Knottingley
Encyclopedia
Knottingley is a town within the metropolitan borough
of the City of Wakefield
in West Yorkshire
, England
on the River Aire
and the A1 road. It has a population of 13,503.
Until 1699, it was an important inland river port but, in that year, the Aire was made navigable as far as Leeds
, which soon surpassed it. Knottingley continued as a centre for boat building into the twentieth century. After 1870, the town also became known for glass
manufacturing.
The town is served by Knottingley railway station
.
Knottingley is famous as a glass manufacturing town. In 1887 Bagley's Glassworks purchased the rights to the first bottle-making machine, invented by a Ferrybridge
postmaster.
Close to Knottingley is the Ferrybridge Power Station
, which has the largest cooling towers of their kind in Europe. Three of these towers collapsed in high winds in 1965. These towers can be seen for miles around. One of the oldest purpose-built cinemas in England, located in Aire Street, has been converted into flats
.
The town is one of the few in the United Kingdom
to have a working coal mine, Kellingley Colliery
.
of Cnotta's people", from the Old English
personal name Cnotta meaning "knot
", describing a small, round man and -ingas "people of" + leāh "wood, modern lee
, not the same meaning as Leah (personal name)". The name was recorded as Cnotinesleahemm in 1128.
During the three Sieges of Pontefract Castle
, Oliver Cromwell
took residence in the town of Knottingley, believed to be in Wildbore House. The house was later demolished when its land was mined as a quarry
for the limestone
underneath.
Knottingley, inextricably linked with Ferrybridge, is a West Yorkshire town whose history is tied to river travel and industry. It has managed to retain certain elements of that industrial history as thriving enterprises today, providing employment for many of its population of some 17,000. It was originally an Anglo-Saxon settlement, though the ancient monument of Ferrybridge Henge
shows it was a significant habitation long before then.
The crossing over the Aire at Ferrybridge was of importance for many centuries. A bridge was built there in 1198, and another to replace it two centuries later. Located on the Great North Road
linking London
with York
and Edinburgh
beyond that, the town became an important staging place for the coach traffic on that route. The traffic continued to develop, until in 1804 the government had to build a wider bridge over the river to accommodate it. The new bridge was designed higher to allow easier passage of the barge
traffic on the Aire and Calder Navigation
.
Knottingley was an inland port of some note, long the last navigable point on the Aire until the Aire and Calder Navigation enabled barges to make it to Leeds
. Its shipyards built and maintained both inland and seagoing vessels. Pottery was a significant industry for the town from the 19th century until as late as the 1940s, when the Australian Pottery, opened to cater to that country’s needs, finally closed. Glass manufacturing continues to be important. The town has Kellingley colliery
still operating, helped by the demand from the huge power station
at Ferrybridge
.
Knottingley is a central point for horse racing fans, with Pontefract
, York
, Wetherby
and Doncaster
all close by.
It has several primary schools: England Lane Junior and Infant School, Ferrybridge Infant School, Ferrybridge Roundhill Junior School, Knottingley Church of England Junior and Infant School, Knottingley Vale Junior and Infant School, Simpsons Farm Junior and Infant School
There are sixth-form colleges in nearby Pontefract
, Wakefield
and Selby
.
For extra curricular activities there is the local air cadet
squadron, 2446 (Knottingley), which is based on the High School campus.
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 the City of Wakefield
City of Wakefield
The City of Wakefield is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. Wakefield is the district's administrative centre. The district includes the "Five Towns" of Normanton, Pontefract, Featherstone, Castleford and Knottingley. Other...
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...
on the River Aire
River Aire
The River Aire is a major river in Yorkshire, England of length . Part of the river is canalised, and is known as the Aire and Calder Navigation....
and the A1 road. It has a population of 13,503.
Until 1699, it was an important inland river port but, in that year, the Aire was made navigable as far as 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...
, which soon surpassed it. Knottingley continued as a centre for boat building into the twentieth century. After 1870, the town also became known for glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
manufacturing.
The town is served by Knottingley railway station
Knottingley railway station
Knottingley railway station serves the town of Knottingley in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Pontefract Line, operated by Northern Rail, and is south east of Leeds railway station....
.
Knottingley is famous as a glass manufacturing town. In 1887 Bagley's Glassworks purchased the rights to the first bottle-making machine, invented by a Ferrybridge
Ferrybridge
Ferrybridge is a village in West Yorkshire, England at a historically important crossing of the River Aire. It is linked to other communities by the A1, which follows the route of the Great North Road....
postmaster.
Close to Knottingley is the Ferrybridge Power Station
Ferrybridge power station
The Ferrybridge power stations refers to a series of three coal-fired power stations situated on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, England. The first station on the site, Ferrybridge A power station, was constructed in the mid-1920s, and was closed as the second station, Ferrybridge B power...
, which has the largest cooling towers of their kind in Europe. Three of these towers collapsed in high winds in 1965. These towers can be seen for miles around. One of the oldest purpose-built cinemas in England, located in Aire Street, has been converted into flats
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
.
The town is one of the few in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to have a working coal mine, Kellingley Colliery
Kellingley Colliery
Kellingley Colliery is one of the newest of the few deep coal mines left in Britain today. It is situated at Beal in North Yorkshire, about east of Knottingley in West Yorkshire, on the A645, although the postal address is Knottingley, West Yorkshire, and east of Ferrybridge power station. The...
.
History
Knottingley means "the clearingClearing
Clearing may refer to:* Glade , a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area* Deforestation, the clearing away of trees to make farmland* Clearing , the process of settling a transaction after committing to it...
of Cnotta's people", from the Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
personal name Cnotta meaning "knot
Knot
A knot is a method of fastening or securing linear material such as rope by tying or interweaving. It may consist of a length of one or several segments of rope, string, webbing, twine, strap, or even chain interwoven such that the line can bind to itself or to some other object—the "load"...
", describing a small, round man and -ingas "people of" + leāh "wood, modern lee
Lee
- Names :* Lee , a unisex given name* Lee , in English-speaking countries, a common family name with several diverse origins* Li , also transliterated as Lee, a Chinese family name...
, not the same meaning as Leah (personal name)". The name was recorded as Cnotinesleahemm in 1128.
During the three Sieges of Pontefract Castle
Pontefract Castle
Pontefract Castle is a castle in the town of Pontefract, in the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It was the site of the demise of Richard II of England, and later the place of a series of famous sieges during the English Civil War-History:...
, Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
took residence in the town of Knottingley, believed to be in Wildbore House. The house was later demolished when its land was mined as a quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
for the limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
underneath.
Knottingley, inextricably linked with Ferrybridge, is a West Yorkshire town whose history is tied to river travel and industry. It has managed to retain certain elements of that industrial history as thriving enterprises today, providing employment for many of its population of some 17,000. It was originally an Anglo-Saxon settlement, though the ancient monument of Ferrybridge Henge
Henge
There are three related types of Neolithic earthwork which are all sometimes loosely called henges. The essential characteristic of all three types is that they feature a ring bank and ditch but with the ditch inside the bank rather than outside...
shows it was a significant habitation long before then.
The crossing over the Aire at Ferrybridge was of importance for many centuries. A bridge was built there in 1198, and another to replace it two centuries later. Located on the Great North Road
Great North Road (Great Britain)
The Great North Road was a coaching route used by mail coaches between London, York and Edinburgh. The modern A1 mainly follows the Great North Road. The inns on the road, many of which survive, were staging posts on the coach routes, providing accommodation, stabling for the horses and...
linking 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...
with 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...
and Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
beyond that, the town became an important staging place for the coach traffic on that route. The traffic continued to develop, until in 1804 the government had to build a wider bridge over the river to accommodate it. The new bridge was designed higher to allow easier passage of the barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
traffic on the Aire and Calder Navigation
Aire and Calder Navigation
The Aire and Calder Navigation is a river and canal system of the River Aire and the River Calder in the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire, England. The first improvements to the rivers above Knottingley were completed in 1704 when the Aire was made navigable to Leeds and the Calder to...
.
Knottingley was an inland port of some note, long the last navigable point on the Aire until the Aire and Calder Navigation enabled barges to make it to 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...
. Its shipyards built and maintained both inland and seagoing vessels. Pottery was a significant industry for the town from the 19th century until as late as the 1940s, when the Australian Pottery, opened to cater to that country’s needs, finally closed. Glass manufacturing continues to be important. The town has Kellingley colliery
Kellingley Colliery
Kellingley Colliery is one of the newest of the few deep coal mines left in Britain today. It is situated at Beal in North Yorkshire, about east of Knottingley in West Yorkshire, on the A645, although the postal address is Knottingley, West Yorkshire, and east of Ferrybridge power station. The...
still operating, helped by the demand from the huge power station
Ferrybridge power station
The Ferrybridge power stations refers to a series of three coal-fired power stations situated on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, England. The first station on the site, Ferrybridge A power station, was constructed in the mid-1920s, and was closed as the second station, Ferrybridge B power...
at Ferrybridge
Ferrybridge
Ferrybridge is a village in West Yorkshire, England at a historically important crossing of the River Aire. It is linked to other communities by the A1, which follows the route of the Great North Road....
.
Knottingley is a central point for horse racing fans, with Pontefract
Pontefract
Pontefract is an historic market town in West Yorkshire, England. Traditionally in the West Riding, near the A1 , the M62 motorway and Castleford. It is one of the five towns in the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield and has a population of 28,250...
, 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...
, Wetherby
Wetherby
Wetherby is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Wharfe, and has been for centuries a crossing place and staging post on the Great North Road, being mid-way between London and Edinburgh...
and Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
all close by.
Education
Knottingley has one high school, Knottingley High School and Sports College.It has several primary schools: England Lane Junior and Infant School, Ferrybridge Infant School, Ferrybridge Roundhill Junior School, Knottingley Church of England Junior and Infant School, Knottingley Vale Junior and Infant School, Simpsons Farm Junior and Infant School
There are sixth-form colleges in nearby Pontefract
Pontefract
Pontefract is an historic market town in West Yorkshire, England. Traditionally in the West Riding, near the A1 , the M62 motorway and Castleford. It is one of the five towns in the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield and has a population of 28,250...
, Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
and Selby
Selby
Selby is a town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Situated south of the city of York, along the course of the River Ouse, Selby is the largest and, with a population of 13,012, most populous settlement of the wider Selby local government district.Historically a part of the West Riding...
.
For extra curricular activities there is the local air cadet
Air Cadets
Air Cadets may refer to:* Members of the British Air Training Corps or Combined Cadet Force* Members of the Australian Air Force Cadets* Members of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets* Members of the New Zealand Air Training Corps, New Zealand Cadet Forces...
squadron, 2446 (Knottingley), which is based on the High School campus.
Notable people
- Terry Cooper, former Leeds United & EnglandEnglandEngland 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...
footballer. Currently Southampton's European scout. - Wayne GodwinWayne GodwinWayne Godwin, born 13 March 1982 in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England is an English rugby league player.Wayne Godwin plays for Salford City Reds in the Super League.Godwins's position of choice is at hooker...
, Bradford BullsBradford BullsBradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
Rugby League footballer, and also played for Knottingley Rockware ARLFC. - Dale MortonDale MortonDale Morton is a professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats in the Super League. He plays primarily as a centre but can play on the wings...
, Wakefield Trinity WildcatsWakefield Trinity WildcatsWakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
Rugby League footballer, and also played for Knottingley Rockware ARLFC. - Zak HardakerZak HardakerZak Hardakeris a rugby league player who currently plays for the Leeds Rhinos in the Super League. He can play on the wing, Full back, stand-off and has most recently started playing in the centres...
, Leeds RhinosLeeds RhinosLeeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
Rugby League footballer, and also played for Knottingley Rockware ARLFC. - Ian PreeceIan PreeceIan Preece is a Welsh professional snooker player, from the city of Newport, Wales. He appeared in main tour after much success as a junior including becoming the youngest winner of the World Amateur Championship in 1999.-Career:...
, Batley BulldogsBatley BulldogsBatley Bulldogs are an English professional rugby league club from Batley, West Yorkshire. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Batley is one of the original twenty-two rugby football clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895...
Rugby League footballer, and also played for Knottingley Rockware ARLFC. - Craig Moss, Keighley CougarsKeighley CougarsKeighley Cougars are a professional rugby league club from Keighley in West Yorkshire, England. As of 2012 they will play in Co-operative Championship having won the Co-operative Championship 1 play off final 32-12 against Workington...
Rugby League footballer, and also played for Knottingley Rockware ARLFC. - William "Bill" HortonWilliam Horton (rugby league)William "Bill" Horton was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1920s and '30s who at representative level played for Great Britain, England and Yorkshire, and at club level for Wakefield Trinity, playing at , or , i.e...
rugby league footballer of the 1920s and 1930s who played for; Wakefield TrinityWakefield Trinity WildcatsWakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
, Yorkshire, EnglandEngland national rugby league teamThe England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
and Great BritainGreat Britain national rugby league teamThe Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
. - William Sefton MoorhouseWilliam Sefton MoorhouseWilliam Sefton Moorhouse was a New Zealand politician. He was the second Superintendent of Canterbury Province.-Early life:...
, a New Zealand politician. - Graham SteadmanGraham SteadmanGraham Steadman is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s, and coach of the 2000s, who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and Yorkshire, and at club level for York Wasps, Featherstone Rovers, and Castleford, playing at , or /, i.e...
, Former York WaspsYork City KnightsYork City Knights Rugby League Club is a British professional rugby league club hailing from York. They play at the Huntington Stadium, situated to the north of York city centre...
, Featherstone RoversFeatherstone RoversFeatherstone Rovers are a semi-professional rugby league club, based in Featherstone, West Yorkshire, England. They currently play in the Championship. The Rovers are one of the last vestiges of "small town teams" that were once common in rugby league during the early twentieth century...
, Castleford TigersCastleford TigersCastleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'...
& Great Britain Rugby League footballer. - Professor Austin TateAustin TateProfessor Austin Tate FRSE FBCS FAAAI is Director of AIAI in the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh. He holds the Chair in Knowledge-based systems at the University of Edinburgh...
, Director of AIAI (Artificial Intelligence Applications InstituteArtificial Intelligence Applications InstituteThe Artificial Intelligence Applications Institute at the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh is a non-profit technology transfer organisation that promotes the benefits of the application of Artificial Intelligence research to commercial, industrial, and government organisations...
) in the School of Informatics at the University of EdinburghUniversity of EdinburghThe University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
. - Ben ThompsonBen ThompsonBen Thompson was a gunman, gambler, and sometime lawman of the Old West. He was a contemporary of Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill Cody, Doc Holliday, John Wesley Hardin and James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickock, some of whom considered him a trusted friend, others an enemy.Ben Thompson had a colorful career,...
, former Marshal of AustinAustin, TexasAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
; notable gambler and gunman in Texas and Kansas. - Billy Thompson (gunman)Billy Thompson (gunman)Billy Thompson, sometimes known as Texas Billy Thompson was an Old West gunman and gambler, and the younger brother of the famous gunman and lawman Ben Thompson. The younger Thompson brother never achieved the fame that his brother achieved, and in his own lifetime was mainly referred to as the...
, a gunman and gambler in the American West, and the younger brother of Ben ThompsonBen ThompsonBen Thompson was a gunman, gambler, and sometime lawman of the Old West. He was a contemporary of Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill Cody, Doc Holliday, John Wesley Hardin and James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickock, some of whom considered him a trusted friend, others an enemy.Ben Thompson had a colorful career,...
.