsor Castle. He died in November 2005.


[edit] Location Grid

North: Gomersal
West: Cleckheaton Liversedge East: Heckmondwike
South: Mirfield

[edit] Business

Notable companies located in Liversedge include:

[edit] External links