Huddersfield
Encyclopedia
Huddersfield (ˈhʌdərzfiːld, ˈhʊdəzfiːld) is a large market town
within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees
, in West Yorkshire
, England
, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies 190 miles (305.8 km) north of London
, and 10.3 miles (16.6 km) south of Bradford
, the nearest city.
Huddersfield is near the confluence of the River Colne
and the River Holme
. Located within the historic county boundaries
of the West Riding of Yorkshire
, according to the 2001 Census
it was the 10th largest town in the UK and with a total resident population of 146,234. It is the largest urban area in the metropolitan borough
of Kirklees and the administrative centre
of the borough. The town is well known for its important role in the Industrial Revolution
, the birthplace of rugby league
and for being the birthplace of the late British Prime Minister Harold Wilson
.
Huddersfield today is a town of higher education, the media and sports, being home to the rugby league team, Huddersfield Giants
, founded in 1895, who currently play in the Europe
an Super League
and Football League One
football team Huddersfield Town F.C.
, founded in 1908. The town is home to the University of Huddersfield
and the sixth form
colleges Greenhead College
, Kirklees College
and Huddersfield New College
Huddersfield is a town of Victorian architecture
. Huddersfield railway station
is a Grade I listed building and was described by John Betjeman
as 'the most splendid station facade in England' second only to St Pancras, London
. The station stands in St George's Square, and has been given a £1 million make over and subsequently won the Europa Nostra
award for European architecture.
were unearthed in the middle of the 18th century at Slack near Outlane
, just west of the town. Castle Hill
, a major landmark of the town, was also the site of an Iron Age
hill fort
. Huddersfield itself was noted in the 1086 Domesday Book
as a village known as Oderesfelt also as Odresfeld.
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Huddersfield has been known as a market town
since Saxon
times. The market cross is on Market Place.
. In a period where Europe was experiencing frequent wars, where trade had slumped and the crops had failed, many local weavers faced losing their means of livelihood due to the introduction of new machinery, which would have condemned them to poverty or even starvation. The Luddite
s began destroying mills and machinery in response; one of the most notorious attacks was on Cartwright — a Huddersfield mill-owner, who had a reputation for cruelty — and his Rawfords Mill. In his book Rebels Against the Future, Kirkpatrick Sale
describes how a large army platoon was stationed at Huddersfield to deal with Luddites; at its peak, there were around a thousand soldiers in Huddersfield and only ten thousand civilians. In response, the Luddites began to focus their attacks on nearby towns and villages, which were less well-protected; the largest act of damage that they ever did was the complete destruction of Foster's Mill at Horbury
— a village, which is about 10 miles (16.1 km) east of Huddersfield. The government campaign that eventually crushed the movement was provoked by a murder that took place in Huddersfield. William Horsfall, a mill-owner and a passionate prosecutor of Luddites, was killed in 1812. Although the movement faded out afterwards, Parliament began to increase welfare provision for those out of work, and to introduce regulations to improve conditions in the mills.
tradition up to the 1950s and this is still reflected in the large number of liberal social clubs in the town. The current Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Huddersfield constituency
is Barry Sheerman
, a Labour Co-operative
member. Kirklees Council was the first in the UK to have a Green Party
councillor: Nicholas Harvey who lived in Taylor Hill and represented the Newsome Ward
. Nick, a former employee at Huddersfield railway station, was instrumental in the creation of the protest train against the intended closure of the Settle
to Carlisle rail line. He declined to stand for a second term and no longer lives in Huddersfield. He is now a resident of Filey
where he operates his own 'Green' railway train.
The far-left is well represented in Huddersfield (considering its size), with Revolution, Socialist Workers Party
and Socialist Party of England and Wales
all having active groups which are involved in campaigns such as Stop the War
, Save Huddersfield NHS
, as well as individual members of Workers Power (involved in Revolution and their group in Leeds
), Socialist Appeal
and Communist Party of Britain
. The Town also has a well represented Conservative Party
presence, with various other Centre-Right, Rightist and UKIP groups.
Two Prime minister
s have spent part of their childhood in Huddersfield, Harold Wilson
and Herbert Asquith
. Wilson is commemorated by a statue in front of the railway station. There is no memorial to Asquith's briefer connection with the town.
within the ancient West Riding of Yorkshire
in 1868. The borough comprised the parish
es of Almondbury, Dalton, Huddersfield, Lindley-cum-Quarmby and Lockwood. When the West Riding County Council was formed in 1889, Huddersfield became a county borough
, exempt from county council control. Huddersfield expanded in 1937, including parts of the Golcar
, Linthwaite
, and South Crosland
urban districts. The county borough was abolished in 1974 and its former area was combined with that of other districts to form the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire.
Attempts by the local council to gain support for city status
were rejected by the town's population in an unofficial referendum held by the local newspaper, the Huddersfield Daily Examiner
. The council did not apply for that status in either the 2000 or 2002 competitions. As city status has to be awarded to a district not a town, either the city status would have been awarded to Kirklees, or the borough could have been renamed to Kirklees and Huddersfield to give Huddersfield city status, similar to the current situation with Chester
.
According to the United Kingdom Census 2001
the population of the Huddersfield urban
sub-area of the West Yorkshire Urban Area
was 146,234, and the population of the former area of the county borough was 121,620. The wider South Kirklees area had a population of 216,011.
town, despite the fact that the university is the largest employer. Historically the town produced textile
s. The number of people who work in textiles has declined, but those companies which survive produce large quantities of woollen
products with little labour. The town is home to textile, chemical and engineering companies; including Cummins Turbo Technologies
(turbocharger manufacturers), Huddersfield Fine Worsteds (textiles), C & J Antich (textiles), Syngenta AG (agro-chemicals
), James Crowther (textiles), Sellers (Textile Machinery), Pennine Radio Limited
(electronics
transformer
s and sheet metalworking
) as well as a large number of niche manufacturers. Huddersfield is home to 'Andrew Jones Pies' a regional award winning pie-maker, where a worker was killed in a gas explosion on 10 April 2009.
which is relatively mild for its latitude, which comes without major temperature extremes due to the moderating influence of the Gulf Stream
. According to the Köppen climate classification
, Huddersfield is certified as Cfb.
, Holme Valley
, and Kirkburton
are often considered to be part of Huddersfield though they are predominantly semi-rural
. Huddersfield town centre is located within the Newsome ward. The eight wards that make up Huddersfield proper, with their populations, areas and constituent suburb
s (mid-year 2005 estimates) are:
s, Huddersfield has a higher than average number of residents from ethnic minorities
. The white population comprise 81% of the population comparing to 91.3% for England as a whole. The largest ethnic minority group are those who have described themselves as being Asian
or British Asian
originating from the Indian sub-continent (India
, Pakistan
etc.) with 10,837, or 8.9% (compared to 1.4% for England). An ethnicity summary of the town's 121,620 population is 98,454 (81.0%) white, 15,072 (12.4%) Asian or British Asian, 4,328 (3.6%) Black or Black British
, 328 (0.3%), 259 (0.2%) Other and 3,131 (2.6%) Mixed.
s. Conversely, it is below average for its number of Christian
s.
There are a number of churches, Gurdwara
s, mosque
s and temple
s covering a wide spectrum of religions in the Huddersfield area. These include the established Christian
denominations — Church of England
Anglicanism
, Baptist
, Methodism
, Presbyterianism
and the Roman Catholic Church
. Plus increasingly religions of other countries — Buddhism
, Hinduism
, Islam
, Jehovah's Witnesses
, Mormon and Sikhism
.
. It has the third highest number of listed buildings of any town or city in the UK. The most conspicuous landmark in the Huddersfield area is Victoria Tower on Castle Hill. Overlooking the town, the tower was constructed to mark Queen Victoria's
60th Jubilee Year. A picture of the Victoria Tower features on the New Zealand
wine Castle Hill.
The colonnade
d Huddersfield railway station
in St George's Square was once described as 'a stately home
with trains in it', and by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner
as 'one of the best early railway stations in England'. A bronze statue of Huddersfield-born Sir Harold Wilson
, Prime Minister 1964–1970 and 1974–1976 stands before the entrance in St George's Square.
The Huddersfield parish church
(St. Peters Church) was constructed in 1838 and is adjacent to the town centre, on Byram Street, near the Pack Horse Centre.
The Pack Horse Centre is a covered pedestrianised shopping area constructed over the former cobblestone
d street originally known as the Pack Horse Yard, now named Pack Horse Walk in memory of the beasts of burden, Pack horses which ferried merchandise over the Pennines
before the Standedge Tunnels
were built. This pedestrian-only link passes from Kirkgate, across King Street and along Victoria Lane, by the Shambles, to the Piazza and the distinctive Market Hall at Queensgate, which was built to replace the old Shambles Market Hall in the early 1970s. Next to the Piazza is the Victorian Town Hall and the 1930s Public Library.
Beaumont Park
situated about 2 miles (3.2 km) to the south of the town centre was bequeathed to the people of Huddersfield in the 1880s, by the Henry Ralph Beaumont ('Beaumont's of Whitley' estate) and opened on 13 October 1883, by the Prince Leopold
, fourth son of Queen Victoria, and his wife Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont (The Duke and Duchess of Albany). It is a fine example of a Victorian era
public park with water cascades, bandstand and woodland.
and M62
motorways. The M1 passes near the eastern fringes of the town about 10 miles (16.1 km) away. The M62 comes much nearer (about 2.5 miles (4 km) away) and Huddersfield is served by three junctions: Mount (A640
, J23 – limited access), Ainley Top (A629, J24) and between Brighouse
and Cooper Bridge (A644, J25).
The Huddersfield Corporation built an inner ring road
(part of the A62
) in the 1970s. The area within this ring road has come to define the central business district
of the town. The ring road is effective in relieving traffic congestion in the town centre where many roads are now pedestrianised.
Main routes into Huddersfield include the A62
Leeds Road, A641 Bradford Road, A629 Halifax Road, A640
New Hey Road and the A62 Manchester Road.
enjoys a comprehensive local and regional rail service. However, there is no direct service to London, with passengers having to change at either Manchester Piccadilly
, Leeds or Wakefield Westgate
. Many services are subsidised by the local-government public transport coordinator, Metro
. A frequent express service operates to the nearby principal cities of Leeds
and Manchester
and a regular service to Darlington
, Hull
, Liverpool
, Manchester Airport, Middlesbrough
, Newcastle upon Tyne
, Scarborough and York
. This is operated by First TransPennine Express
. There are also local stopping services operated by Northern Rail
which link Huddersfield with Barnsley
, Bradford, Brighouse
, Dewsbury
, Halifax
, Leeds, Sheffield
and Wakefield
.
Huddersfield bus station
was opened by the Mayor, Councillor Mernagh on 26 March 1974, despite the fact that it had not actually been completed. It is the busiest bus station in West Yorkshire with a daily footfall of almost 35,000. The majority of bus services pass through the bus station. Many services are subsidised by Metro
, the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive.
Huddersfield's bus operators reflect the national situation; local subsidiaries of three dominant national operators provide most of the services in the area: First Calderdale & Huddersfield
who provide most local services across Huddersfield with some services running outside the Kirklees area with destinations including Bradford, Brighouse, Halifax, Manchester and Oldham
. Arriva Yorkshire
, who provide frequent services along Leeds Road to Dewsbury and Leeds, and Centrebus Holdings
(Huddersfield Bus Company), through its recently-acquired subsidiary, Yorkshire Traction
, who provide almost all services in the south east of the town. Other smaller operators include locally based operators Teamdeck
, trading under the name of K-Line and Stotts Coaches. Centrebus Holdings purchased Teamdeck in May 2008, along with Stagecoach Yorkshire's Huddersfield depot.
In November 2006, a zero-fare
town centre bus service, known as Free Town Bus
, was launched. Buses run every ten minutes from 7.30 a.m. (from the railway station) to 7.00 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on Saturday. Stops on the route include the bus station, University of Huddersfield
, Kingsgate, and the indoor market. The service is run by K-Line in partnership with Kirklees Council and Metro.
, originally the Sir John Ramsden Canal, and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal
(both navigable by narrowboat
and the former by wider craft also) wind around the south side of the town. To the rear of the YMCA
in the Turnbridge section there is an electrically operated road bridge, which is still in use, to raise the road and allow boat traffic to pass. This bridge was originally opened by use of a windlass
system.
Football and rugby league are the two main sports in Huddersfield. The town has a professional football team Huddersfield Town F.C who currently play in League One
. In 1926, they became the first English team to win three successive league titles a feat which only three other clubs have been able to match.
The town is known as being the birth place of rugby league and the town is home to the Huddersfield Giants
who currently play in the Super League
, the top division in Europe. The town is also home to Huddersfield Underbank Rangers
rugby league club who currently play in the Rugby league conference.
The town is also home to a number of other sports clubs including Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club
who playing the National Division Three North and Huddersfield Rams Aussie Rules
club. The main sporting arena in the town is the Galpharm Stadium
which is home to both the football team and rugby league side.
, formed in 1864, playing their first rugby game in 1866. It was in Huddersfield on 29 August 1895 that 22 northern clubs held a meeting in the George Hotel
and voted to secede
from the Rugby Football Union
to set up their own Northern Rugby Football Union
. In 1922 this became the Rugby Football League
.
The Rugby League Heritage Centre
is located in the basement of the George Hotel.
and is currently represented by the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League
competition]]. The Huddersfield Giants (under their original name of Huddersfield Rugby League Club) have won the Rugby Football League Championship seven times, most recently in 1961–62, and the Challenge Cup
six times, the last success being in 1952–53.
rules, nomadically playing at five grounds until buying farmland at Waterloo in 1919 and, in 1946, retitling the club as Huddersfield RUFC.
In 1969 the club was at the forefront of a revolution in English rugby, when it became the first club in the country to organise mini and junior rugby teams. This innovation spread quickly and today, almost every club in the country has a thriving junior section providing a production-line of home grown talent. Junior players at Huddersfield number over 200.
In 1997 the Waterloo junior grounds were sold and a 26 acre (0.10521836 km²), former Bass Brewery estate, at Lockwood Park was purchased for construction of a replacement. With the assistance of a matching £2 million grant from Sport England
, the club has transformed the site into a major sports complex, conference centre and business park.
.
In 1921–22 Huddersfield won the FA Cup
and between 1923–26 they became the first club to win the League Championship
three times in a row, an achievement matched only by three other teams. However, they have been less successful in modern times, having not played in the top division since the early 1970s.
The club left its ground at Leeds Road in 1994 and now shares the Galpharm Stadium
with the Huddersfield Giants rugby league team.
Notable ex-players include Scottish
international Denis Law
, Ray Wilson, a World Cup
winner with England
in 1966 and Trevor Cherry
, England international. Herbert Chapman
, Bill Shankly
and Neil Warnock
are notable former Huddersfield Town managers.
National League - Central Division. They will be taking part in the North West Division in 2010.
teams, many of which train at the Lockwood Park sports complex on the all weather pitch.
, former 'British Superbike
Champion'.
Lepton born Tom Sykes
is a new addition to the Yamaha Motor Italia World team in the 2009 World Superbike season after impressive spells in both British Supersports & British Superbikes, in which in the latter he finished 4th in the 2009 Season. He also managed to win his first race in World Superbikes
in one of two wildcard meetings.
Motorcycle speedway
racing was staged in Huddersfield in the UK pioneer year of 1928. A venue in the town staged four or five meetings.
be the UK's leading choral society
. Its history was chronicled in the book 'And The Glory, written to commemorate the Society's 150th anniversary in 1986 — its title derived from a line in the Hallelujah Chorus featuring in Handel's
landmark choral arrangement The Messiah
. The author was a choir member for over 35 years.
More recently, the town's other main claim to international musical renown is the annual Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival
. It is also home to the Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra
and the Huddersfield Singers
.
On Christmas Day 1977, Sex Pistols
played their last two British shows, one of which was a matinee for the children of striking firefighters, at the then 'Ivanhoe's' nightclub venue, before embarking on the ill-fated US tour which saw them collapse into acrimony. In the early-mid 1990s, Flex, the seminal underground Jungle/Drum 'n' Bass
record label, was founded in Huddersfield by the musician and future BBC Radio 1Xtra
DJ, L Double. In 2000 another independent record label Chocolate Fireguard Records
was founded in Huddersfield by singer Pat Fulgoni who also developed the three stage Community music event Timeless Festival
held in the town's Ravensknowle Park, featuring a range of electronica, hip hop
and rock music
.
There are a number of other annual local music festivals held within the town and surrounding area, examples being the Marsden
Jazz
Festival, Mrs Sunderland, Janet Beaumont, the Holmfirth
Festivals, and the Haydn Wood (Linthwaite). The Haydn Wood (for under 21's)and Mrs Sunderland festival focus on musical and oratorial performance. The Mrs Sunderland Music festival is the second oldest in the United Kingdom, started in 1889 and now lasting for nine days each year. Also, in recent years, free music concerts have been put on for the town, including bands such as The Ordinary Boys, The Script and Elliott Minor. There are however many other local choirs, both youth and adult, a noted example of the latter being the Honley
Male voice choir.
Home-grown musical talent of all kinds is complemented by the student intake to the University of Huddersfield's music department.
Further fame was added to the musical history of Huddersfield by the inclusion of the song "The Sheriff of Huddersfield" by the heavy metal band Iron Maiden
on the B-side to their 1986 single "Wasted Years
".
Written about their co-manager Rod Smallwood
, leaving his home town of Huddersfield and struggling to settle into life in Los Angeles
.
Huddersfield is home to thrash metal
band Evile
, dance rock outfit Kava Kava, the birthplace of the synthpop musician Billy Currie
of (Ultravox
and Visage) fame the hard rock bassist John McCoy
who played with Neo
and Gillan
.
, which is usually associated with Holmfirth
, but uses various locations in both the Holme and Colne valleys; Where the Heart Is
, was filmed in the Colne valley around Slaithwaite
and finished filming in 2006; Wokenwell, also shot on location in the Colne valley in and around Marsden
; and The League of Gentlemen
, that also makes extensive use of locations around Marsden. The feature films Between Two Women
and The Jealous God
were both filmed extensively in and around Huddersfield.
Walk, offers a balanced schedule, all year round, which showcases local painters and photographers alongside commissioned artists' displays.
The 2010 festival featured Belgian company Company Tol and their suspension act - Corazon de Angeles (Angel Heart) and was ended on 5 December with fireworks in the newly updated St Georges Square.
ed community have embarked on a summer celebration and picnic. The event now attracts thousands from miles around and is held as a gay pride
event, usually at Castle Hill
.
paraboloid
s. It is also adjacent to the town hall and public library (see Historical landmarks above). An open market is located next to the Tesco store, on the opposite side of the town centre.
Virtual Huddersfield features photographs of nearly 2,000 local shops as well as videos of local events, aerial views and live webcams.
The town centre is home to several national high street retailers and chain stores including Clinton Cards
, GAME
, Gamestation
, HMV
, House of Fraser
, JD Sports
, JJB Sports
, W H Smith
s and Wilkinsons; up until January 2008, it also had a Woolworths
. Fast food outlets include Burger King
, KFC
, McDonald's
, Pizza Hut
, Subway
and Wimpy. High-street clothing and fashion retail outlets such as British Home Stores, Marks & Spencer
, River Island
, Topman
and Next. There are three major supermarket
outlets, two Sainsbury's and one Tesco
. Additional smaller supermarkets exist a few hundred yards outside of the town centre such as Aldi
, Asda
formerly a Netto
and Lidl
. There are also a wide variety of small specialist independent shops, many of them located in the three-storey Byram Arcade.
The Lawrence Batley Theatre
, opened in 1994, housed in what was once the largest Wesleyan Chapel
in the world, and now presents dance, drama, comedy, music and exhibitions. Among other things, it acts as the base for Full Body And The Voice, a company focusing on the integration of disabled people into mainstream theatre.
The Galpharm Stadium
(formerly the Alfred McAlpine Stadium), is a multi-use sports stadium and provides many sporting activities including a gym, swimming pool, spa and several types of sporting classes. The stadium is home to the local rugby league team Huddersfield Giants and the Huddersfield Town football team. Adjacent to the stadium is an Odeon cinema
, Huddersfield's only major cinema.
, which is a 19th century Grade II listed building. The oldest pub in the town centre is the Parish (formerly the Fleece inn), the pub has been trading since 1720.
s, which cover compulsory and sixth form
education for the town's suburb
s, Huddersfield is the home to two dedicated sixth form college
s, Huddersfield New College
located at Salendine Nook
, and Greenhead College
located west of the town centre. Huddersfield Grammar School
is the only independent school
in Huddersfield to offer secondary education, though it does not offer sixth form education. The town centre has one general further education
college, Kirklees College
which was formed following the merger of Dewsbury College and Huddersfield Technical College. Huddersfield has one establishment of higher education
in the University of Huddersfield
. The current Chancellor of the University is the actor Patrick Stewart
who comes from Mirfield
.
situated in Lindley, and the smaller St. Luke's Hospital at Crosland Moor
, formerly a workhouse for the poor before its conversion to a maternity hospital, which currently provides geriatric
and psychiatric
care. Plus various Physiological
testing facilities for the medical Consultant
s outpatient clinics at the Royal Infirmary, such as Gamma-Irradiation Scanning
, Chest X-ray
services, Electromyography
and Nerve conduction tests
. Kirkwood Hospice
provides care for the terminally ill
, and is dependent on private donations and charitable gifts. Greenhead's Princess Royal Hospital originally provided Huddersfield with its maternity
facilities until the risks of not being able to get an ambulance
to A&E
in the event of complications were judged to outweigh the benefits of specialist service provision. It now functions as a day clinic, family planning
consultation centre and GUM Clinic
.
A decision to move most of the maternity services provided by the Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust to the Calderdale Royal Hospital changed those facilities in 2007, despite strong opposition from some of the local population. The campaign was led by Save Huddersfield NHS
which elected a councillor, Dr Jackie Grunsell in the Crosland Moor ward. St. Luke's Hospital is also scheduled to close within the next few years and the land sold for private housing.
On 2 July 1952, in recognition of historic ties and links with the Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding)
, the Huddersfield County Borough had conferred on the regiment the Freedom of the Town. This gave the regiment the right to march through the town with 'flags flying, bands playing and bayonets fixed'. Many of the town and district's male residents had served in the regiment during its long history. This right to march was technically lost when the County Borough itself was merged with Dewsbury to form Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council though, unofficially, continued as on 25 March 1979, Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council gave the Freedom of Kirklees to the 3rd battalion of the Yorkshire Volunteers. The 3rd Battalion was the Duke of Wellington's Territorial Army unit.
When the 'Dukes' were amalgamated with the Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire
and the Green Howards
' to form the Yorkshire Regiment
on 6 June 2006. The right to march was finally ended as the award did not give the right, for the freedom to march, to be passed on to any heirs or successors. The majority of the Yorkshire Regiment is now composed of soldiers from the north and eastern areas of Yorkshire. The Yorkshire Regiment requested the right to march to be transferred to them. However, the county Borough no longer exists and so there was no authority to do so. The 'Freedom' given by Kirklees to the 3rd battalion of the Yorkshire Volunteers did not permit any transfer to heirs or successors and effectively that freedom also ceased when the battalion was amalgamated into the East and West Riding Regiment
. The East and West Riding Regiment ceased to exist on 6 June 2006, having been merged into the Yorkshire Regiment as its 4th Battalion. Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council, as successors to the Huddersfield Borough Council, amended the original 'Freedom' and transferred the 'Freedom' to the Yorkshire Regiment, at a Freedom parade on 25 October 2008.
al and international
ly famous people originate from Huddersfield. They cover a range of politician
s, sport
s personalities, athletes, entertainers, business people, scientist
s and writer
s of various styles. Some people have also become known through their association with Huddersfield, though were not born there. These include the actor Patrick Stewart
, who was born in Mirfield and the inventor Wilf Lunn
, who was born in Brighouse.
The most widely notable of those born in Huddersfield include (in alphabetical order by surname):- Simon Armitage
who is both a poet
and an author
. Lawrence Batley
a British business entrepreneur
. Andy Booth
a footballer for the local football club:- Huddersfield Town
. David Borrow
a Member of Parliament
for South Ribble. Sir David Brown OBE
a businessman. Roy Castle OBE
who was a dancer and entertainer and later a TV presenter. Lord James Hanson
was another British and international businessman mainly known for his association with the transport
industry. Sir Harold Percival Himsworth
was a scientist. George Herbert Hirst
was an English test cricket
er. Nina Hossain
is a Television broadcaster. Derek Ibbotson
was an Olympic athlete in the track events. A tower block of social housing accommodation, close to the town's ring road, was named after him Gorden Kaye
is mostly known for his comedy acting. Anita Lonsbrough was an Olympic swimmer and commentator. Like Derek Ibbotson
a tower block of social housing accommodation was named after her. DJ Q
who presents a show on BBC Radio 1Xtra
. Zöe Lucker
is an actress, known for playing Tanya Turner
in the ITV1
Drama Footballers' Wives
. Another Huddersfield born celebrity was the great actor of British and American films, James Mason
. Wilfred Rhodes
is another English test cricketer. Chris Balderstone
played first class cricket and professional football, on one occasion both on the same day. John Whitaker MBE has a local stable
s and is an Olympic equestrian. Whilst probably the most famous of all is Harold Wilson KG OBE
who was twice the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1964 to 1970 and again from 1974 to 1976.
Also Cameron Jerome
footballer who plays in Birmingham City.
Other well known personalities can also be located in the :Category:People from Huddersfield.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees
Kirklees
The Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 401,000 and includes the settlements of Batley, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Denby Dale, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Kirkburton, Marsden, Meltham, Mirfield and Slaithwaite...
, 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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies 190 miles (305.8 km) north of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and 10.3 miles (16.6 km) south of Bradford
Bradford
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...
, the nearest city.
Huddersfield is near the confluence of the River Colne
River Colne, West Yorkshire
The River Colne is a river in West Yorkshire formed by a confluence at the foot of the Pennines close to the village of Marsden.-Course:Numerous brooks formed by rainwater high in the Pennines of West Yorkshire, flow down the hillsides through the small valleys to feed two Yorkshire Water...
and the River Holme
River Holme
The River Holme is a river in the Holme Valley, West Yorkshire, England and is a tributary of the River Colne. It starts from Digley reservoir and is then fed firstly by the run-off stream from Brownhill Reservoir, then by Dobbs Dike...
. Located within the historic county boundaries
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
of the West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
, according to the 2001 Census
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....
it was the 10th largest town in the UK and with a total resident population of 146,234. It is the largest urban area in the metropolitan borough
Metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
of Kirklees and the administrative centre
Administrative centre
An administrative centre is a term often used in several countries to refer to a county town, or other seat of regional or local government, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located....
of the borough. The town is well known for its important role in the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, the birthplace of rugby league
Rugby 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...
and for being the birthplace of the late British Prime Minister Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
.
Huddersfield today is a town of higher education, the media and sports, being home to the rugby league team, Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
, founded in 1895, who currently play in the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
and Football League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
football team Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
, founded in 1908. The town is home to the University of Huddersfield
University of Huddersfield
The University of Huddersfield is a university located in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.- History :The University traces its roots back to a Science and Mechanic Institute founded in 1825...
and the sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
colleges Greenhead College
Greenhead College
Greenhead College is a former grammar school and current sixth form college located in Huddersfield, in the English county of West Yorkshire. The current principal is Martin Rostron....
, Kirklees College
Kirklees College
Kirklees College is a further education college with two main centres in the towns of Dewsbury and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
and Huddersfield New College
Huddersfield New College
Huddersfield New College is a former grammar school and current sixth form college located in Salendine Nook on the outskirts of Huddersfield, in the English county of West Yorkshire. The current Principal is Angela Williams.-Admissions:...
Huddersfield is a town of Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
. Huddersfield railway station
Huddersfield railway station
Huddersfield railway station serves the town of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England.The station is managed by First TransPennine Express who provide trains between the North East, North and East Yorkshire, and Leeds to the east and Manchester Piccadilly and North West.It is also served by local...
is a Grade I listed building and was described by John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
as 'the most splendid station facade in England' second only to St Pancras, London
St Pancras, London
St Pancras is an area of London. For many centuries the name has been used for various officially-designated areas, but now is used informally and rarely having been largely superseded by several other names for overlapping districts.-Ancient parish:...
. The station stands in St George's Square, and has been given a £1 million make over and subsequently won the Europa Nostra
Europa Nostra
Europa Nostra, the pan-European Federation for Cultural Heritage, is the representative platform of 250 heritage NGOs active in 45 countries across Europe...
award for European architecture.
Early history
There has been a settlement in the vicinity for over 4,000 years. The remains of a Roman fortCastra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
were unearthed in the middle of the 18th century at Slack near Outlane
Outlane
Outlane is a village near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England with a population of 710 according to the 2001 census. It is situated north-west of the Huddersfield town centre...
, just west of the town. Castle Hill
Castle Hill, Huddersfield
Taken and adapted from Rumsby, J. 'A Castle Well Guarded: the archaeology and history of Castle Hill, Almondbury' Castle Hill is a Scheduled Ancient Monument situated on a hilltop overlooking Huddersfield, in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees. It has been settled for at least 4,000 years....
, a major landmark of the town, was also the site of an Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
. Huddersfield itself was noted in the 1086 Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as a village known as Oderesfelt also as Odresfeld.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
since Saxon
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
times. The market cross is on Market Place.
Industrial Revolution
Huddersfield was a centre of civil unrest during the Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
. In a period where Europe was experiencing frequent wars, where trade had slumped and the crops had failed, many local weavers faced losing their means of livelihood due to the introduction of new machinery, which would have condemned them to poverty or even starvation. The Luddite
Luddite
The Luddites were a social movement of 19th-century English textile artisans who protested – often by destroying mechanised looms – against the changes produced by the Industrial Revolution, which they felt were leaving them without work and changing their way of life...
s began destroying mills and machinery in response; one of the most notorious attacks was on Cartwright — a Huddersfield mill-owner, who had a reputation for cruelty — and his Rawfords Mill. In his book Rebels Against the Future, Kirkpatrick Sale
Kirkpatrick Sale
Kirkpatrick Sale is an independent scholar and author who has written prolifically about political decentralism, environmentalism, luddism and technology...
describes how a large army platoon was stationed at Huddersfield to deal with Luddites; at its peak, there were around a thousand soldiers in Huddersfield and only ten thousand civilians. In response, the Luddites began to focus their attacks on nearby towns and villages, which were less well-protected; the largest act of damage that they ever did was the complete destruction of Foster's Mill at Horbury
Horbury
-Demography:In 2008 Horbury had a largely white population compared with Yorkshire and the Humber.-Population change:The population of Horbury in 2001 was 10,002-Transport:...
— a village, which is about 10 miles (16.1 km) east of Huddersfield. The government campaign that eventually crushed the movement was provoked by a murder that took place in Huddersfield. William Horsfall, a mill-owner and a passionate prosecutor of Luddites, was killed in 1812. Although the movement faded out afterwards, Parliament began to increase welfare provision for those out of work, and to introduce regulations to improve conditions in the mills.
Political history
Huddersfield had a strong liberalLiberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
tradition up to the 1950s and this is still reflected in the large number of liberal social clubs in the town. The current Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for the Huddersfield constituency
Huddersfield (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:- Notes and references :...
is Barry Sheerman
Barry Sheerman
Barry John Sheerman is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Huddersfield since the 1979 general election.-Early life:...
, a Labour Co-operative
Labour Co-operative
Labour and Co-operative describes those candidates in British elections standing on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party, based on a national agreement between the two parties....
member. Kirklees Council was the first in the UK to have a Green Party
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
councillor: Nicholas Harvey who lived in Taylor Hill and represented the Newsome Ward
Newsome
Newsome is a village situated approximately 1 mile south of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It is in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees. The village lies at the centre of Newsome Ward to which it gives its name.-Geography:...
. Nick, a former employee at Huddersfield railway station, was instrumental in the creation of the protest train against the intended closure of the Settle
Settle
Settle is a small market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is served by the Settle railway station, which is located near the town centre, and Giggleswick railway station which is a mile away. It is from Leeds Bradford Airport...
to Carlisle rail line. He declined to stand for a second term and no longer lives in Huddersfield. He is now a resident of Filey
Filey
Filey is a small town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the borough of Scarborough and is located between Scarborough and Bridlington on the North Sea coast. Although it started out as a fishing village, it has a large beach and is a popular tourist resort...
where he operates his own 'Green' railway train.
The far-left is well represented in Huddersfield (considering its size), with Revolution, Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (Britain)
The Socialist Workers Party is a far left party in Britain founded by Tony Cliff. The SWP's student section has groups at a number of universities...
and Socialist Party of England and Wales
Socialist Party (England and Wales)
The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today...
all having active groups which are involved in campaigns such as Stop the War
Stop the War Coalition
The Stop the War Coalition is a United Kingdom group set up on 21 September 2001 that campaigns against what it believes are unjust wars....
, Save Huddersfield NHS
Save Huddersfield NHS
Save Huddersfield NHS is a minor British political party registered in 2006. The party campaigns against a proposed reorganisation of National Health Service facilities in the Huddersfield area and is led by Dr. Jackie Grunsell, a local general practitioner and member of the Socialist Party...
, as well as individual members of Workers Power (involved in Revolution and their group in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
), Socialist Appeal
Socialist Appeal
Socialist Appeal is the publication of a British Trotskyist organisation operating within the Labour Party which was founded by Ted Grant and Alan Woods after they were expelled from the Militant tendency. The organisation is popularly known as the Socialist Appeal group, and publishes a monthly...
and Communist Party of Britain
Communist Party of Britain
The Communist Party of Britain is a communist political party in Great Britain. Although founded in 1988 it traces its origins back to 1920 and the Communist Party of Great Britain, and claims the legacy of that party and its most influential members Harry Pollitt and John Gollan as its...
. The Town also has a well represented Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
presence, with various other Centre-Right, Rightist and UKIP groups.
Two Prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
s have spent part of their childhood in Huddersfield, Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
and Herbert Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
. Wilson is commemorated by a statue in front of the railway station. There is no memorial to Asquith's briefer connection with the town.
Civic history
Huddersfield was incorporated as a municipal boroughMunicipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
within the ancient West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
in 1868. The borough comprised the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es of Almondbury, Dalton, Huddersfield, Lindley-cum-Quarmby and Lockwood. When the West Riding County Council was formed in 1889, Huddersfield became a county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
, exempt from county council control. Huddersfield expanded in 1937, including parts of the Golcar
Golcar
Golcar is a village located on a hillside crest above the Colne Valley in West Yorkshire, England, west of Huddersfield, and just north of the River Colne and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal...
, Linthwaite
Linthwaite
Linthwaite is a village in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated 4 miles west of Huddersfield, on the A62 in the Colne Valley...
, and South Crosland
South Crosland
South Crosland is a village in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England.It was originally a chapelry in the civil parish of Almondbury, and became a separate civil parish in 1866. It became an urban district in 1894 under the Local Government Act 1894...
urban districts. The county borough was abolished in 1974 and its former area was combined with that of other districts to form the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire.
Attempts by the local council to gain support for city status
City status in the United Kingdom
City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
were rejected by the town's population in an unofficial referendum held by the local newspaper, the Huddersfield Daily Examiner
Huddersfield Daily Examiner
The Huddersfield Daily Examiner is an English local daily evening newspaper covering Huddersfield and its surrounding areas. The first edition was published, as a weekly, on September 6, 1851, as the Huddersfield & Holmfirth Examiner and the newspaper has been published on a daily basis since...
. The council did not apply for that status in either the 2000 or 2002 competitions. As city status has to be awarded to a district not a town, either the city status would have been awarded to Kirklees, or the borough could have been renamed to Kirklees and Huddersfield to give Huddersfield city status, similar to the current situation with Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
.
According to 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....
the population of the Huddersfield urban
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...
sub-area of the West Yorkshire Urban Area
West Yorkshire Urban Area
The West Yorkshire Urban Area is a term used by the Office for National Statistics to refer to a conurbation in West Yorkshire, England, based around the cities of Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield, and the large town of Huddersfield...
was 146,234, and the population of the former area of the county borough was 121,620. The wider South Kirklees area had a population of 216,011.
Industry
Huddersfield is still a manufacturingManufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
town, despite the fact that the university is the largest employer. Historically the town produced 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...
s. The number of people who work in textiles has declined, but those companies which survive produce large quantities of woollen
Woolen
Woolen or woollen is a type of yarn made from carded wool. Woolen yarn is soft, light, stretchy, and full of air. It is thus a good insulator, and makes a good knitting yarn...
products with little labour. The town is home to textile, chemical and engineering companies; including Cummins Turbo Technologies
Cummins
Cummins Inc. is a Fortune 500 corporation that designs, manufactures, distributes and services engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission control and electrical power generation systems...
(turbocharger manufacturers), Huddersfield Fine Worsteds (textiles), C & J Antich (textiles), Syngenta AG (agro-chemicals
Agrichemical
Agrochemical , a contraction of agricultural chemical, is a generic term for the various chemical products used in agriculture. In most cases, agrichemical refers to the broad range of pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides...
), James Crowther (textiles), Sellers (Textile Machinery), Pennine Radio Limited
Pennine Radio Limited
Pennine Radio Limited is a UK manufacturer of electronic equipment, transformers and windings, ride on electric golf carts, sheet metalwork and computer equipment....
(electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
transformer
Transformer
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic field...
s and sheet metalworking
Metalworking
Metalworking is the process of working with metals to create individual parts, assemblies, or large scale structures. The term covers a wide range of work from large ships and bridges to precise engine parts and delicate jewelry. It therefore includes a correspondingly wide range of skills,...
) as well as a large number of niche manufacturers. Huddersfield is home to 'Andrew Jones Pies' a regional award winning pie-maker, where a worker was killed in a gas explosion on 10 April 2009.
Climate
Huddersfield experiences a temperate oceanic climateOceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
which is relatively mild for its latitude, which comes without major temperature extremes due to the moderating influence of the Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
. According to the Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
, Huddersfield is certified as Cfb.
Divisions and suburbs
After boundary changes in 2004, Huddersfield now covers eight of the twenty-three electoral wards for Kirklees Council. Neighbouring wards in the Colne ValleyColne Valley
The Colne Valley is a steep sided valley on the east flank of the Pennine Hills in the English county of West Yorkshire. It takes its name from the River Colne which rises above the town of Marsden and flows eastward along the floor of the valley....
, Holme Valley
Holme Valley
Holme Valley is a large civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 25,049 . Its administrative centre is in Holmfirth. Other sizeable settlements in the parish include, Brockholes, Honley and New Mill...
, and Kirkburton
Kirkburton
Kirkburton is a village, civil parish and local government ward in the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire, England, south east of Huddersfield, in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees...
are often considered to be part of Huddersfield though they are predominantly semi-rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
. Huddersfield town centre is located within the Newsome ward. The eight wards that make up Huddersfield proper, with their populations, areas and constituent suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s (mid-year 2005 estimates) are:
| Ward | Population | Area (miles²) | Population density (/mile²) | Places covered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almondbury | 16,610 | 3.863 | 4,299 | Almondbury Almondbury Almondbury is a district 2 miles south east of Huddersfield town centre in West Yorkshire, England. The population of Almondbury in 2001 was 7,368Almondbury appears in the Domesday Book as "Almondeberie"... , Fenay Bridge, Lascelles Hall, Lepton |
| Ashbrow | 17,470 | 4.366 | 4.001 | Ashbrow, Brackenhall Brackenhall Brackenhall is a district of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England located 2 miles north of Huddersfield town centre between Fixby and Sheepridge.... , Bradley Bradley, West Yorkshire Bradley is a district of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, 3 miles north-east of the town centre. It is generally just off the A62 Leeds Road and west of the River Colne and the Huddersfield Broad Canal... , Deighton Deighton, West Yorkshire Deighton is a district of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated north west of the town centre and lies off the A62 Leeds Road.... , Fixby Fixby Fixby is a suburb in north-west Kirklees bordering neighbouring Calderdale and is traditionally part of Huddersfield in the English county of West Yorkshire... , Netheroyd Hill, Sheepridge Sheepridge, Huddersfield Sheepridge is a district of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It is 2 miles to the north west of the town centre.Sheepridge is situated between Brackenhall, Deighton and Fartown.... |
| Crosland Moor & Netherton | 17,400 | 2.856 | 6,092 | Beaumont Park Beaumont Park Beaumont Park is a suburb of Huddersfield, in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England that is located between Netherton, Crosland Moor and Lockwood.... , Crosland Moor Crosland Moor Crosland Moor is a district of the town of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.It begins 1 mile to the south west of Huddersfield town centre. The electoral ward of Crosland Moor and Netherton, in the Colne Valley constituency... , Lockwood, Longroyd Bridge Longroyd Bridge Longroyd Bridge is a suburb approximately 1200 yds to the southwest of Huddersfield town centre, West Yorkshire, England. The area is composed of industrial and commercial units... , Netherton, South Crosland South Crosland South Crosland is a village in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England.It was originally a chapelry in the civil parish of Almondbury, and became a separate civil parish in 1866. It became an urban district in 1894 under the Local Government Act 1894... , Thornton Lodge |
| Dalton | 17,520 | 4.975 | 3.521 | Colne Bridge, Dalton, Kirkheaton Kirkheaton Kirkheaton is a village north east of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England and has a population of 4,209 together with Upper Heaton.- Education :Kirkheaton has a primary school, Kirkheaton Primary School, which is situated on New Road.... , Moldgreen, Rawthorpe Rawthorpe Rawthorpe is a district of Huddersfield situated at the top of Kilner bank, just east of Huddersfield town centre and close to the Galpharm Stadium... , Upper Heaton, Waterloo Waterloo, Huddersfield Waterloo is a district in the town of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It is to the east of Huddersfield Town Centre.Waterloo's population is around 7,000 and it is situated between Dalton and Almondbury.... |
| Golcar | 17,370 | 2.375 | 7,313 | Cowlersley Cowlersley Cowlersley is a district 2 miles west of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England it is situated between Milnsbridge and Linthwaite.... , Golcar Golcar Golcar is a village located on a hillside crest above the Colne Valley in West Yorkshire, England, west of Huddersfield, and just north of the River Colne and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal... , Longwood, Linthwaite Linthwaite Linthwaite is a village in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated 4 miles west of Huddersfield, on the A62 in the Colne Valley... (part of), Milnsbridge Milnsbridge Milnsbridge is a district of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England 2.5 miles west of the town centre, situated in the Colne Valley. The name is said to have derived from the water-powered mill and the bridge that stood alongside it in the 13th century.The Huddersfield Narrow Canal runs... , Salendine Nook Salendine Nook Salendine Nook is a district of Huddersfield to the north-west of Huddersfield in the English county of West Yorkshire.Bordered to the north-east by Laund Hill, Weather Hill and Low Hill and to the south-west by the natural scar of Longwood Edge, above the suburb of Longwood... |
| Greenhead | 17,620 | 1.706 | 10,328 | Birkby Birkby, West Yorkshire Birkby is a large multi-cultural suburb close to the town centre in Huddersfield, in the Kirklees borough of West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 6,700.... , Edgerton, Fartown Fartown, Huddersfield Fartown is a district of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England that starts 1 km north of the town centre.Fartown runs for approximately 1 mile either side of the A641 main Huddersfield to Bradford Road... , Hillhouse, Marsh, Paddock Paddock, Huddersfield Paddock is a district of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated 1 mile to the southwest of the town centre.It has a population of 3,117 according to the 2001 Census.... |
| Lindley | 17,020 | 2.737 | 6,218 | Ainley Top Ainley Top Ainley Top is a district of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire in England. It is situated approximately three miles north east of the town centre on the A629 to Elland and Halifax... , Birchencliffe, Lindley, Mount, Oakes Oakes, Huddersfield Oakes is a district of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated to the west of the town centre off the A640 New Hey Road towards the M62 motorway.It is situated between Marsh, Lindley and Salendine Nook.... |
| Newsome | 17,110 | 3.233 | 5,292 | Armitage Bridge Armitage Bridge Armitage Bridge is a village approximately south of Huddersfield, in the Holme Valley, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated between Berry Brow and South Crosland and straddles the River Holme... , Berry Brow Berry Brow Berry Brow is a semi-rural village in West Yorkshire, England situated about south of Huddersfield. It lies on the eastern bank of the Holme Valley and partially straddles the A616 road to Honley and Penistone.... , Hall Bower Hall Bower Hall Bower is a small hamlet lying 2 miles south of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It sits in the shadow of Castle Hill, just above the village of Newsome. Fields in the village next to Hall Bower CC were recently converted into rugby league pitches for use by Newsome Panthers ARLFC..... , Lowerhouses Lowerhouses Lowerhouses is a large housing estate in the town of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.The district is situated between Newsome and Almondbury.... , Newsome Newsome Newsome is a village situated approximately 1 mile south of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It is in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees. The village lies at the centre of Newsome Ward to which it gives its name.-Geography:... , Primrose Hill, Springwood Springwood, Huddersfield Springwood is a district of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.It is immediately to the west of Huddersfield town centre and stretches as far as the town's Greenhead Park.... , Taylor Hill |
Ethnicity
Like many former mill townMill town
A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories .- United Kingdom:...
s, Huddersfield has a higher than average number of residents from ethnic minorities
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
. The white population comprise 81% of the population comparing to 91.3% for England as a whole. The largest ethnic minority group are those who have described themselves as being Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
or British Asian
British Asian
British Asian is a term used to describe British citizens who descended from mainly South Asia, also known as South Asians in the United Kingdom...
originating from the Indian sub-continent (India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
etc.) with 10,837, or 8.9% (compared to 1.4% for England). An ethnicity summary of the town's 121,620 population is 98,454 (81.0%) white, 15,072 (12.4%) Asian or British Asian, 4,328 (3.6%) Black or Black British
Black British
Black British is a term used to describe British people of Black African descent, especially those of Afro-Caribbean background. The term has been used from the 1950s to refer to Black people from former British colonies in the West Indies and Africa, who are residents of the United Kingdom and...
, 328 (0.3%), 259 (0.2%) Other and 3,131 (2.6%) Mixed.
Religion
Huddersfield is slightly above the English average for those who have no religion and also for the number of MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s. Conversely, it is below average for its number of Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s.
There are a number of churches, Gurdwara
Gurdwara
A Gurdwara , meaning the Gateway to the Guru, is the place of worship for Sikhs, the followers of Sikhism. A Gurdwara can be identified from a distance by tall flagpoles bearing the Nishan Sahib ....
s, mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s and temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
s covering a wide spectrum of religions in the Huddersfield area. These include the established Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
denominations — Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
Anglicanism
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
, Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
, Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
and the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. Plus increasingly religions of other countries — Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
, Mormon and Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
.
| Denomination | Population | Percentage | Comparative percentage for England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian | 77,843 | 64.0 | 71.7 |
| Buddhist | 133 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Hindu | 577 | 0.5 | 1.1 |
| Jewish | 70 | 0.1 | 0.5 |
| Muslim | 12,147 | 10.0 | 3.0 |
| Sikh | 2,250 | 1.9 | 0.6 |
| Other religions | 341 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| No religion | 18,694 | 15.4 | 14.8 |
| Religion not stated | 9,604 | 7.9 | 7.7 |
Landmarks and architecture
Huddersfield is notable for its abundance of fine Victorian architectureVictorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
. It has the third highest number of listed buildings of any town or city in the UK. The most conspicuous landmark in the Huddersfield area is Victoria Tower on Castle Hill. Overlooking the town, the tower was constructed to mark Queen Victoria's
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
60th Jubilee Year. A picture of the Victoria Tower features on the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
wine Castle Hill.
The colonnade
Colonnade
In classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building....
d Huddersfield railway station
Huddersfield railway station
Huddersfield railway station serves the town of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England.The station is managed by First TransPennine Express who provide trains between the North East, North and East Yorkshire, and Leeds to the east and Manchester Piccadilly and North West.It is also served by local...
in St George's Square was once described as 'a stately home
Stately home
A stately home is a "great country house". It is thus a palatial great house or in some cases an updated castle, located in the British Isles, mostly built between the mid-16th century and the early part of the 20th century, as well as converted abbeys and other church property...
with trains in it', and by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
as 'one of the best early railway stations in England'. A bronze statue of Huddersfield-born Sir Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
, Prime Minister 1964–1970 and 1974–1976 stands before the entrance in St George's Square.
The Huddersfield parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
(St. Peters Church) was constructed in 1838 and is adjacent to the town centre, on Byram Street, near the Pack Horse Centre.
The Pack Horse Centre is a covered pedestrianised shopping area constructed over the former cobblestone
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
d street originally known as the Pack Horse Yard, now named Pack Horse Walk in memory of the beasts of burden, Pack horses which ferried merchandise over 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...
before the Standedge Tunnels
Standedge Tunnels
The Standedge Tunnels are four parallel tunnels that run beneath the Pennines at the traditional Standedge crossing point between Marsden and Diggle, on the edges of the conurbations of West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester respectively, in northern England.There are three railway tunnels and a...
were built. This pedestrian-only link passes from Kirkgate, across King Street and along Victoria Lane, by the Shambles, to the Piazza and the distinctive Market Hall at Queensgate, which was built to replace the old Shambles Market Hall in the early 1970s. Next to the Piazza is the Victorian Town Hall and the 1930s Public Library.
Beaumont Park
Beaumont Park
Beaumont Park is a suburb of Huddersfield, in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England that is located between Netherton, Crosland Moor and Lockwood....
situated about 2 miles (3.2 km) to the south of the town centre was bequeathed to the people of Huddersfield in the 1880s, by the Henry Ralph Beaumont ('Beaumont's of Whitley' estate) and opened on 13 October 1883, by the Prince Leopold
Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
The Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany was the eighth child and fourth son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Leopold was later created Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow...
, fourth son of Queen Victoria, and his wife Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont (The Duke and Duchess of Albany). It is a fine example of a Victorian era
Victorian 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...
public park with water cascades, bandstand and woodland.
Road
Huddersfield is well connected to the national motorway network via the M1M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
and 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...
motorways. The M1 passes near the eastern fringes of the town about 10 miles (16.1 km) away. The M62 comes much nearer (about 2.5 miles (4 km) away) and Huddersfield is served by three junctions: Mount (A640
A640 road
The A640 is a road in England which runs between Rochdale in Greater Manchester and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire.The Rochdale terminus is the junction of Drake Street and Manchester Road...
, J23 – limited access), Ainley Top (A629, J24) and between Brighouse
Brighouse
Brighouse is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the River Calder, 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...
and Cooper Bridge (A644, J25).
The Huddersfield Corporation built an inner ring road
Ring road
A ring road, orbital motorway, beltway, circumferential highway, or loop highway is a road that encircles a town or city...
(part of the A62
A62 road
The A62 is a major road in Northern England that runs between the two major cities of Manchester and Leeds.The road is approximately 40 miles long. It runs north east from Manchester through Failsworth and Oldham then Saddleworth before crossing the Pennines at Standedge into West Yorkshire...
) in the 1970s. The area within this ring road has come to define the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of the town. The ring road is effective in relieving traffic congestion in the town centre where many roads are now pedestrianised.
Main routes into Huddersfield include the A62
A62 road
The A62 is a major road in Northern England that runs between the two major cities of Manchester and Leeds.The road is approximately 40 miles long. It runs north east from Manchester through Failsworth and Oldham then Saddleworth before crossing the Pennines at Standedge into West Yorkshire...
Leeds Road, A641 Bradford Road, A629 Halifax Road, A640
A640 road
The A640 is a road in England which runs between Rochdale in Greater Manchester and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire.The Rochdale terminus is the junction of Drake Street and Manchester Road...
New Hey Road and the A62 Manchester Road.
Rail
Huddersfield railway stationHuddersfield railway station
Huddersfield railway station serves the town of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England.The station is managed by First TransPennine Express who provide trains between the North East, North and East Yorkshire, and Leeds to the east and Manchester Piccadilly and North West.It is also served by local...
enjoys a comprehensive local and regional rail service. However, there is no direct service to London, with passengers having to change at either Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly station
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
, Leeds or Wakefield Westgate
Wakefield Westgate railway station
Wakefield Westgate railway station is the mainline railway station for the city of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It is located on the western edge of the main city centre, on the opposite side from Wakefield's other station, Kirkgate.-Services:...
. Many services are subsidised by the local-government public transport coordinator, Metro
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...
. A frequent express service operates to the nearby principal cities of Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
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...
and a regular service to Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
, Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Manchester Airport, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
, Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, Scarborough and York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
. This is operated by First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express is a British train operating company. It is a joint operation between First Group and Keolis . It operates regular passenger services in northern England, including services linking the west and east coasts across the Pennines...
. There are also local stopping services operated by Northern Rail
Northern 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...
which link Huddersfield with Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, Bradford, Brighouse
Brighouse
Brighouse is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the River Calder, 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, Leeds, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
and 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....
.
Bus
Huddersfield bus station
Huddersfield bus station serves the town of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.The bus station was opened on Sunday 1 December 1974 and is owned and managed by the Metro . The bus station is situated in Huddersfield town centre, underneath the Multi-storey car park...
was opened by the Mayor, Councillor Mernagh on 26 March 1974, despite the fact that it had not actually been completed. It is the busiest bus station in West Yorkshire with a daily footfall of almost 35,000. The majority of bus services pass through the bus station. Many services are subsidised by Metro
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...
, the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive.
Huddersfield's bus operators reflect the national situation; local subsidiaries of three dominant national operators provide most of the services in the area: 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...
who provide most local services across Huddersfield with some services running outside the Kirklees area with destinations including Bradford, Brighouse, Halifax, Manchester and Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
. 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...
, who provide frequent services along Leeds Road to Dewsbury and Leeds, and Centrebus Holdings
Centrebus Holdings
Centrebus Holdings is a bus company in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. It is a partnership between Arriva and Centrebus, created in May 2008 to purchase both K-Line Travel and Stagecoach Yorkshire's Huddersfield operations.-Stagecoach:...
(Huddersfield Bus Company), through its recently-acquired subsidiary, Yorkshire Traction
Yorkshire Traction
Yorkshire Traction was a bus operator in South Yorkshire. Between 1986 and 2005 it was a key part of the Traction Group. In December 2005 it was sold to the Stagecoach Group.-History:...
, who provide almost all services in the south east of the town. Other smaller operators include locally based operators Teamdeck
Teamdeck
Teamdeck is a bus operator based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. As of May 2008 it is owned by Centrebus Holdings, a partnership between Centrebus of Leicester and Arriva, but continues to trade under the K-Line identity.They operate a number of public bus services in the Kirklees area...
, trading under the name of K-Line and Stotts Coaches. Centrebus Holdings purchased Teamdeck in May 2008, along with Stagecoach Yorkshire's Huddersfield depot.
In November 2006, a zero-fare
Zero-fare public transport
Free public transport, also often called free public transit or zero-fare public transport, is a single or network of transport services funded in full by means other than collecting a full fare from passengers. It may be funded by national, regional or local government through taxation or by...
town centre bus service, known as Free Town Bus
FreeCityBus
FreeCityBus or FreeTownBus is a family of zero-fare bus services which are operated in the centres of several cities and towns in the English county of West Yorkshire. The services operate as FreeCityBus in the cities of Bradford, and Wakefield and as FreeTownBus in the towns of Huddersfield and...
, was launched. Buses run every ten minutes from 7.30 a.m. (from the railway station) to 7.00 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on Saturday. Stops on the route include the bus station, University of Huddersfield
University of Huddersfield
The University of Huddersfield is a university located in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.- History :The University traces its roots back to a Science and Mechanic Institute founded in 1825...
, Kingsgate, and the indoor market. The service is run by K-Line in partnership with Kirklees Council and Metro.
Canal
The Huddersfield Broad CanalHuddersfield 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...
, originally the Sir John Ramsden Canal, and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal
Huddersfield Narrow Canal
The Huddersfield Narrow Canal is an inland waterway in northern England. It runs just under from Lock 1E at the rear of the University of Huddersfield campus, near Aspley Basin at Huddersfield to the junction with the Ashton Canal at Whitelands Basin in Ashton-under-Lyne...
(both navigable by narrowboat
Narrowboat
A narrowboat or narrow boat is a boat of a distinctive design, made to fit the narrow canals of Great Britain.In the context of British Inland Waterways, "narrow boat" refers to the original working boats built in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries for carrying goods on the narrow canals...
and the former by wider craft also) wind around the south side of the town. To the rear of the YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
in the Turnbridge section there is an electrically operated road bridge, which is still in use, to raise the road and allow boat traffic to pass. This bridge was originally opened by use of a windlass
Windlass
The windlass is an apparatus for moving heavy weights. Typically, a windlass consists of a horizontal cylinder , which is rotated by the turn of a crank or belt...
system.
Sports
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
. In 1926, they became the first English team to win three successive league titles a feat which only three other clubs have been able to match.
The town is known as being the birth place of rugby league and the town is home to the Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
who currently play in the Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
, the top division in Europe. The town is also home to Huddersfield Underbank Rangers
Huddersfield Underbank Rangers
Huddersfield Underbank Rangers are a rugby league team based in Holmfirth near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They play in the National Division of the Rugby League Conference. The club also competes as Underbank Rangers in division 4 of the Pennine League. They also have an Underbank Rangers A...
rugby league club who currently play in the Rugby league conference.
The town is also home to a number of other sports clubs including Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club
Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club
Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club is an English rugby union team situated in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. The club plays in the domestic National Division 2 North...
who playing the National Division Three North and Huddersfield Rams Aussie Rules
Huddersfield Rams Aussie Rules
Huddersfield Rams are an Australian Rules Football team, based in the West Yorkshire town of Huddersfield, England. They were formed in 2008 by Karl Haigh, who was introduced to the sport when traveling in Australia....
club. The main sporting arena in the town is the Galpharm Stadium
Galpharm Stadium
The Galpharm Stadium, formerly the Alfred McAlpine Stadium, is a multi-use sports in Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England. Since 1994, it has been the home ground of Huddersfield Town and Super League side, Huddersfield Giants.-The Stadium:...
which is home to both the football team and rugby league side.
The split
Rugby was first recorded in the town in 1848 and the Huddersfield Athletic Club, the direct progenitors of the current Huddersfield GiantsHuddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
, formed in 1864, playing their first rugby game in 1866. It was in Huddersfield on 29 August 1895 that 22 northern clubs held a meeting in the George Hotel
George Hotel, Huddersfield
The George Hotel, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, situated in the centre of the city, is a Grade II listed building famous as the birthplace of rugby league football....
and voted to secede
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
from the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
to set up their own Northern Rugby Football Union
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...
. In 1922 this became the 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...
.
The Rugby League Heritage Centre
Rugby League Heritage Centre
The Rugby League Heritage Centre is located in the basement of the George Hotel, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It is the UK’s only rugby league heritage museum and was the brainchild of BSkyB sports presenter and former Great Britain international Mike Stephenson.It was in the George...
is located in the basement of the George Hotel.
Rugby league
Following the split of 1895 Huddersfield became a focus for 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...
and is currently represented by the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
competition]]. The Huddersfield Giants (under their original name of Huddersfield Rugby League Club) have won the Rugby Football League Championship seven times, most recently in 1961–62, and the Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
six times, the last success being in 1952–53.
Rugby union
After 1895 rugby in the Huddersfield area was played exclusively under the auspices of the Northern Rugby Football Union until 1909 when Huddersfield Old Boys were formed to play under rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
rules, nomadically playing at five grounds until buying farmland at Waterloo in 1919 and, in 1946, retitling the club as Huddersfield RUFC.
In 1969 the club was at the forefront of a revolution in English rugby, when it became the first club in the country to organise mini and junior rugby teams. This innovation spread quickly and today, almost every club in the country has a thriving junior section providing a production-line of home grown talent. Junior players at Huddersfield number over 200.
In 1997 the Waterloo junior grounds were sold and a 26 acre (0.10521836 km²), former Bass Brewery estate, at Lockwood Park was purchased for construction of a replacement. With the assistance of a matching £2 million grant from Sport England
Sport England
Sport England is the brand name for the English Sports Council and is a non-departmental public body under the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
, the club has transformed the site into a major sports complex, conference centre and business park.
Association football
Huddersfield Town FC is the town's senior association football team, founded in 1908, and currently playing in Football League OneFootball League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
.
In 1921–22 Huddersfield won the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and between 1923–26 they became the first club to win the League Championship
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
three times in a row, an achievement matched only by three other teams. However, they have been less successful in modern times, having not played in the top division since the early 1970s.
The club left its ground at Leeds Road in 1994 and now shares the Galpharm Stadium
Galpharm Stadium
The Galpharm Stadium, formerly the Alfred McAlpine Stadium, is a multi-use sports in Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England. Since 1994, it has been the home ground of Huddersfield Town and Super League side, Huddersfield Giants.-The Stadium:...
with the Huddersfield Giants rugby league team.
Notable ex-players include Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
international Denis Law
Denis Law
Denis Law is a retired Scottish football player, who enjoyed a long and successful career as a striker from the 1950s to the 1970s....
, Ray Wilson, a World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
winner with 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...
in 1966 and Trevor Cherry
Trevor Cherry
Trevor John Cherry is a former England and Leeds United footballer who also captained his country. He was a defender who also played for Huddersfield Town and Bradford City, and managed the latter club....
, England international. Herbert Chapman
Herbert Chapman
Herbert Chapman was an English association football player and manager. Though he had an undistinguished playing career, he went on to become one of the most successful and influential managers in early 20th century English football, before his sudden death in 1934.As a player, Chapman played for...
, Bill Shankly
Bill Shankly
William "Bill" Shankly, OBE was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Liverpool between 1959 and 1974. One of Britain's most successful and respected football managers, Shankly was also a fine player whose career was interrupted by the Second World War...
and Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....
are notable former Huddersfield Town managers.
Australian Rules Football
Huddersfield has an Australian rules football team, formed in 2008, who played their first season in 2009 and won the Aussie Rules UKAussie Rules UK
Aussie Rules UK was a United Kingdom organisation set up in April 2005 to introduce children in the UK to Australian rules football via an adaptation of the sport for use in schools...
National League - Central Division. They will be taking part in the North West Division in 2010.
Hockey
Huddersfield has a number of field hockeyHockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
teams, many of which train at the Lockwood Park sports complex on the all weather pitch.
Motorsport
Notable local people include James WhithamJames Whitham
Michael James 'Jamie' Whitham , is a former professional motorcycle road racer. He raced in most major British and international championships, winning the British championship twice...
, former 'British Superbike
Superbike racing
Superbike racing is a category of motorcycle racing that employs modified production motorcycles. Superbike World Championship is the international superbike championship, and national superbike championships are held in many countries as well, including the United Kingdom, the United States,...
Champion'.
Lepton born Tom Sykes
Tom Sykes
Tom Sykes is a motorcycle road racer born 19 August 1985 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England. In 2007 he gained his first ride in British Superbikes, riding a Stobart Vent-Axia Honda; Sykes finished in sixth position in the championship in his rookie year...
is a new addition to the Yamaha Motor Italia World team in the 2009 World Superbike season after impressive spells in both British Supersports & British Superbikes, in which in the latter he finished 4th in the 2009 Season. He also managed to win his first race in World Superbikes
Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship is the worldwide Superbike racing Championship. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Championship season consists of a series of rounds held on permanent racing facilities...
in one of two wildcard meetings.
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
racing was staged in Huddersfield in the UK pioneer year of 1928. A venue in the town staged four or five meetings.
Music
Huddersfield Choral Society, founded in 1836, claims tobe the UK's leading choral society
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
. Its history was chronicled in the book 'And The Glory, written to commemorate the Society's 150th anniversary in 1986 — its title derived from a line in the Hallelujah Chorus featuring in Handel's
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
landmark choral arrangement The Messiah
Messiah (Handel)
Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742, and received its London premiere nearly a year later...
. The author was a choir member for over 35 years.
More recently, the town's other main claim to international musical renown is the annual Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival
Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival
The Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival is held in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It has a repertoire of cutting-edge jazz, orchestral, choral and electroacoustic performances, along with film, dance and music theatre...
. It is also home to the Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra
Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra
The Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra is an amateur orchestra based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.- Origins :In 1862 the first orchestra in Huddersfield to achieve lasting permanence was established by Rev JH Thomas...
and the Huddersfield Singers
Huddersfield Singers
The Huddersfield Singers is based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England and is a chamber choir of around 30 members. The choir was formed in 1875 as the Huddersfield Glee & Madrigal Society and performs a wide variety of sacred and secular music from all periods of musical history, ranging from...
.
On Christmas Day 1977, Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
played their last two British shows, one of which was a matinee for the children of striking firefighters, at the then 'Ivanhoe's' nightclub venue, before embarking on the ill-fated US tour which saw them collapse into acrimony. In the early-mid 1990s, Flex, the seminal underground Jungle/Drum 'n' Bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
record label, was founded in Huddersfield by the musician and future BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 1Xtra is a digital radio station in the United Kingdom from the BBC specialising in new black music, sometimes referred to as urban music. Launched at 18:00 on 16 August 2002, it had been codenamed Network X during the consulation period and is the sister station to BBC Radio 1...
DJ, L Double. In 2000 another independent record label Chocolate Fireguard Records
Chocolate Fireguard Records
Chocolate Fireguard Records is an independent record label founded in 2000 by Pat Fulgoni.It is home to such bands as Fulgoni's dance/rock outfit Kava Kava , The Bluefoot Project featuring Rachel Modest, French hip hop crew La Cedille, girl punk rockers Mary-Jane, hip hop grime artist Practical...
was founded in Huddersfield by singer Pat Fulgoni who also developed the three stage Community music event Timeless Festival
Timeless Festival
Timeless Festival was a community music festival in Huddersfield, Kirklees, which ran from 2002 to 2005. The Guardian choose the festival as its 'pick of the week' 2 years running...
held in the town's Ravensknowle Park, featuring a range of electronica, hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
and rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
.
There are a number of other annual local music festivals held within the town and surrounding area, examples being the Marsden
Marsden, West Yorkshire
Marsden is a large village within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, west of Huddersfield and located at the confluence of the River Colne and the Wessenden Brook...
Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
Festival, Mrs Sunderland, Janet Beaumont, the Holmfirth
Holmfirth
Holmfirth is a small town located on the A6024 Woodhead Road in the Holme Valley, within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Centred upon the confluence of the Holme and Ribble rivers, Holmfirth is south of Huddersfield and from Glossop. It mostly consists of...
Festivals, and the Haydn Wood (Linthwaite). The Haydn Wood (for under 21's)and Mrs Sunderland festival focus on musical and oratorial performance. The Mrs Sunderland Music festival is the second oldest in the United Kingdom, started in 1889 and now lasting for nine days each year. Also, in recent years, free music concerts have been put on for the town, including bands such as The Ordinary Boys, The Script and Elliott Minor. There are however many other local choirs, both youth and adult, a noted example of the latter being the Honley
Honley
Honley is a large village in West Yorkshire, England near to Holmfirth and Huddersfield situated on the banks of the River Holme in the Holme Valley. In 2001 it had a population of 5,897 according to the census.-Education:...
Male voice choir.
Home-grown musical talent of all kinds is complemented by the student intake to the University of Huddersfield's music department.
Further fame was added to the musical history of Huddersfield by the inclusion of the song "The Sheriff of Huddersfield" by the heavy metal band Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
on the B-side to their 1986 single "Wasted Years
Wasted Years
"Wasted Years" is the fourteenth single released by Iron Maiden and the first from their Somewhere in Time album. It's the only song on the album that features no synthesizers. Released in 1986, it was the first single solely written by guitarist Adrian Smith, who also sings backing vocals...
".
Written about their co-manager Rod Smallwood
Rod Smallwood
Rod Smallwood, co-manager of the British band Iron Maiden and co-founder in 1976 of then Smallwood-Taylor Enterprises, today Sanctuary Group which is the world's largest music management company. The company was named after the Maiden song by the same name...
, leaving his home town of Huddersfield and struggling to settle into life in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Huddersfield is home to thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band Evile
Evile
Evile is a thrash metal band from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire in the United Kingdom. Their debut album, Enter the Grave, was produced by Flemming Rasmussen at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark and was released worldwide in 2007 by Earache Records to critical acclaim by fans and critics...
, dance rock outfit Kava Kava, the birthplace of the synthpop musician Billy Currie
Billy Currie
Billy Currie is an English violist, violinist, pianist, keyboardist, and songwriter...
of (Ultravox
Ultravox
Ultravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
and Visage) fame the hard rock bassist John McCoy
John McCoy (musician)
John McCoy is a British bass guitarist who is best known for his work with Ian Gillan and Mammoth as well as numerous other bands and sessions since the late 1960s. He currently plays in British rock trio Guy McCoy Torme with former Gillan/Ozzy guitarist Bernie Torme and Bruce Dickinson/Sack Trick...
who played with Neo
Neo (UK band)
Neo was an early New Wave band which was part of the Engish musical scene originated by punk in the 1970s. The group was formed by the American-born singer Ian North, who was the frontman and the only continuous member from the band formation in 1977 to the end in 1979.-Early days: Radio:In 1976,...
and Gillan
Gillan
Gillan was a rock band formed in 1978 by Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan.-History:In 1978 Ian Gillan had become dissatisfied with the jazz fusion style of his band called the Ian Gillan Band and dissolved it, retaining only keyboard player Colin Towns, and formed a new band entitled Gillan...
.
Huddersfield Town Hall
The building was designed by John H Abbey and was built in two stages between 1875 and 1881. The first section of the building opened on 26 June 1878, comprising the Mayor's Parlour, Council Chamber, Reception Room, and a variety of municipal offices including the Sanitary Inspector, Inspector of Weights and Measures, Medical Officer, Town Clerk, Borough Surveyor and the Rates Office. The second section of the building was opened in October 1881 and comprised the Magistrates Court and Concert Hall, which seats up to 1200 people and hosts various events ranging from classical to comedy and from choral to community events.Film and televisual arts
Various long-running television series have been filmed in and around Huddersfield. These include Last of the Summer WineLast of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine is a British sitcom written by Roy Clarke that was broadcast on BBC One. Last of the Summer Wine premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse on 4 January 1973 and the first series of episodes followed on 12 November 1973. From 1983 to 2010, Alan J. W. Bell produced and...
, which is usually associated with Holmfirth
Holmfirth
Holmfirth is a small town located on the A6024 Woodhead Road in the Holme Valley, within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Centred upon the confluence of the Holme and Ribble rivers, Holmfirth is south of Huddersfield and from Glossop. It mostly consists of...
, but uses various locations in both the Holme and Colne valleys; Where the Heart Is
Where the Heart Is (1997 TV series)
Where the Heart Is is a British television drama series set in the fictional town Skelthwaite.First shown in 1997, it was created by Ashley Pharoah and Vicky Featherstone...
, was filmed in the Colne valley around Slaithwaite
Slaithwaite
Slaithwaite is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Colne Valley laying across the River Colne and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, approximately southwest of Huddersfield. The pronunciation of Slaithwaite varies...
and finished filming in 2006; Wokenwell, also shot on location in the Colne valley in and around Marsden
Marsden, West Yorkshire
Marsden is a large village within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, west of Huddersfield and located at the confluence of the River Colne and the Wessenden Brook...
; and The League of Gentlemen
The League of Gentlemen
The League of Gentlemen are a group of British comedians formed in 1995, best known for their radio and television series.The League of Gentlemen may also refer to:* The League of Gentlemen ,...
, that also makes extensive use of locations around Marsden. The feature films Between Two Women
Between Two Women
Between Two Women is a 1950s set feature film by British writer-director Steven Woodcock. It tells the story of Ellen, a factory worker’s wife trapped in an unhappy marriage amidst the grime and industrial noise of north England.-Plot:...
and The Jealous God
The Jealous God
The Jealous God is a novel by John Braine which was first published in 1964. Set in the early 1960s among the Irish Catholic community in a small Yorkshire town, the book is about a 30 year-old mummy's boy and his attempts at liberating himself from his domineering mother...
were both filmed extensively in and around Huddersfield.
Visual arts
Kirklees council's cultural services also ensure that the art gallery, which occupies the top floor of the library on Princess AlexandraPrincess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy is the youngest granddaughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. She is the widow of Sir Angus Ogilvy...
Walk, offers a balanced schedule, all year round, which showcases local painters and photographers alongside commissioned artists' displays.
Huddersfield Festival of Light
This 'Free festival' takes place annually in November, usually in the town centre adjacent to the railway station. Each year a performance is put on by a different theatre company. The event finale is a firework display. The 2007 show was performed by French company Plasticiens Volants, which saw large inflatable sea creatures paraded through the streets as they told their story of 'Pearl'. The 2005 and 2008 performances were both by the Valencian artists Xarxa Teatre.The 2010 festival featured Belgian company Company Tol and their suspension act - Corazon de Angeles (Angel Heart) and was ended on 5 December with fireworks in the newly updated St Georges Square.
Huddersfield Caribbean Carnival
The carnival, usually in mid July, begins with a procession from the Hudawi Cultural Centre in the suburb of Hillhouse, through the town centre to Greenhead Park where troupes display their costumes on stage. West Indian food, fairground rides and various stalls and attractions are available to try. A 'young blud' stage presents Hip Hop, UK garage, RnB and bassline.The Pink Picnic
Each year since 1986 Huddersfield gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgenderTransgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
ed community have embarked on a summer celebration and picnic. The event now attracts thousands from miles around and is held as a gay pride
Gay pride
LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...
event, usually at Castle Hill
Castle Hill, Huddersfield
Taken and adapted from Rumsby, J. 'A Castle Well Guarded: the archaeology and history of Castle Hill, Almondbury' Castle Hill is a Scheduled Ancient Monument situated on a hilltop overlooking Huddersfield, in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees. It has been settled for at least 4,000 years....
.
Shopping and entertainment
Huddersfield has a large and diverse retail shopping area — mostly enclosed within the town's ring road — compared with other towns of its size. There are three adjacent shopping schemes: Kingsgate, the Packhorse Precinct and the Piazza. The Piazza offers an outdoor shopping mall bordering the Public library, with a partially grassed area, used for relaxation and various events held throughout the year such as entertainment, International Markets and iceskating in winter. Through the adjacent Market Arcade there is a covered market hall, which has listed building status, due in part to its distinctive roof formed by hyperbolicHyperbola
In mathematics a hyperbola is a curve, specifically a smooth curve that lies in a plane, which can be defined either by its geometric properties or by the kinds of equations for which it is the solution set. A hyperbola has two pieces, called connected components or branches, which are mirror...
paraboloid
Paraboloid
In mathematics, a paraboloid is a quadric surface of special kind. There are two kinds of paraboloids: elliptic and hyperbolic. The elliptic paraboloid is shaped like an oval cup and can have a maximum or minimum point....
s. It is also adjacent to the town hall and public library (see Historical landmarks above). An open market is located next to the Tesco store, on the opposite side of the town centre.
Virtual Huddersfield features photographs of nearly 2,000 local shops as well as videos of local events, aerial views and live webcams.
The town centre is home to several national high street retailers and chain stores including Clinton Cards
Clinton Cards
Clinton Cards is a chain of stores in the UK founded in 1968 by Don Lewin. Mostly selling greeting cards, as the name suggests, the chain claims to be "the largest specialist retailer of greetings cards, plush merchandise and related products in the UK with over 700 shops." They used to be...
, GAME
GAME (retailer)
The Game Group plc is a British video games retail company. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index....
, Gamestation
Gamestation
Gamestation is a chain of UK retail shops selling used and new video games, and was the second-largest specialist video game retailer in the UK until it was bought out by Game in 2007...
, HMV
HMV Group
HMV is a British global entertainment retail chain and is the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company also operates in Hong Kong and Singapore. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE Fledgling Index...
, House of Fraser
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is a British department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891 it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, but after the Second...
, JD Sports
JD Sports
JD Sports Fashion plc, more commonly known as just JD, is a sports-fashion retail company based in Bury, Greater Manchester, England with shops throughout the United Kingdom and with one in Ireland...
, JJB Sports
JJB Sports
JJB Sports plc is a United Kingdom sports retailer. It currently operates 251 stores in the UK and Ireland.- History :The sportshop chain was founded in 1971, when ex-footballer Dave Whelan acquired a single sports shop in Wigan. The original store was established by JJ Broughton in the early...
, W H Smith
W H Smith
WHSmith plc is a British retailer, headquartered in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. It is best known for its chain of high street, railway station, airport, hospital and motorway service station shops selling books, stationery, magazines, newspapers, and entertainment products...
s and Wilkinsons; up until January 2008, it also had a Woolworths
Woolworths Group
Woolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books...
. Fast food outlets include Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
, KFC
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
, McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
, Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
and Wimpy. High-street clothing and fashion retail outlets such as British Home Stores, Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
, River Island
River Island
River Island is one of Britain's best known high street fashion brands and can be found in most cities across the UK. The brand also has stores in Singapore, Turkey, Poland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the Middle East.-History:...
, Topman
Topman
TOPMAN is the stand-alone fashion business counterpart of Topshop that caters exclusively to men’s clothing. A part of the Arcadia Group, which also owns Burton, Miss Selfridge, Wallis, Evans, British Home Stores and Dorothy Perkins, Topman has a chain of high-street men's clothing stores located...
and Next. There are three major supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
outlets, two Sainsbury's and one 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...
. Additional smaller supermarkets exist a few hundred yards outside of the town centre such as Aldi
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
, Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
formerly a Netto
Netto (store)
Netto is a Danish discount supermarket operating in several European countries. Netto is owned by Dansk Supermarked Group, which in turn is partly owned by A.P. Møller-Mærsk Group.Netto also operates an express version of the store, known as Døgn Netto...
and Lidl
Lidl
Lidl is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany that operates over 7,200 stores across Europe. The company's full name is Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG...
. There are also a wide variety of small specialist independent shops, many of them located in the three-storey Byram Arcade.
The Lawrence Batley Theatre
Lawrence Batley Theatre
The Lawrence Batley Theatre is a theatre in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England which offers drama, music, dance and comedy.The theatre is named after Lawrence Batley, a local entrepreneur and philanthropist, who founded a nationwide cash and carry chain....
, opened in 1994, housed in what was once the largest Wesleyan Chapel
Methodist Church of Great Britain
The Methodist Church of Great Britain is the largest Wesleyan Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations across Great Britain . It is the United Kingdom's fourth largest Christian denomination, with around 300,000 members and 6,000 churches...
in the world, and now presents dance, drama, comedy, music and exhibitions. Among other things, it acts as the base for Full Body And The Voice, a company focusing on the integration of disabled people into mainstream theatre.
The Galpharm Stadium
Galpharm Stadium
The Galpharm Stadium, formerly the Alfred McAlpine Stadium, is a multi-use sports in Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England. Since 1994, it has been the home ground of Huddersfield Town and Super League side, Huddersfield Giants.-The Stadium:...
(formerly the Alfred McAlpine Stadium), is a multi-use sports stadium and provides many sporting activities including a gym, swimming pool, spa and several types of sporting classes. The stadium is home to the local rugby league team Huddersfield Giants and the Huddersfield Town football team. Adjacent to the stadium is an Odeon cinema
Odeon Cinemas
Odeon Cinemas is a British chain of cinemas, one of the largest in Europe. It is owned by Odeon & UCI Cinemas Group whose ultimate parent is Terra Firma Capital Partners.-History:Odeon Cinemas was created in 1928 by Oscar Deutsch...
, Huddersfield's only major cinema.
Nightlife
Huddersfield has a large selection of pubs, restaurants and night clubs, one of which, named Tokyo, is located in the former Huddersfield County CourtCounty Court
A county court is a court based in or with a jurisdiction covering one or more counties, which are administrative divisions within a country, not to be confused with the medieval system of county courts held by the High Sheriff of each county.-England and Wales:County Court matters can be lodged...
, which is a 19th century Grade II listed building. The oldest pub in the town centre is the Parish (formerly the Fleece inn), the pub has been trading since 1720.
Education
As well as a complete range of primary and secondary schoolSecondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s, which cover compulsory and sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
education for the town's suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s, Huddersfield is the home to two dedicated sixth form college
Sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
s, Huddersfield New College
Huddersfield New College
Huddersfield New College is a former grammar school and current sixth form college located in Salendine Nook on the outskirts of Huddersfield, in the English county of West Yorkshire. The current Principal is Angela Williams.-Admissions:...
located at Salendine Nook
Salendine Nook
Salendine Nook is a district of Huddersfield to the north-west of Huddersfield in the English county of West Yorkshire.Bordered to the north-east by Laund Hill, Weather Hill and Low Hill and to the south-west by the natural scar of Longwood Edge, above the suburb of Longwood...
, and Greenhead College
Greenhead College
Greenhead College is a former grammar school and current sixth form college located in Huddersfield, in the English county of West Yorkshire. The current principal is Martin Rostron....
located west of the town centre. Huddersfield Grammar School
Huddersfield Grammar School
Hudderfield Grammar School is a profit-making coeducational independent school located in Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England. Since 2007 the school has been owned and operated by the Cognita Group. It is the largest independent school in Huddersfield to offer both primary and secondary...
is the only independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
in Huddersfield to offer secondary education, though it does not offer sixth form education. The town centre has one general further education
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
college, Kirklees College
Kirklees College
Kirklees College is a further education college with two main centres in the towns of Dewsbury and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
which was formed following the merger of Dewsbury College and Huddersfield Technical College. Huddersfield has one establishment of higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
in the University of Huddersfield
University of Huddersfield
The University of Huddersfield is a university located in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.- History :The University traces its roots back to a Science and Mechanic Institute founded in 1825...
. The current Chancellor of the University is the actor Patrick Stewart
Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century...
who comes from 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...
.
Hospitals
Huddersfield has one main hospital, the Huddersfield Royal InfirmaryHuddersfield Royal Infirmary
The Huddersfield Royal Infirmary is a hospital situated in the English town of Huddersfield. It is situated in the suburb of Lindley and provides general services, emergency services and some specialist services....
situated in Lindley, and the smaller St. Luke's Hospital at Crosland Moor
Crosland Moor
Crosland Moor is a district of the town of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.It begins 1 mile to the south west of Huddersfield town centre. The electoral ward of Crosland Moor and Netherton, in the Colne Valley constituency...
, formerly a workhouse for the poor before its conversion to a maternity hospital, which currently provides geriatric
Geriatrics
Geriatrics is a sub-specialty of internal medicine and family medicine that focuses on health care of elderly people. It aims to promote health by preventing and treating diseases and disabilities in older adults. There is no set age at which patients may be under the care of a geriatrician, or...
and psychiatric
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
care. Plus various Physiological
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
testing facilities for the medical Consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
s outpatient clinics at the Royal Infirmary, such as Gamma-Irradiation Scanning
Gamma ray
Gamma radiation, also known as gamma rays or hyphenated as gamma-rays and denoted as γ, is electromagnetic radiation of high frequency . Gamma rays are usually naturally produced on Earth by decay of high energy states in atomic nuclei...
, Chest X-ray
Chest X-ray
In medicine, a chest radiograph, commonly called a chest X-ray , is a projection radiograph of the chest used to diagnose conditions affecting the chest, its contents, and nearby structures...
services, Electromyography
Electromyography
Electromyography is a technique for evaluating and recording the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles. EMG is performed using an instrument called an electromyograph, to produce a record called an electromyogram. An electromyograph detects the electrical potential generated by muscle...
and Nerve conduction tests
Nerve conduction study
A nerve conduction study is a test commonly used to evaluate the function, especially the ability of electrical conduction, of the motor and sensory nerves of the human body.Nerve conduction velocity is a common measurement made during this test...
. Kirkwood Hospice
Kirkwood Hospice
Kirkwood Hospice is a hospice situated in Dalton, Huddersfield, in West Yorkshire, England. It provides Specialist palliative care for the terminally ill in Kirklees...
provides care for the terminally ill
Terminal illness
Terminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century to describe a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and that is reasonably expected to result in the death of the patient within a short period of time. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as...
, and is dependent on private donations and charitable gifts. Greenhead's Princess Royal Hospital originally provided Huddersfield with its maternity
Maternity
Maternity or motherhood is the social and legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a mother and her child.It is specially related with the protection of the baby and the mother within and after the childbirth.-See also:...
facilities until the risks of not being able to get an ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
to A&E
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
in the event of complications were judged to outweigh the benefits of specialist service provision. It now functions as a day clinic, family planning
Family planning
Family planning is the planning of when to have children, and the use of birth control and other techniques to implement such plans. Other techniques commonly used include sexuality education, prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections, pre-conception counseling and...
consultation centre and GUM Clinic
Sexual health clinic
Sexual health clinics specialize in the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections.Sexual health clinics provide only some reproductive health services...
.
A decision to move most of the maternity services provided by the Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust to the Calderdale Royal Hospital changed those facilities in 2007, despite strong opposition from some of the local population. The campaign was led by Save Huddersfield NHS
Save Huddersfield NHS
Save Huddersfield NHS is a minor British political party registered in 2006. The party campaigns against a proposed reorganisation of National Health Service facilities in the Huddersfield area and is led by Dr. Jackie Grunsell, a local general practitioner and member of the Socialist Party...
which elected a councillor, Dr Jackie Grunsell in the Crosland Moor ward. St. Luke's Hospital is also scheduled to close within the next few years and the land sold for private housing.
List of Civic honours and freedoms
Thirty four people and one military infantry regiment have been granted the Freedom of Huddersfield, between 1889 and 1973.- Wright Mellor JP DL – (25 September 1889)
- Henry Frederick Beaumont JP DL – (28 August 1894)
- Lt Col Sir Albert Kaye RollitAlbert RollitSir Albert Kaye Rollit was a British politician, lawyer, and businessman.Born in Hull, he became a solicitor and went on to become president of the Law Society. He later became a shipowner. In 1886 he was elected as a Conservative Member of Parliament for the South Islington constituency...
LLD DLC LittD JP DL – (28 August 1894) - James Nield Sykes JP – (12 March 1895)
- Joseph WoodheadJoseph WoodheadJoseph Woodhead was an English newspaper proprietor and editor and a Liberal politician.Woodhead was the youngest son of Godfrey Woodhead, a currier and leather merchant of Holmfirth. He was educated at private schools but grew up in a home where books and reading were valued...
JP – (28 October 1898) - Sir Joseph Crosland Knt JP DL – (28 October 1898)
- Major Charles Brook – (23 May 1901)
- Major Harold Wilson – (23 May 1901)
- Sir Thomas Brooke Bart JP DL – (25 July 1906)
- Rev Robert Bruce MA DD – (25 July 1906)
- William Brooke JP - (15 October 1913)
- John Sykes JP – (15 October 1913)
- William Henry Jessop JP – (18 September 1918)
- Earnest Woodhead MA JP – (18 September 1918)
- George Thomson JP – (18 September 1918)
- Benjamin Broadbent CBE MA JP – (18 September 1918)
- John Arthur Brooke MA JP – (18 September 1918)
- James Edward Willans JP – (18 September 1918)
- Admiral of the Fleet Earl BeattyDavid Beatty, 1st Earl BeattyAdmiral of the Fleet David Richard Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO was an admiral in the Royal Navy...
GCB OM GCVO DSO – (24 July 1920) - The Rt Hon Herbert Henry AsquithH. H. AsquithHerbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
Earl of Oxford and Asquith, and Viscount Asquith – (6 November 1925) - Sir William Pick Raynor Knt JP – (17 December 1926)
- Wilfrid Dawson JP – (25 July 1934)
- Rowland Mitchell JP – (25 July 1934)
- James Albert Woolven JP Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur – (25 July 1934)
- Sir Bernard Law MontgomeryBernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of AlameinField Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...
Field-Marshal GCB DSO – (26 October 1945) - Joseph Barlow JP – (23 June 1949)
- Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding)Duke of Wellington's RegimentThe Duke of Wellington's Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division.In 1702 Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he did in and around the city of Gloucester. As was the custom in those days...
– (2 July 1952) - Sidney Kaye LLB – (19 November 1957)
- Alderman Arthur Gardiner OBE JP – (11 October 1960)
- Alderman Harry Andrew Bennie Gray CBE JP – (11 October 1960)
- Sir Malcolm SargentMalcolm SargentSir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent was an English conductor, organist and composer widely regarded as Britain's leading conductor of choral works...
MusD(Dunelm) MusD(Oxon)(Hons) LLD(Liverpool) Hon RAM Hon FRCO FRCM FRSA – (13 October 1961) - The Rt Hon Harold WilsonHarold WilsonJames Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
OBE MP Prime MinisterPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
and First Lord of the Treasury – (1 March 1968) - Alderman Douglas Graham CBE – (5 March 1973)
- Alderman Reginald Harmley MBE JP – (5 March 1973)
- Alderman Clifford Stephenson – (5 March 1973)
On 2 July 1952, in recognition of historic ties and links with the Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding)
The Duke of Wellington's Regiment
The Duke of Wellington's Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division.In 1702 Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he did in and around the city of Gloucester. As was the custom in those days...
, the Huddersfield County Borough had conferred on the regiment the Freedom of the Town. This gave the regiment the right to march through the town with 'flags flying, bands playing and bayonets fixed'. Many of the town and district's male residents had served in the regiment during its long history. This right to march was technically lost when the County Borough itself was merged with Dewsbury to form Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council though, unofficially, continued as on 25 March 1979, Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council gave the Freedom of Kirklees to the 3rd battalion of the Yorkshire Volunteers. The 3rd Battalion was the Duke of Wellington's Territorial Army unit.
When the 'Dukes' were amalgamated with the Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire
Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire
The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the King's Division. It was created in 1958 by the amalgamation of The West Yorkshire Regiment and The East Yorkshire Regiment...
and the Green Howards
The Green Howards
The Green Howards was an infantry regiment of the British Army, in the King's Division...
' to form the Yorkshire Regiment
Yorkshire Regiment
The Yorkshire Regiment is one of the largest infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment is currently the only line infantry or rifles unit to represent a single geographical county in the new infantry structure, serving as the county regiment of Yorkshire covering the historical areas...
on 6 June 2006. The right to march was finally ended as the award did not give the right, for the freedom to march, to be passed on to any heirs or successors. The majority of the Yorkshire Regiment is now composed of soldiers from the north and eastern areas of Yorkshire. The Yorkshire Regiment requested the right to march to be transferred to them. However, the county Borough no longer exists and so there was no authority to do so. The 'Freedom' given by Kirklees to the 3rd battalion of the Yorkshire Volunteers did not permit any transfer to heirs or successors and effectively that freedom also ceased when the battalion was amalgamated into the East and West Riding Regiment
East and West Riding Regiment
The East and West Riding Regiment was a regiment of the British Territorial Army from 1999 to 2006.-History:The regiment was formed in 1999 by the amalgamation of the 3rd Battalion, The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire , the 3rd Battalion, The Duke of Wellington's Regiment and the...
. The East and West Riding Regiment ceased to exist on 6 June 2006, having been merged into the Yorkshire Regiment as its 4th Battalion. Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council, as successors to the Huddersfield Borough Council, amended the original 'Freedom' and transferred the 'Freedom' to the Yorkshire Regiment, at a Freedom parade on 25 October 2008.
Notable people
A number of nationNation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
al and international
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
ly famous people originate from Huddersfield. They cover a range of politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s, sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
s personalities, athletes, entertainers, business people, scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
s and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
s of various styles. Some people have also become known through their association with Huddersfield, though were not born there. These include the actor Patrick Stewart
Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century...
, who was born in Mirfield and the inventor Wilf Lunn
Wilf Lunn
Wilf Lunn is probably best known for his regular appearances on the 1960s and 1970s British television show Vision On demonstrating his latest inventions with Tony Hart and Sylvester McCoy....
, who was born in Brighouse.
The most widely notable of those born in Huddersfield include (in alphabetical order by surname):- Simon Armitage
Simon Armitage
Simon Armitage CBE is a British poet, playwright, and novelist.-Life and career:Simon Armitage was born in Marsden, West Yorkshire. Armitage first studied at Colne Valley High School, Linthwaite, Huddersfield and went on to study geography at Portsmouth Polytechnic...
who is both a poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and an author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. Lawrence Batley
Lawrence Batley
Lawrence Batley was an entrepreneur and philanthropist who was born in the town of Huddersfield, in the English county of Yorkshire...
a British business entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
. Andy Booth
Andy Booth
Andrew David "Andy" Booth is a retired professional footballer. Whilst at Huddersfield he announced his retirement on 22 April 2009, but remains at the club as an ambassador.-Huddersfield Town:...
a footballer for the local football club:- Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
. David Borrow
David Borrow
David Stanley Borrow is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for South Ribble from 1997 to 2010.-Education:...
a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for South Ribble. Sir David Brown OBE
David Brown (entrepreneur)
Sir David Brown was an English entrepreneur, managing director of his family firm David Brown Limited and one time owner of shipbuilders Vosper Thornycroft and automobile manufacturer Aston Martin....
a businessman. Roy Castle OBE
Roy Castle
Roy Castle OBE was an English dancer, singer, comedian, actor, television presenter and musician. He attended Honley High School, where there is now a building in his name...
who was a dancer and entertainer and later a TV presenter. Lord James Hanson
James Hanson, Baron Hanson
James Edward, Baron Hanson was an English Conservative industrialist who built his businesses through the process of leveraged buyouts through Hanson plc.-Career:...
was another British and international businessman mainly known for his association with the transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
industry. Sir Harold Percival Himsworth
Harold Percival Himsworth
Sir Harold Percival Himsworth, KCB was a British scientist, best known for his medical research on diabetes mellitus.-Early life:...
was a scientist. George Herbert Hirst
George Herbert Hirst
George Herbert Hirst was a professional English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1891 and 1921, with a further appearance in 1929. He played in 24 Test matches for England between 1897 and 1909, touring Australia twice...
was an English test cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. Nina Hossain
Nina Hossain
Nina Hossain is a British journalist, presenter and newscaster.Hossain is currently employed on a freelance basis by ITN where she is the main presenter of ITV London's regional news programme London Tonight. Nina also acts as a relief newscaster for ITV News.-Background:Hossain was born in...
is a Television broadcaster. Derek Ibbotson
Derek Ibbotson
George Derek Ibbotson MBE was an English runner who excelled in athletics in the 1950s. His most famous achievement was setting a new world record in the mile in 1957....
was an Olympic athlete in the track events. A tower block of social housing accommodation, close to the town's ring road, was named after him Gorden Kaye
Gorden Kaye
Gorden Kaye is a BAFTA-nominated English comic actor, best known for playing René Artois in the British TV comedy Allo 'Allo!.-Early life:...
is mostly known for his comedy acting. Anita Lonsbrough was an Olympic swimmer and commentator. Like Derek Ibbotson
Derek Ibbotson
George Derek Ibbotson MBE was an English runner who excelled in athletics in the 1950s. His most famous achievement was setting a new world record in the mile in 1957....
a tower block of social housing accommodation was named after her. DJ Q
DJ Q
Zander, better known by his stage name DJ Q, is a Huddersfield born DJ who presents a UK garage mix show on BBC Radio 1Xtra. Teamed with MC Bonez, he is also known for his commercial single, "You Wot!"....
who presents a show on BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 1Xtra is a digital radio station in the United Kingdom from the BBC specialising in new black music, sometimes referred to as urban music. Launched at 18:00 on 16 August 2002, it had been codenamed Network X during the consulation period and is the sister station to BBC Radio 1...
. Zöe Lucker
Zöe Lucker
Zöe Elizabeth Lucker is an English actress best known for playing the roles of Tanya Turner on ITV's Footballers' Wives and Vanessa Gold in EastEnders.-Career:...
is an actress, known for playing Tanya Turner
Tanya Turner
Tanya Louise Turner Federico is a fictional television character. She is the lead character on the ITV drama Footballers' Wives, and also briefly appeared on the drama Bad Girls. Tanya is portrayed by English actress Zöe Lucker and is the only character credited for the entire series from the...
in the ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
Drama Footballers' Wives
Footballers' Wives
Footballers' Wives is a British television drama surrounding the fictional Premier League Association football club Earls Park F.C., its players, and their wives. It was broadcast on the ITV network from 8 January 2002 to 14 April 2006...
. Another Huddersfield born celebrity was the great actor of British and American films, James Mason
James Mason
James Neville Mason was an English actor who attained stardom in both British and American films. Mason remained a powerful figure in the industry throughout his career and was nominated for three Academy Awards as well as three Golden Globes .- Early life :Mason was born in Huddersfield, in the...
. Wilfred Rhodes
Wilfred Rhodes
Wilfred Rhodes was an English professional cricketer who played 58 Test matches for England between 1899 and 1930. In Tests, Rhodes took 127 wickets in and scored 2,325 runs, becoming the first Englishman to complete the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test matches...
is another English test cricketer. Chris Balderstone
Chris Balderstone
John Christopher Balderstone was an English professional in cricket and football, and one of the last sportsmen to combine both sports over a prolonged period. He played football as a midfielder for Huddersfield Town, Carlisle United, Doncaster Rovers and Queen of the South...
played first class cricket and professional football, on one occasion both on the same day. John Whitaker MBE has a local stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
s and is an Olympic equestrian. Whilst probably the most famous of all is Harold Wilson KG OBE
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
who was twice the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1964 to 1970 and again from 1974 to 1976.
Also Cameron Jerome
Cameron Jerome
Cameron Zishan Rana-Jerome is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City as a striker. He also played for Cardiff City in the Football League, and for Birmingham City in the Football League and Premier League, and at international level has several caps for the England under-21 team.-Early...
footballer who plays in Birmingham City.
Other well known personalities can also be located in the :Category:People from Huddersfield.
See also
- Haddersfield, JamaicaHaddersfield, JamaicaHaddersfield, also known as Huddersfield, is a small town located in the St Mary parish of Jamaica. It is located at 18°24' N, 77°1' W, close to the small town of 'Retreat' and the mouth of the 'Rio Nuevo', some 10 kilometres east of Ocho Rios...
, locally referred to and named for Huddersfield - HadersfildHadersfild (film)Hadersfild is a Serbian film from 2007, directed by Ivan Zivkovic, and the script was written by Ugljesa Sajtinac.-Plot summary:The story is set in a small town in Serbia...
, (Serbian phonetic spelling of Huddersfield), Serbian film from 2007. - Huddersfield BenHuddersfield BenHuddersfield Ben , an early Yorkshire Terrier, is universally acknowledged to be the foundation sire of the breed. In his day Ben won many prizes, both as a show dog and in ratting contests. He was even said to have been hunted...
, dog from the area in the 1860s that was the progenitor of the Yorkshire TerrierYorkshire TerrierThe Yorkshire Terrier is a small dog breed of terrier type, developed in the 19th century in the county of Yorkshire, England to catch rats in clothing mills. The defining features of the breed are its size, to , and its silky blue and tan coat...
breed of dog - Kirklees IncineratorKirklees IncineratorThe Kirklees Incinerator is a major moving grate incineration plant in Huddersfield, Kirklees. The incinerator is owned and operated by Sita. The plant is integral to the waste strategy and Unitary Development plan of Kirklees Council, treating 136,000 tonnes of locally generated municipal waste...
- Trolleybuses in HuddersfieldTrolleybuses in HuddersfieldThe Huddersfield trolleybus system once served the market town of Huddersfield, in West Yorkshire, England. Opened on , it gradually replaced the Huddersfield tramway network....
- Wikitravel - Huddersfield
Further reading
E.A. Hilary Haigh ed. (1992) Huddersfield: A Most Handsome Town - Aspects of the History and Culture of a West Yorkshire Town. Kirklees MC, Huddersfield, pp. 704.External links
- Huddersfield Town Hall
- BBC Voices - Audio recording Huddersfield residents who have roots in Jamaica talk about storytelling traditions and the generation language gap.
- Aerial views of the town centre, April 2007
- About Huddersfield
- Huddersfield History
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Huddersfield and surrounding area