Longwood, Huddersfield
Encyclopedia
Longwood is a village and suburb of the town of Huddersfield
in the English
county of West Yorkshire
. It is situated some 2.5 miles (4 km) west of Huddersfield town centre, in the valley of the Longwood Brook, a tributary of the River Colne
.
The village is the home of the Longwood Sing, an annual event, where choirs from around the area gather to sing hymns and songs. Near the amphitheatre, where the sing takes place, the folly
Nab End Tower can be found. The tower was built in 1861 by unemployed local woollen mill workers. In 2008 it was restored by Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council
at a cost of £
200,000.
There are also three reservoirs that supply Huddersfield. They were built around 1840, although strengthening work in the 1930s makes them appear newer. One now covered and the lower reservoir looking more like a natural lake that is called a compensation reservoir - 'Compensation' as it was set up to compensate the mill owner for water lost from natural sources that now went to the main reservoirs to be distributed by the water corporation under 'rates' systems - ironically the mill owner was most likely the owner of the main reservoir too.
During the 1840s, Longwood was the home to the Hanson family of Ballroyd. Mary Hanson set up a carrying business to supplement her husband's income from farming and soon the Hanson wagons were seen taking the Great North Road to London. James Hanson
, founder and former chairman of Hanson plc
, is a direct descendant of the Ballroyd family. When he was made a life peer
, he took the title Baron Hanson of Edgerton after the nearby suburb of Edgerton.
Longwood was built up around the woollen industry and its mills, most of which have now been demolished and replaced by housing. As a result of this the village has recently seen an influx of new inhabitants.
In 2005, a campaign was mounted to save the Longwood allotment plots
(situated behind the Mechanics' Institute) from being developed into housing.
Longwood Church is dedicated to St. Mark, and is in the Church of England
parish of Huddersfield, being a perpetual curacy. Longwood is also home to the 27th Longwood Scout Group
.
The name Longwood derives from Old English Olca or Loc meaning enclosure.
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
in the English
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...
county of 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....
. It is situated some 2.5 miles (4 km) west of Huddersfield town centre, in the valley of the Longwood Brook, a tributary 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...
.
The village is the home of the Longwood Sing, an annual event, where choirs from around the area gather to sing hymns and songs. Near the amphitheatre, where the sing takes place, the folly
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
Nab End Tower can be found. The tower was built in 1861 by unemployed local woollen mill workers. In 2008 it was restored by Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council
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...
at a cost of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
200,000.
There are also three reservoirs that supply Huddersfield. They were built around 1840, although strengthening work in the 1930s makes them appear newer. One now covered and the lower reservoir looking more like a natural lake that is called a compensation reservoir - 'Compensation' as it was set up to compensate the mill owner for water lost from natural sources that now went to the main reservoirs to be distributed by the water corporation under 'rates' systems - ironically the mill owner was most likely the owner of the main reservoir too.
During the 1840s, Longwood was the home to the Hanson family of Ballroyd. Mary Hanson set up a carrying business to supplement her husband's income from farming and soon the Hanson wagons were seen taking the Great North Road to London. 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:...
, founder and former chairman of Hanson plc
Hanson plc
Hanson plc is a British based international building materials company, headquartered in Maidenhead. Traded on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index for many years, the company was acquired by a division of German rival Heidelberg Cement in August 2007.-History:Hanson...
, is a direct descendant of the Ballroyd family. When he was made a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
, he took the title Baron Hanson of Edgerton after the nearby suburb of Edgerton.
Longwood was built up around the woollen industry and its mills, most of which have now been demolished and replaced by housing. As a result of this the village has recently seen an influx of new inhabitants.
In 2005, a campaign was mounted to save the Longwood allotment plots
Allotment (gardening)
An allotment garden, often called simply an allotment, is a plot of land made available for individual, non-professional gardening. Such plots are formed by subdividing a piece of land into a few or up to several hundreds of land parcels that are assigned to individuals or families...
(situated behind the Mechanics' Institute) from being developed into housing.
Longwood Church is dedicated to St. Mark, and is in the 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...
parish of Huddersfield, being a perpetual curacy. Longwood is also home to the 27th Longwood Scout Group
The Scout Association
The Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognised Scouting association in the United Kingdom. Scouting began in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell. The Scout Association was formed under its previous name, The Boy Scout Association, in 1910 by the grant...
.
The name Longwood derives from Old English Olca or Loc meaning enclosure.