The Spen Valley is an attractive mix of small towns and villages, Batley and Dewsbury in particular, are well known for their historical links.
Steeped in the rich history of the Brontës, Luddites and Chartists, the Spen Valley's woollen industry heritage is in evidence in the towns of Cleckheaton, Heckmondwike, Gomersal and Birstall. The valley's strong Brontë links are celebrated at the Red House Museum and at Oakwell Hall.
Batley, Birstall and Dewsbury are renowned for their history and textile heritage with the valley's woollen industry still in evidence today. Red House Museum in Gomersal and the splendid Elizabethan manor at Oakwell Hall in Birstall pay homage to the valley's strong Brontë links. Charlotte Brontë's novel Shirley was set in the area.
History of Batley
Batley is mentioned in the Doomsday Book, when its population was just 40, but like most of the area it prospered when the textile industry boomed. Latterly the town gained fame as the home to Batley Variety Club, playing host to Tom Jones and Dame Shirley Bassey. The club now lives on as a nightclub.
The Market Place in Batley is highly regarded as a fine set-piece of Victorian architecture, with many listed buildings surrounding the cobbled market square. Other fine examples of Victorian heritage in Batley include the Carnegie Library and Art Gallery, which incorporate the clock from the old Market Hall. The former textile mills in Batley have been sympathetically restored for contemporary uses including a wide range of stylist shopping opportunities.
Did you know?
Joseph Priestley, who is credited with the discovery of oxygen in 1774, was born at Fieldhead in Birstall, Batley, and is commemorated with a statue at the cobbled square in Birstall.
History of Dewsbury
The town's earliest roots date back to 627 AD when St Paulinus founded a Christian settlement on the banks of the River Calder. In the 1830s Patrick Brontë, father of the famous sisters, was curate in the town. Dewsbury developed rapidly in the industrial era with the expansion in textile manufacturing, particularly the innovative recycling of old cloth into new products such as blankets, rugs and heavy outerwear known as the shoddy trade.
Betty Boothroyd, a national figure in politics, was born in Dewsbury. She began a career as a dancer, became an MP and an MEP, and rose to become the first ever female Speaker of the House of Commons. She retired as Speaker in 2000.
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