Slaithwaite
Encyclopedia
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 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Huddersfield
. The pronunciation of Slaithwaite varies. Locally it is pronounced ˈslaʊ.ɨt, and sometimes spelled Slawit, elsewhere ˈslæθ.weɪt.
estates, a chapelry, in the parishes of Huddersfield and Almondbury
, union of Huddersfield, Upper division of the wapentake of Agbrigg
and included the township
of 'Lingarths' (Lingards) and the Township of Slaithwaite.
In the early 19th century a local spring was discovered to contain sulphurous
properties and minerals, similar to those found in Harrogate
. Sometime after 1820 a bathing facility was built, along with a gardens and pleasure ground, with some visitor cottages. A free school
was founded in 1721 and rebuilt twice: first in 1744, and again in 1842.
In the 1848 edition of 'A Topographical Dictionary of England', Samuel Lewis (the editor) wrote:-
"the lands are in meadow and pasture, with a small portion of arable; the scenery is bold and romantic. In the quarries of the district are found vegetable fossils, especially firs and other mountain trees. The village is beautifully seated in the valley of the river Colne; the inhabitants are chiefly employed in the woollen manufacture, in the spinning of cotton and silk, and in silk-weaving"
Slaithwaite Hall, thought to date from the mid-15th century, is located on a nearby hillside. It is one of a number of cruck
framed buildings clustered in this area of West Yorkshire. After many years divided into cottages, the building has been extensively restored and is now a single dwelling.
Legend
has it that local smugglers caught by the excise men
tried to explain their nocturnal activities as 'raking the moon from the canal' and definitely not as 'fishing out smuggled brandy
'. A "Moonraker" is now the official nickname
for a native of the village. Similar stories and nicknames exist for the neighbouring villages of Golcar
("Lillies"), Marsden
("Cuckoos") and Linthwaite
("Sows" or "Sairs"). The legend is also known in Wiltshire
, where the locals are also known as 'Moonrakers'.
An apocrypha
l story associated with Slaithwaite is that in the 19th century, when tenants came to the village to pay their annual rent, The 5th Earl of Dartmouth
would provide 'rent dinners' and that the shoulder of mutton was the most favoured with the tables of hot roast beef, mutton and tongue (cooked together in the set pot) being available there at that time.
and new lock gates
. Following the emergence of the railway network they were little used and closed down then filled in during 1956. The refurbishment has revitalised the high street
area and Slaithwaite is currently the only village in England with a canal running alongside its main street.
There are several significant local employers, including Thornton & Ross (a pharmaceuticals manufacturer), Shaw Pallets, and Spectrum Yarns - one of a small number of remaining textiles businesses in the Colne Valley, once a major centre for wool.
s and cafe
s. Of particular note is the local butcher, E.Grange & Son (Master Pie Makers), selling their own brand of pork pies, which have won some awards. Other shops include two 'community' style business:- 'The Green Valley Grocer' and 'The Handmade Bakery'. Various other shops cater to tourists brought in by the television coverage of the area.
There are several public house
s in Slaithwaite. The 'Silent Woman' pub came to the attention of the world media on 23 September 2007, when a man walked into the pub and ordered a pint of beer a few minutes after he had murdered his son and attacked his daughter with a knife.
, which has direct trains to Huddersfield
and Manchester
. The Colne Valley defines local geography by channelling the railway line, the canal and the A62
: each of which has at one time been the primary means of transport across the Pennines
. The small humpbacked bridge
over the canal is called 'Tim Brig' this is said to be named after a local inn keeper who used the bridge during smuggling operations with the narrowboats passing through.
There are several bus links from Slaithwaite to several areas in the Huddersfield area. Services run by First West Yorkshire
go from Slaithwaite to Marsden
, Oldham & Manchester and to Huddersfield. Other bus services are to Holmfirth, Blackmoorfoot and surrounding villages.
The Slaithwaite Philharmonic Orchestra was founded here in 1891. An 80-strong amateur orchestra, the orchestra also plays an annual season of concerts in Huddersfield.
Parts of both Slaithwaite and Marsden
were used to create the village called 'Skelthwaite' in the British TV show Where the Heart Is
.
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. It lies in the Colne Valley
Colne 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....
laying across 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 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...
, approximately 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
. The pronunciation of Slaithwaite varies. Locally it is pronounced ˈslaʊ.ɨt, and sometimes spelled Slawit, elsewhere ˈslæθ.weɪt.
History
The village was part of the Earl of DartmouthEarl of Dartmouth
Earl of Dartmouth is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1711 for William Legge, 2nd Baron Dartmouth. The Legge family descended from Edward Legge, Vice-President of Munster. His eldest son William Legge was a Royalist army officer and close associate of Prince Rupert of the...
estates, a chapelry, in the parishes of Huddersfield and 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"...
, union of Huddersfield, Upper division of the wapentake of Agbrigg
Agbrigg
Agbrigg is a village in West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the metropolitan district of the City of Wakefield....
and included the township
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
of 'Lingarths' (Lingards) and the Township of Slaithwaite.
In the early 19th century a local spring was discovered to contain sulphurous
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
properties and minerals, similar to those found in Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
. Sometime after 1820 a bathing facility was built, along with a gardens and pleasure ground, with some visitor cottages. A free school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
was founded in 1721 and rebuilt twice: first in 1744, and again in 1842.
In the 1848 edition of 'A Topographical Dictionary of England', Samuel Lewis (the editor) wrote:-
"the lands are in meadow and pasture, with a small portion of arable; the scenery is bold and romantic. In the quarries of the district are found vegetable fossils, especially firs and other mountain trees. The village is beautifully seated in the valley of the river Colne; the inhabitants are chiefly employed in the woollen manufacture, in the spinning of cotton and silk, and in silk-weaving"
Slaithwaite Hall, thought to date from the mid-15th century, is located on a nearby hillside. It is one of a number of cruck
Cruck
A cruck or crook frame is a curved timber, one of a pair, which supports the roof of a building, used particularly in England. This type of timber framing consists of long, generally bent, timber beams that lean inwards and form the ridge of the roof. These posts are then generally secured by a...
framed buildings clustered in this area of West Yorkshire. After many years divided into cottages, the building has been extensively restored and is now a single dwelling.
Legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
has it that local smugglers caught by the excise men
Her Majesty's Customs and Excise
HM Customs and Excise was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government in the UK. It was responsible for the collection of Value added tax , Customs Duties, Excise Duties, and other indirect taxes such as Air Passenger Duty, Climate Change Levy, Insurance Premium Tax, Landfill Tax and...
tried to explain their nocturnal activities as 'raking the moon from the canal' and definitely not as 'fishing out smuggled brandy
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
'. A "Moonraker" is now the official nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
for a native of the village. Similar stories and nicknames exist for the neighbouring villages of 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...
("Lillies"), 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...
("Cuckoos") and 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...
("Sows" or "Sairs"). The legend is also known in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, where the locals are also known as 'Moonrakers'.
An apocrypha
Apocrypha
The term apocrypha is used with various meanings, including "hidden", "esoteric", "spurious", "of questionable authenticity", ancient Chinese "revealed texts and objects" and "Christian texts that are not canonical"....
l story associated with Slaithwaite is that in the 19th century, when tenants came to the village to pay their annual rent, The 5th Earl of Dartmouth
William Legge, 5th Earl of Dartmouth
William Walter Legge, 5th Earl of Dartmouth was a British peer and Conservative politician, known before 1853 as Viscount Lewisham....
would provide 'rent dinners' and that the shoulder of mutton was the most favoured with the tables of hot roast beef, mutton and tongue (cooked together in the set pot) being available there at that time.
Economy
Recent projects have seen a major restoration of the canal. That required a full re-excavationEarthworks (engineering)
Earthworks are engineering works created through the moving or processing of quantities of soil or unformed rock.- Civil engineering use :Typical earthworks include roads, railway beds, causeways, dams, levees, canals, and berms...
and new lock gates
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
. Following the emergence of the railway network they were little used and closed down then filled in during 1956. The refurbishment has revitalised the high street
High Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
area and Slaithwaite is currently the only village in England with a canal running alongside its main street.
There are several significant local employers, including Thornton & Ross (a pharmaceuticals manufacturer), Shaw Pallets, and Spectrum Yarns - one of a small number of remaining textiles businesses in the Colne Valley, once a major centre for wool.
Shopping and entertainment
Slaithwaite has a mixture of shops, restaurantRestaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s and cafe
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
s. Of particular note is the local butcher, E.Grange & Son (Master Pie Makers), selling their own brand of pork pies, which have won some awards. Other shops include two 'community' style business:- 'The Green Valley Grocer' and 'The Handmade Bakery'. Various other shops cater to tourists brought in by the television coverage of the area.
There are several public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s in Slaithwaite. The 'Silent Woman' pub came to the attention of the world media on 23 September 2007, when a man walked into the pub and ordered a pint of beer a few minutes after he had murdered his son and attacked his daughter with a knife.
Transport
More modern transport is provided by the Slaithwaite railway stationSlaithwaite railway station
Slaithwaite railway station serves the village of Slaithwaite near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. The station is west of Huddersfield railway station on the Huddersfield Line between Huddersfield and Manchester Victoria....
, which has direct trains to Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
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...
. The Colne Valley defines local geography by channelling the railway line, the canal and 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...
: each of which has at one time been the primary means of transport across 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...
. The small humpbacked bridge
Humpback bridge
A humpback bridge is a name for a type of bridge, specifically an arch bridge, where the span is higher than the ramps on either side, forming a hump-like arrangement. Examples include Chinese and Japanese moon bridges and the Humpback Covered Bridge in the United States....
over the canal is called 'Tim Brig' this is said to be named after a local inn keeper who used the bridge during smuggling operations with the narrowboats passing through.
There are several bus links from Slaithwaite to several areas in the Huddersfield area. Services run by First West Yorkshire
First West Yorkshire
First West Yorkshire is the trading name of the four First 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...
go from Slaithwaite to 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...
, Oldham & Manchester and to Huddersfield. Other bus services are to Holmfirth, Blackmoorfoot and surrounding villages.
Culture
In February, on alternate years, Slaithwaite celebrates an 18th century legend of Moonraking with the Slaithwaite Moonraking Festival, with a week of lantern making and a program of storytelling. The week-long celebration, which always takes place during the school half term week, ends with a parade of lanterns around the village, and a festival finale by the canal in the centre of the village. A heritage Lottery funded project 'Wild about Wool', that is collating memories of the industrial heritage of the Colne Valley, is linked to the festival. 'Wool' was also the theme of the festival held in February 2011.The Slaithwaite Philharmonic Orchestra was founded here in 1891. An 80-strong amateur orchestra, the orchestra also plays an annual season of concerts in Huddersfield.
Parts of both Slaithwaite and Marsden
Marsden
Marsden is both a surname and a place name.-As a surname:As a surname, Marsden may refer to:* Bernie Marsden , English rock guitarist* Betty Marsden , British comedy actress* Brian G...
were used to create the village called 'Skelthwaite' in the British TV show 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...
.
Sport
Rugby League is the main sport played in the village. The Slaithwaite Saracens compete in the Peninne Rugby League premier division, as champions of Division One. They achieved the Huddersfield double by also winning the Huddersfield Holliday cup. Cricket is also very popular in the village. Slaithwaite Cricket & Bowling Club, situated on Hill Top, during the summer becomes the heart of the community. It is a thriving club with many successful teams including winning Second X1 Premiership Championship in the 2010 season.Notable people born in Slaithwaite
- Haydn WoodHaydn WoodHaydn Wood was a 20th century English composer and a respected violinist.-Life:Haydn Wood was born in the Yorkshire town of Slaithwaite on 25 March 1882...
, (ComposerComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
) was born here on 25 March 1882.