Brighouse
Encyclopedia
Brighouse is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale
, in West Yorkshire
, England. It is situated on the River Calder
, 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Halifax
in the Pennines
. It is served by Junction 25 of the M62 motorway
and Brighouse railway station
on the Caldervale Line
and Huddersfield Line
. In the town centre is a mooring basin on the Calder and Hebble Navigation
. The United Kingdom Census 2001
gave the Brighouse / Rastrick urban area
population as 32,360.
The name Brighouse (or "Bridge House") originates from a building on (or close to) the bridge over the River Calder. In its early history, it was a hamlet
of the nearby village of Rastrick
.
Brighouse is twinned with Lüdenscheid
in Germany, the link beginning with an exchange by Brighouse Children's Theatre in 1950 followed by a civic twinning charter in 1960.
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Brighouse was part of Hipperholme with Brighouse Civil Parish until 1893, when Brighouse Municipal Borough was created. This included Rastrick but not Hipperholme, which became an Urban District. The other parts of Hipperholme with Brighouse, i.e. Norwood Green
and Coley, became a civil parish in Halifax Rural District. The borough was expanded in 1937 when Clifton CP, Hipperholme UD, Norwood Green and Coley CP and part of Southowram UD were added. The Brighouse borough was abolished in 1974 when it became part of the Calderdale Metropolitan Borough. The mayor's mace was removed in 1974 to the Town Hall, Halifax, where it is now displayed in the mayor's parlour to denote the authority of the Halifax mayor.
There was a river crossing called Snake Hill Ford across the Calder – this is believed to have formed part of the Roman
route between Wakefield
and Manchester
. A wooden structure called Rastrick Bridge was recorded as being present in 1275. The bridge was replaced by one built with timber donated by John Hanson in 1514. Hanson's son funded a stone replacement for this bridge in 1558. The river provided power for the flour milling industry and the textile
mills. Brighouse's industry received a boost through the construction
of the Calder and Hebble Navigation
, started in 1757 by the engineer John Smeaton
.
The Halifax and Huddersfield Turnpike Act of 1823 allowed for the building of Calder Bridge (now called Brighouse Bridge
) over what was to become the A641 road
; tolls were abolished on the bridge in 1875 and extensive widening work was undertaken in 1905 and 1999 (both of these latter dates being commemorated in dedication stones on the bridge).
Brighouse library is a large building and in addition to its normal lending library services also provides facilities for language courses; internet access and fax facilities. Like most public buildings wheelchair access is provided. There is also a small cafe and a lift for access to all floors.
and Brighouse Sports Club, allowed for a huge new Tesco superstore to be built on the site of the former club, and the old Tesco became Wilkinsons. The deal also enabled the sports club to build new premises almost a mile away (1.5 km) on land at Russell Way, Bailiff Bridge
.
The Old Ship Inn has a painted legend along the front, saying that the exterior timbers were salvaged from an old ship. Originally called The Prince of Wales, the building was rebuilt from timbers reclaimed from HMS Donegal
in 1926.
Blakeley's Fish and Chip shop, which is situated on Canal Street, is well known nationally for the quality of the Fish and Chips sold there.
for the Parish Church of Saint Martin in Brighouse, opened in 1870, with a congregation of 450. An organ was installed in the same year. Two stained glass
windows from the William Morris
factory, designed by Edward Burne-Jones
were installed in July 1871. Further windows were added at later dates by other designers. In 1900 William Camm the organist paid for the fitting of a window in memory of his mother. A further window to commemorate the curate Rev Alban Bodley Mace (1915), who was killed in action at Salonika during 1916, serving with the Allied Expeditionary Force
. The chancel screen was designed by G. H. Woodhouse of Manchester. St James Church was last used on 27 December 1970; and then demolished, with the land used for residential properties. The stained glass windows were removed and taken into the care of the Cliffe Castle Museum
in Keighley
where they can now be viewed. St Joseph's Catholic church was built in the early 1900s, on Martin street. In 1879 a Primary school, was established, using the Church hall, from Monday to Friday. It remained in use until 4 September 1961 when a new school was built, on Finkel Street.
displayed in the main hall, in addition to a changing programme of exhibitions of artwork by local artists.
band Embrace
, who are most notable for their song "World at Your Feet
", the official England
anthem for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
. The town is also mentioned in the song "It's Grim Up North
" by The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu (The JAMS).
, founded in 1881 and associated with neighbouring Rastrick
. They originally formed under the name The Brighouse and Rastrick Temperance Brass Band taking their current title in the early 20th century.
They are currently based next to Brighouse High School in Hove Edge, just north of Brighouse.
The band won the National Brass Band Contest in 1946 at the Royal Albert Hall
and in 1968 they won the first Brass Band World Championship. In 1977 they recorded "The Floral Dance
" which reached Number 2 in the UK Top 40 and stayed there for 6 weeks, inspiring radio DJ Terry Wogan
to release his own version some time later. In 1993 they became the first Yorkshire team to win the All England Masters Brass Band Championship, a feat they were to repeat in 1998. The band also won the National Brass Band Championship Finals in 1997, 1998 and 2010, and the European Championships in 1998.
The town is also home to the Yorkshire Co-op Brass band, formed in 1999 by merger of the Jayess '87 and Jayess Queensbury bands.
field of competition. At the end of their first season they were declared co-champions of the DCUK, tying with the Dagenham Crusaders, with a score of 82.4 points DCUK Roll of Honour.
The next four competitive years saw the following placings:-
They last competed in 1990, before disbanding. Following their disbandment many former band and staff members went on to teach other competitive drum corps in England, many very successful. They have judged and marched in the USA in Drum Corps International
and Drum Corps Associates
events – with the Bayonne Bridgemen (New Jersey), of Atlanta (Spirit of JSU) (Georgia), Crossmen
(Pennsylvania), New York Skyliners, and the Lehigh Valley
Chieftains.
Club, founded in 1878, is part of the Brighouse Sports Club Complex on Russell Way (Off A641 Bradford Road) between Brighouse town centre and Bailiff Bridge. The club competes at amateur level in the Pennine League
's Second Division and fields a reserve side in Division Six. There is a junior section for under 18's, down to Under 8's, and a ladies side.
Before the 1895 schism in English rugby, William Nicholl
played rugby union for England
, and Brighouse Rangers. After the schism, Brighouse Rangers became a founder member of the Northern Rugby Football Union (now Rugby Football League
), and the first Northern Rugby Football Union chairman was Mr. H. H. Waller from the club. Brighouse Rangers played from 1895–96 to 1905–06 winning the Yorkshire League
in the 1896–97 season. Although finishing last in the 14-club elite league in the 1901–02 season, the club was not relegated as the league expanded to 18 clubs. In the 1902–03 season Brighouse finished 18th and were relegated. After finishing bottom of the 31-club recombined league in the 1905–06 season, the club withdrew from the Northern Union.
, played in the NCEL First Division at level 10 of the National League System
(also known as 'The Football Pyramid'). Brighouse has its own Sunday League football competition, which in the 2007–08 season had one division of 10 teams. Junction (Rastrick) were crowned champions on 20 April 2008.
There are many Junior football teams in the area too such as Brighouse Juniors, which was started by parents in 1989, who go from Under 6's up to Under 17's.
and southward with Huddersfield
. The A644 runs eastward out of Brighouse to Junction 25 of the M62
and Dewsbury
. In the opposite direction, the A644 leaves Brighouse to the north-west towards Hipperholme
, where it crosses the A58
Leeds-Halifax road, and continues through Queensbury
to meet the A629 for Keighley
. The A643
and A6025 provide less important local links, although the A643 is an alternative, but tortuous and poorly-signposted, route through to Leeds.
A bypass, originally called Elland Road, then renamed Lüdenscheid
Link in the 1980s, after Brighouse's twin town in Germany, was constructed in the 1970s to clear heavy traffic from the narrow streets in the town centre.
. The current service is part of both the Huddersfield Line
and the Caldervale Line
, with services on the Huddersfield Line between Leeds and Manchester Victoria and services on the Caldervale Line between Leeds and Wakefield Westgate via Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield. Direct services to London St Pancras began in 2010, provided by Grand Central.
. These are coordinated by West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
(Metro). Services are operated by First Bradford
, First Calderdale & Huddersfield
, Arriva Yorkshire
, Stott's Coaches and Community Transport Calderdale. In addition, there is a daytime Tesco
-sponsored ShopHopper service, operated by the Halifax Joint Committee, around the town centre, linking the bus station to the superstore.
The Brighouse bus station
has been refurbished with funding from Metro and was re-opened in May 2009. The bus station is situated between Commercial Street and the by-pass. The bus station and some bus stops within the Brighouse area are equipped with Real Time Passenger Information Screens.
links Brighouse with Wakefield (junction with the Aire and Calder Navigation
), Mirfield
(junction with the Huddersfield Broad Canal
) and Sowerby Bridge (junction with the Rochdale Canal
).
The annual Brighouse Charity Gala is held on the last Saturday of June. The Gala consists of a procession assembling, around 1:15 p.m. at Garden Road, just off the A644 and the playing fields alongside. It then follows a route through the town centre of Brighouse to Wellholme Park. Local groups and businesses are represented by designed floats
, with walking groups and musical bands. The event at Wellholme Park consists of stalls and entertainment laid on by local charities and community groups, will all additional monies raised being distributed back to these groups. The event ends just after 5.00 p.m, when hundreds of numbered yellow plastic ducks are emptied into the nearby Clifton Beck, which then flows down through the park to a finish line. The winning ticket holder receives a cash prize.
, Clifton
, Hove Edge, Hipperholme
, Lightcliffe
, Rastrick
Calderdale
The Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England, through which the upper part of the River Calder flows, and from which it takes its name...
, in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England. It is situated on the River Calder
River Calder, West Yorkshire
The River Calder is a river in West Yorkshire, in Northern England.The Calder rises on the green eastern slopes of the Pennines flows through alternating green countryside, former woollen-mill villages, and large and small towns before joining the River Aire near Castleford.The river's valley is...
, 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Halifax
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
in the Pennines
Pennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...
. It is served by Junction 25 of the M62 motorway
M62 motorway
The M62 motorway is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in Northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. The road also forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22...
and Brighouse railway station
Brighouse railway station
Brighouse railway station serves the town of Brighouse in West Yorkshire, England. The station lies on the Caldervale Line and the Huddersfield Line running west from Leeds. The station reopened in 2000 and is served by local Northern Rail trains.- History :...
on the Caldervale Line
Caldervale Line
The Caldervale Line is a railway route in Northern England between the cities of Leeds and Manchester as well as the seaside resort of Blackpool...
and Huddersfield Line
Huddersfield Line
The Huddersfield Line is the name given to one of the busiest rail services on the West Yorkshire MetroTrain network in northern England. Local services are operated by Northern Rail with longer distance services operated by TransPennine Express...
. In the town centre is a mooring basin on the Calder and Hebble Navigation
Calder and Hebble Navigation
The Calder and Hebble Navigation is a Broad inland waterway in West Yorkshire, England, which has remained navigable since it was opened.-History:...
. The United Kingdom Census 2001
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
gave the Brighouse / Rastrick urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
population as 32,360.
The name Brighouse (or "Bridge House") originates from a building on (or close to) the bridge over the River Calder. In its early history, it was a hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of the nearby village of Rastrick
Rastrick
Rastrick is a village in the county of West Yorkshire, England, near Halifax. It is perhaps best known for its association, along with its neighbour Brighouse, with the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band...
.
Brighouse is twinned with Lüdenscheid
Lüdenscheid
Lüdenscheid is a town in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Sauerland region. Lüdenscheid is seat of the administration of the Märkischer Kreis district...
in Germany, the link beginning with an exchange by Brighouse Children's Theatre in 1950 followed by a civic twinning charter in 1960.
Media
The local newspapers are the Brighouse Echo which is published every Thursday and the Halifax Evening Courier which is published Monday to Saturday. Calderdale's local radio station, Phoenix Radio 96.7 FM also serves the area.History
Norwood Green, West Yorkshire
Norwood Green is a small village situated between Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England. It is in the metropolitan borough of Calderdale. It once had a railway station on the Caldervale Line.- Nightlife and entertainment :...
and Coley, became a civil parish in Halifax Rural District. The borough was expanded in 1937 when Clifton CP, Hipperholme UD, Norwood Green and Coley CP and part of Southowram UD were added. The Brighouse borough was abolished in 1974 when it became part of the Calderdale Metropolitan Borough. The mayor's mace was removed in 1974 to the Town Hall, Halifax, where it is now displayed in the mayor's parlour to denote the authority of the Halifax mayor.
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
route between Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. A wooden structure called Rastrick Bridge was recorded as being present in 1275. The bridge was replaced by one built with timber donated by John Hanson in 1514. Hanson's son funded a stone replacement for this bridge in 1558. The river provided power for the flour milling industry and the textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
mills. Brighouse's industry received a boost through the construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
of the Calder and Hebble Navigation
Calder and Hebble Navigation
The Calder and Hebble Navigation is a Broad inland waterway in West Yorkshire, England, which has remained navigable since it was opened.-History:...
, started in 1757 by the engineer John Smeaton
John Smeaton
John Smeaton, FRS, was an English civil engineer responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbours and lighthouses. He was also a capable mechanical engineer and an eminent physicist...
.
The Halifax and Huddersfield Turnpike Act of 1823 allowed for the building of Calder Bridge (now called Brighouse Bridge
Brighouse Bridge
The Brighouse Bridge crosses the River Calder in Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England. It was built in 1825 as part of the Halifax and Huddersfield Turnpike.-History:...
) over what was to become the A641 road
A roads in Zone 6 of the Great Britain numbering scheme
List of A roads in zone 6 in Great Britain starting east of the A6 and A7 roads and west of the A1 .-Single- and double-digit roads:-Triple-digit roads:-Four-digit roads :-Four-digit roads :...
; tolls were abolished on the bridge in 1875 and extensive widening work was undertaken in 1905 and 1999 (both of these latter dates being commemorated in dedication stones on the bridge).
Buildings
Brighouse is situated in the so called "golden triangle" commuter belt between Halifax, Ripponden and Brighouse (entailing Elland, Stainland, Holywell Green and Greetland). The town's mills are currently undergoing an extensive programme of renovation, becoming loft style apartments.Brighouse library
Retail
The main shopping streets are Commercial Street and Bethel Street. Shops include Wilkinsons, Czerwik (a specialist cheese and wine shop), Domino's Pizza, Just Books, Design 55, Lords PhotoDigital, Superdrug, Boots, Peacocks and Jack Fulton. Additionally there is a Sainsbury's store which opened in the 1990s. In early 2000, a financial agreement made between TescoTesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
and Brighouse Sports Club, allowed for a huge new Tesco superstore to be built on the site of the former club, and the old Tesco became Wilkinsons. The deal also enabled the sports club to build new premises almost a mile away (1.5 km) on land at Russell Way, Bailiff Bridge
Bailiff Bridge
Bailiff Bridge is a village north of Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England and from Huddersfield and from Bradford.The village is served by the A641 main road which connects it to the nearby towns and cities.-History:...
.
HMS Donegal (1858)
HMS Donegal was a 101-gun screw-driven first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 23 September 1858 at Devonport Dockyard....
in 1926.
Blakeley's Fish and Chip shop, which is situated on Canal Street, is well known nationally for the quality of the Fish and Chips sold there.
Churches
St James church, which was a Chapel of easeChapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
for the Parish Church of Saint Martin in Brighouse, opened in 1870, with a congregation of 450. An organ was installed in the same year. Two stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows from the William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
factory, designed by Edward Burne-Jones
Edward Burne-Jones
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet was a British artist and designer closely associated with the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, who worked closely with William Morris on a wide range of decorative arts as a founding partner in Morris, Marshall, Faulkner, and Company...
were installed in July 1871. Further windows were added at later dates by other designers. In 1900 William Camm the organist paid for the fitting of a window in memory of his mother. A further window to commemorate the curate Rev Alban Bodley Mace (1915), who was killed in action at Salonika during 1916, serving with the Allied Expeditionary Force
Expeditionary warfare
Expeditionary warfare is used to describe the organization of a state's military to fight abroad, especially when deployed to fight away from its established bases at home or abroad. Expeditionary forces were in part the antecedent of the modern concept of Rapid Deployment Forces...
. The chancel screen was designed by G. H. Woodhouse of Manchester. St James Church was last used on 27 December 1970; and then demolished, with the land used for residential properties. The stained glass windows were removed and taken into the care of the Cliffe Castle Museum
Cliffe Castle Museum
Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley, West Yorkshire, England, is a local heritage museum which opened in the grand, Victorian, neo-Gothic Cliffe Castle in 1959. The museum is the successor to Keighley Museum which opened in Eastwood House, Keighley, in ca.1892. There is a series of galleries dedicated...
in Keighley
Keighley
Keighley is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of Bradford and is at the confluence of the River Aire and the River Worth...
where they can now be viewed. St Joseph's Catholic church was built in the early 1900s, on Martin street. In 1879 a Primary school, was established, using the Church hall, from Monday to Friday. It remained in use until 4 September 1961 when a new school was built, on Finkel Street.
Smith art gallery
The Smith art gallery is located within the Brighouse library and features many paintings from the Victorian eraVictorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
displayed in the main hall, in addition to a changing programme of exhibitions of artwork by local artists.
Music
The Brighouse area is home to the britpopBritpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
band Embrace
Embrace (UK band)
Embrace are an English post-Britpop band from Bailiff Bridge, Brighouse, West Yorkshire. To date they have released five studio albums, one singles album and one B-sides compilation. The band consists of brothers singer Danny McNamara and guitarist Richard McNamara, bassist Steve Firth,...
, who are most notable for their song "World at Your Feet
World at Your Feet
"World at Your Feet" is a song by English rock band Embrace, and is featured on the re-released version of their album This New Day. It was the official song of the England World Cup squad in the 2006 FIFA World Cup campaign, and was released on 5 June 2006 . Singer Danny McNamara told the NME:...
", the official England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
anthem for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. The town is also mentioned in the song "It's Grim Up North
It's Grim Up North
"It's Grim Up North" was a 1991 single by The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu , the main lyrics of which consist of a list of towns and cities in the North of England, set to a pounding industrial techno accompaniment reminiscent of steam whistles, all of which segues into an orchestral instrumental of...
" by The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu (The JAMS).
Brass band
Brighouse was the original home of the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass BandBrighouse and Rastrick Brass Band
The Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band was formed in 1881. It is based in Brighouse, in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom.-History:The Brighouse and Rastrick Band is regarded by many as the best and most consistent ‘public subscription band’ in the world...
, founded in 1881 and associated with neighbouring Rastrick
Rastrick
Rastrick is a village in the county of West Yorkshire, England, near Halifax. It is perhaps best known for its association, along with its neighbour Brighouse, with the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band...
. They originally formed under the name The Brighouse and Rastrick Temperance Brass Band taking their current title in the early 20th century.
They are currently based next to Brighouse High School in Hove Edge, just north of Brighouse.
The band won the National Brass Band Contest in 1946 at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
and in 1968 they won the first Brass Band World Championship. In 1977 they recorded "The Floral Dance
The Floral Dance
The Floral Dance is a popular English song describing the annual Furry Dance in Helston, Cornwall.The music and lyrics were written in 1911 by Kate Emily Barkley Moss who was a professional violinist, pianist and concert singer...
" which reached Number 2 in the UK Top 40 and stayed there for 6 weeks, inspiring radio DJ Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
to release his own version some time later. In 1993 they became the first Yorkshire team to win the All England Masters Brass Band Championship, a feat they were to repeat in 1998. The band also won the National Brass Band Championship Finals in 1997, 1998 and 2010, and the European Championships in 1998.
The town is also home to the Yorkshire Co-op Brass band, formed in 1999 by merger of the Jayess '87 and Jayess Queensbury bands.
Drum & Bugle Corps
A local drum & bugle corps: Conquest Alliance was formed, in 1985, by the merger of two other drum corps, the Northern Skyryders and Brighouse RBL (Legion). The following year, 1986, Conquest Alliance made their first, re-organised, appearance on the Drum Corp United Kingdom (DCUK)Drum Corps United Kingdom
Drum Corps United Kingdom is a governing organization for drum and bugle corps in the United Kingdom. DCUK operates the British drum corps circuit which holds drum and bugle corps competitions for corps across the country...
field of competition. At the end of their first season they were declared co-champions of the DCUK, tying with the Dagenham Crusaders, with a score of 82.4 points DCUK Roll of Honour.
The next four competitive years saw the following placings:-
- 1987 – 1st with 88.3 points DCUK Archives – 1987
- 1988 – 5th with 88.4 points DCUK Archives – 1988
- 1989 – 2nd with 90.25 points (having merged with Warrington Corps and renamed Northern Alliance) DCUK Archives – 1989
- 1990 – 4th with 83.6 points DCUK Archives – 1990
They last competed in 1990, before disbanding. Following their disbandment many former band and staff members went on to teach other competitive drum corps in England, many very successful. They have judged and marched in the USA in Drum Corps International
Drum Corps International
Drum Corps International , formed in 1972, is the non-profit governing body operating the North American drum and bugle corps circuit for junior corps, whose members are between the ages of 14 and 21. It is the counterpart of Drum Corps Associates which governs senior or all-age drum corps...
and Drum Corps Associates
Drum Corps Associates
Drum Corps Associates is the governing body for modern senior or all-age drum and bugle corps in North America. It is the counterpart of Drum Corps International which governs junior drum corps...
events – with the Bayonne Bridgemen (New Jersey), of Atlanta (Spirit of JSU) (Georgia), Crossmen
Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps
The Crossmen are a World Class drum and bugle corps from San Antonio, Texas. Founded in 1975, they are a member of Drum Corps International. The Crossmen have had various geographic homes over the years, beginning in the southeastern Pennsylvania and Delaware Valley areas...
(Pennsylvania), New York Skyliners, and the Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
Chieftains.
Rugby league
Brighouse Rangers Amateur Rugby LeagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
Club, founded in 1878, is part of the Brighouse Sports Club Complex on Russell Way (Off A641 Bradford Road) between Brighouse town centre and Bailiff Bridge. The club competes at amateur level in the Pennine League
Pennine League
The Pennine Amateur Rugby League, or Pennine League is a rugby league competition for amateur open-age clubs that runs from September to April. The clubs are drawn from West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and the east of Lancashire....
's Second Division and fields a reserve side in Division Six. There is a junior section for under 18's, down to Under 8's, and a ladies side.
Before the 1895 schism in English rugby, William Nicholl
William Nicholl
William Nicholl was a rugby union footballer of the 1890s who at representative level played for England, and at club level for Brighouse Rangers, playing in the Forwards, e.g. Front row, Lock, or Back row...
played rugby union for England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
, and Brighouse Rangers. After the schism, Brighouse Rangers became a founder member of the Northern Rugby Football Union (now Rugby Football League
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
), and the first Northern Rugby Football Union chairman was Mr. H. H. Waller from the club. Brighouse Rangers played from 1895–96 to 1905–06 winning the Yorkshire League
Rugby league county leagues
The Yorkshire League and the Lancashire League formed two sections of the Rugby Football League Championship for much of its history. Initially, the 22 clubs that broke away in 1895 played in one combined league, however the following season saw the addition of many clubs, and the League was split...
in the 1896–97 season. Although finishing last in the 14-club elite league in the 1901–02 season, the club was not relegated as the league expanded to 18 clubs. In the 1902–03 season Brighouse finished 18th and were relegated. After finishing bottom of the 31-club recombined league in the 1905–06 season, the club withdrew from the Northern Union.
Football
In the 2008–09 season the town's football club, Brighouse Town F.C.Brighouse Town FC
Brighouse Town F.C. are a football club based in Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England, and are members of the Northern Counties East League Premier Division for the 2011–12 season.-History:...
, played in the NCEL First Division at level 10 of the National League System
National League System
The National League System comprises the seven levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the Premier League and The Football League. It contains 91 league competitions and more than 1,600 clubs. It comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association...
(also known as 'The Football Pyramid'). Brighouse has its own Sunday League football competition, which in the 2007–08 season had one division of 10 teams. Junction (Rastrick) were crowned champions on 20 April 2008.
There are many Junior football teams in the area too such as Brighouse Juniors, which was started by parents in 1989, who go from Under 6's up to Under 17's.
Road
The A641 northward links Brighouse with BradfordBradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
and southward with Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
. The A644 runs eastward out of Brighouse to Junction 25 of the M62
M62 motorway
The M62 motorway is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in Northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. The road also forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22...
and Dewsbury
Dewsbury
Dewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds...
. In the opposite direction, the A644 leaves Brighouse to the north-west towards Hipperholme
Hipperholme
Hipperholme is a village in the Calderdale area of West Yorkshire, England, located between the towns of Halifax and Brighouse. It is located on the busy A58 road and includes Hipperholme Grammar School, a local private school....
, where it crosses the A58
A58 road
The A58 is a major road in northern England that runs between Prescot, Merseyside and Wetherby, West Yorkshire.It runs north east from Prescot on the outskirts of Liverpool via St Helens, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Hindley, Westhoughton, Bolton, Bury, Heywood, Rochdale and Littleborough then over the...
Leeds-Halifax road, and continues through Queensbury
Queensbury, West Yorkshire
Queensbury is a village in the metropolitan borough of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. Perched on a high vantage point above Clayton and Thornton and overlooking Bradford itself, Queensbury is one of the highest parishes in England, with fine views beyond the West Yorkshire conurbation to the...
to meet the A629 for Keighley
Keighley
Keighley is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of Bradford and is at the confluence of the River Aire and the River Worth...
. The A643
A643 road
The A643 is a main road in West Yorkshire, England.It starts at the Armley Gyratory and ends at junction 23 of the M62 Motorway and is approximately long....
and A6025 provide less important local links, although the A643 is an alternative, but tortuous and poorly-signposted, route through to Leeds.
A bypass, originally called Elland Road, then renamed Lüdenscheid
Lüdenscheid
Lüdenscheid is a town in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Sauerland region. Lüdenscheid is seat of the administration of the Märkischer Kreis district...
Link in the 1980s, after Brighouse's twin town in Germany, was constructed in the 1970s to clear heavy traffic from the narrow streets in the town centre.
Rail
Brighouse Railway Station was reopened in 2000 and provides the town with access to the National Rail network. All services are sponsored by Metro and provided by Northern RailNorthern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
. The current service is part of both the Huddersfield Line
Huddersfield Line
The Huddersfield Line is the name given to one of the busiest rail services on the West Yorkshire MetroTrain network in northern England. Local services are operated by Northern Rail with longer distance services operated by TransPennine Express...
and the Caldervale Line
Caldervale Line
The Caldervale Line is a railway route in Northern England between the cities of Leeds and Manchester as well as the seaside resort of Blackpool...
, with services on the Huddersfield Line between Leeds and Manchester Victoria and services on the Caldervale Line between Leeds and Wakefield Westgate via Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield. Direct services to London St Pancras began in 2010, provided by Grand Central.
Bus
Bus services operate frequently to Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Leeds and WakefieldWakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
. These are coordinated by West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
The West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive is the Passenger Transport Executive for the county of West Yorkshire, England. It is the executive arm of the West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority and was originally formed on 1 April 1974 as the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport...
(Metro). Services are operated by First Bradford
First Bradford
First Bradford is one of the bus companies serving the area of West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of FirstGroup. The company operates the majority of services in the Bradford area, covered by Metro, a public body responsible for helping to co-ordinate public transport services in the West...
, First Calderdale & Huddersfield
First Calderdale & Huddersfield
First Calderdale & Huddersfield is one of the bus companies serving the area of West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
, Arriva Yorkshire
Arriva Yorkshire
Arriva Yorkshire is a division of Arriva which operates bus services around West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and the southern areas of North Yorkshire in England.-History:Arriva Yorkshire was formed as a combination of mergers of previous...
, Stott's Coaches and Community Transport Calderdale. In addition, there is a daytime Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
-sponsored ShopHopper service, operated by the Halifax Joint Committee, around the town centre, linking the bus station to the superstore.
The Brighouse bus station
Brighouse bus station
Brighouse bus station serves the town of Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England. The bus station is owned and managed by Metro . The bus station is situated in the Brighouse Town Centre and could be accessed from Gooder Street and Ganny Road...
has been refurbished with funding from Metro and was re-opened in May 2009. The bus station is situated between Commercial Street and the by-pass. The bus station and some bus stops within the Brighouse area are equipped with Real Time Passenger Information Screens.
Canal
The Calder and Hebble NavigationCalder and Hebble Navigation
The Calder and Hebble Navigation is a Broad inland waterway in West Yorkshire, England, which has remained navigable since it was opened.-History:...
links Brighouse with Wakefield (junction with the Aire and Calder Navigation
Aire and Calder Navigation
The Aire and Calder Navigation is a river and canal system of the River Aire and the River Calder in the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire, England. The first improvements to the rivers above Knottingley were completed in 1704 when the Aire was made navigable to Leeds and the Calder to...
), Mirfield
Mirfield
Mirfield is a small town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is located on the A644 road between Brighouse and Dewsbury...
(junction with the Huddersfield Broad Canal
Huddersfield Broad Canal
The Huddersfield Broad Canal is a wide-locked navigable canal in Yorkshire in northern England.The waterway is 3¾ miles long and has 9 wide locks...
) and Sowerby Bridge (junction with the Rochdale Canal
Rochdale Canal
The Rochdale Canal is a navigable "broad" canal in northern England, part of the connected system of the canals of Great Britain. The "Rochdale" in its name refers to the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, through which the canal passes....
).
Brighouse Charity Gala
Float (parade)
A float is a decorated platform, either built on a vehicle or towed behind one, which is a component of many festive parades, such as those of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the Carnival of Viareggio, the Maltese Carnival, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Key West Fantasy Fest parade, the...
, with walking groups and musical bands. The event at Wellholme Park consists of stalls and entertainment laid on by local charities and community groups, will all additional monies raised being distributed back to these groups. The event ends just after 5.00 p.m, when hundreds of numbered yellow plastic ducks are emptied into the nearby Clifton Beck, which then flows down through the park to a finish line. The winning ticket holder receives a cash prize.
Nearby villages and suburbs
Brookfoot, Bailiff BridgeBailiff Bridge
Bailiff Bridge is a village north of Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England and from Huddersfield and from Bradford.The village is served by the A641 main road which connects it to the nearby towns and cities.-History:...
, Clifton
Clifton, West Yorkshire
Clifton is a small village, near Brighouse, in the Metropolitan borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England.-Governance:Clifton Civil Parish merged with the neighbouring Borough of Brighouse in 1937...
, Hove Edge, Hipperholme
Hipperholme
Hipperholme is a village in the Calderdale area of West Yorkshire, England, located between the towns of Halifax and Brighouse. It is located on the busy A58 road and includes Hipperholme Grammar School, a local private school....
, Lightcliffe
Lightcliffe
Lightcliffe is a village in West Yorkshire, England.Situated approximately three miles east of Halifax in the metropolitan district of Calderdale....
, Rastrick
Rastrick
Rastrick is a village in the county of West Yorkshire, England, near Halifax. It is perhaps best known for its association, along with its neighbour Brighouse, with the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band...
External links
- Brighouse Charity Gala - Official website
- Brighouse Rangers ARLFC
- Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band
- Brighouse Echo – Online news provided by the Brighouse Echo newspaper
- Brighouse Online – A site full of information about Brighouse with guides, shops, maps etc
- Brighouse Chess Club
- Calderdale Companion: Brighouse