Outwood, Wakefield

Outwood
Outwood
Outwood shown within West Yorkshire
Population 7,623 
OS grid reference SE330240
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Wakefield
Postcode district WF1
Police West Yorkshire
Fire West Yorkshire
Ambulance Yorkshire
EU Parliament Yorkshire and the Humber
UK Parliament

Outwood is a district to the north of Wakefield, a city in West Yorkshire, England. The district is centred on the A61 Leeds Road south of Lofthouse. It grew up as a pit village and was only a small settlement until the 1970s, when construction of new houses caused it to grow and merge with neighbouring settlements such as Wrenthorpe and Stanley. In 2001, it had a population of 7,623.[1]

History

Outwood was the site of a pit disaster on 4 March 1879, when 21 people were killed in an explosion at Deep Drop Colliery.[2]

In 1905, the miners left homeless by the Kinsley evictions camped at Outwood Hall Farm, off Victoria Street, until they were able to return to their homes in Kinsley.[3]

The area near the railway station was once the site of Lofthouse pit, that is known for the disaster in March 1973 that claimed the lives of several miners.[4] The coal mine closed in 1981, and many of the coal miners subsequently took transfers to the new Selby Coalfield and left the village.[5] The site of the mine is now a golf course and housing estate.

The Wakefield 41 Industrial Estate is also situated near to Outwood

Outwood Community Video has a selection of historical photos [6]

St Mary Magdelene,the parish church was dedicated in 1858

Transport

Outwood railway station is an unmanned station, served by Northern Rail, offering rail services towards Leeds, Wakefield, Doncaster and Sheffield. The A61 (Leeds Road) runs through the middle of Outwood, connecting towards Leeds to the north and Wakefield to the south. Junction 41 of the M1 is also close-by.

Education

Outwood is home to Outwood Grange Academy, one of the largest secondary schools in the UK with over 2,100 students. The local primary schools are Outwood Primary Academy Ledger Lane (headteacher Jane Clayton)[7] and Rooks Nest Academy (headteacher Kimberley Dawson).[8]

Sport and recreation

Outwood is home to one park. Outwood Park has facilities for football, 5 a side, crown green bowling and a children's play area. Outwood is also home to two other playing fields and another play area. Local teams include Nightingale Football Club and Outwood Rangers Junior Football Club.

Local agriculture

Outwood is located within the Rhubarb Triangle. Because of its mining history Outwood has good supplies of soot and ash to condition its soil, which provide good conditions for the plant to grow.

Economy

CCE Wakefield is a main factory, with the rest of the Wakefield 41 industrial estate.

References

  1. ↑ "Census 2001 Neighbourhood Profile: Outwood" (PDF). Wakefield Council. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  2. ↑ Stanley History Online - Deep Drop Colliery explosion
  3. ↑ "Outwood Hall Farm and evicted miners", Wakefield Express, page 30, 12 December 2014
  4. ↑ http://www.stanleyhistoryonline.com/Lofthouse-Colliery-Disaster.html
  5. ↑ BBC Bradford & West Yorkshire - 'It was never the same again!'
  6. ↑ http://www.outwoodcommunityvideo.co.uk/photos.html
  7. ↑ "Outwood Primary Academy Ledger Lane". EduBase. Department for Education. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  8. ↑ "Rooks Nest Academy". EduBase. Department for Education. Retrieved 5 May 2017.

Media related to Outwood, West Yorkshire at Wikimedia Commons


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