Sowerby Bridge

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Sowerby Bridge

Sowerby Bridge shown within West Yorkshire
Population	9,948 (2001)
OS grid reference	SE058233
Metropolitan borough	Calderdale
Metropolitan county	West Yorkshire
Region	Yorkshire and the Humber
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SOWERBY BRIDGE
Postcode district	HX6
Dialling code	01422
Police	West Yorkshire
Fire	West Yorkshire
Ambulance	Yorkshire
European Parliament	Yorkshire and the Humber
UK Parliament	Calder Valley
List of places: UK • England • Yorkshire

Coordinates: 53°42′N 1°55′W / 53.7, -1.91

Sowerby Bridge is a town that lies within the Upper Calder Valley in the district of Calderdale in the county of West Yorkshire, in northern England.

The town is served by Sowerby Bridge railway station.

Sowerby Bridge is situated on the edge of Halifax, about three miles from its centre. The name Sowerby Bridge references the area's use as a crossing point over the River Calder to the older settlement at Sowerby.

The town had a population of 9,948 at the 2001 Census.

Rushbearing, the ceremony of taking rushes to churches for covering the floors throughout winter, still takes place here over the first weekend of September.

[edit] Industrial heritage

From 1892 to 1930 home of Pollit & Wigzell ltd a prominent manufacturer of quality stationary steam engines used in the cotton and woollen mills of Yorkshire, Lancashire and India.

The Wood Brothers an engineering and millwright company also produced engines from their Valley Iron Works. The Markfield Beam Engine is an example for their work.

The town is at the junction of the Rochdale Canal and the Calder and Hebble Navigation and the whole 18th century canal basin and buildings are listed.