Thackley
Encyclopedia
The village of Thackley is a small suburban area to the north east of the city of Bradford
, West Yorkshire
in England
.
to the south, and Windhill (an area of Shipley
) to the west. The area to the east of the village is largely wooded and rural, eventually leading through to Esholt
on the border of Bradford
and Leeds
. To the north of the village runs the Airedale Railway Line
(travelling between Leeds
and Shipley), the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
and the River Aire
, which separate Thackley from Baildon further north. There are footbridge
s over all three, meaning one can directly walk on foot between the villages of Thackley and Baildon. Thackley can be described as the northernmost part of Bradford
which is south of the River Aire.
The village has no obvious centre (such as a village green
, one of which is present in the neighbouring village of Idle), however it is centred on a crossroads to the south of the village known as Thackley Corner. The main 'A' Road
(the A657) known as Leeds Road runs east-west, with Leeds to the east and Shipley to the west. Town Lane heads southwards towards Bradford, and Thackley Road runs north into the residential area of Thackley. Thackley Corner and the adjacent section of Leeds Road are home to most of the village's shops, pubs and eateries.
Notable buildings include the large Methodist church building on Thackley Road, which also acts as an impromptu village hall and gathering place for various groups and societies.
BUCK WOOD
Buck Wood lies to the north of Thackley in north Bradford. The Wood covers an area of fairly level high ground, as well as the steep north-facing slope down to the Leeds-Liverpool canal. Below the Wood the canal follows the course of the River Aire round a distinct bend as it flows eastwards. Above this valley Buck Wood forms a broad semi-circular zone of woodland, adjoining other similar woods which are part of a woodland corridor stretching along the Aire Valley.
Covering 42 hectares, Buck Wood is bordered by the curving route of the canal at its lower perimeter, which is around 60m above sea-level. Its highest boundary, 135m above sea level, is shaped by the stately tree-lined sweep of Ainsbury Avenue which leads from Thackley to Esholt. Thackley itself forms the southern boundary of the Wood, and at the northern edge is Field Wood and land now belonging to Yorkshire Water.
Buck Wood lies above a layer of Millstone Grit rock, which gives rise to numerous rocky outcrops, especially on the steeper slopes, where some quarrying has taken place. The Wood contains a mixture of habitats, with areas of both broad-leaved woodland and mixed deciduous/coniferous plantations. It has patches of marshland created by the many springs occurring throughout the Wood. There are fields scattered within the woodland, some used as pasture for grazing. With such a variety of habitats it is an important reservoir for wildlife in Thackley and its surrounding area, as well as a pleasant area for walking and other peaceful leisure activities.
THE PREHISTORIC ENCLOSURE
During 2009 an archaeological project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund revealed the site in Buck Wood of an enclosure that was in use as a settlement from Neolithic to post-Roman times, and which contained features of considerable significance to the archaeological-landscape of the Aire Valley and its adjacent uplands, and which adds detail to the existing picture of prehistoric activity in the region.
The work, undertaken by the Friends of Buck Wood led by professional archaeologists, showed that in the past a substantial wall had been built of local unworked stone, enclosing a natural terrace of level ground now surrounded by woods. This formed an oval enclosure, roughly 82m x 78m in size. The wall had been well-made, with inner and outer faces almost 2m apart, and a filling of rubble which included heat-affected stones. In one area the wall had collapsed and been rebuilt. There was no trace of a ditch.
In the centre of the enclosure there were the remains of at least two circular or crescent-shaped constructions, with walls built in the same way as the enclosure walls, and, like them, incorporating large numbers of heat-affected rocks. Part of the excavated wall of these structures was 1m high, and must have been solidly built to have survived so well. The remains of a quern for grinding grain was also found within this central area, as was a single carved rock.
Leading away from the enclosure is an orthostat wall of large stones, which appears to be part of a network of such walls in the wood. Throughout the adjacent woodland several carved rocks were found, and other objects such as a quern stone show that from Neolithic times there were people living in and around Buck Wood.
THE OPEN AIR SCHOOL
Near the main entrance to Buck Wood on Ainsbury Avenue is the plateau which was originally formed from waste material created when the first railway tunnel was built under Buck Wood in the 1840s. Between 1908 and 1939 this flat raised area was used as a playground by children attending the Open Air School in Buck Wood which was built adjoining the plateau. Traces of the foundations of the school buildings can still be seen beyond the steps leading down from the north-east edge of the plateau. The clearance of the site has been a project organised by the Friends of Buck Wood, who have also produced a book about the history of the School. A notice board on the school site gives more information about this unusual school.
FRIENDS OF BUCK WOOD
The Friends of Buck Wood group was established in March 2004, and includes local residents and other users of the wood. The group aims to protect and improve Buck Wood, Thackley, for the benefit of the wildlife and environment, and for the people of the surrounding area. They work in partnership with the owners of the Wood, Bradford Council.
The Friends organise a variety of events throughout the year, aimed at adding to peoples’ enjoyment and understanding of the woodland environment. These are open to the public (for a small charge) and to members who pay an annual subscription.
Members of the Friends also meet regularly for activities such as clearing the site of the Open Air School, cutting back overgrown bushes such as holly, planting native wildflowers and bulbs, and installing bat and bird boxes in the Wood.
The Friends of Buck Wood have an archive website at www.lhi.org.uk – follow the Project Directory links to ‘A Breath of Fresh Aire’.
, a distinguished 19th/20th Century linguist, was born and raised in Thackley.
, and in the newly revived parliamentary constituency of Bradford East
(formerly Bradford North).
, who play in the NCEL Premier Division. They play at Dennyfield, situated in the wooded area known as Buck Wood to the north west of the village.
The village also has a cricket
club, Thackley C.C. who also play nearby.
Immanuel CofE School is located on Leeds Road (Although sometimes stated as Idle)
, a long railway tunnel which runs underneath Thackley Hill. The nearest railway station is Shipley
, which has connections to Bradford, Leeds and towns to the north west as far as Carlisle
.
The village also has good road links to Bradford, Shipley and Leeds.
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...
, 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....
in 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...
.
Geography
The village is loosely bordered by the village of IdleIdle, West Yorkshire
The village of Idle and its outskirts make up a mainly residential suburban area in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, in England. The area is loosely bordered by the areas of Eccleshill, Wrose, Thackley and Greengates, in the north east of the city....
to the south, and Windhill (an area of Shipley
Shipley, West Yorkshire
Shipley is a town in West Yorkshire, England, by the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, north of Bradford and north-west of Leeds....
) to the west. The area to the east of the village is largely wooded and rural, eventually leading through to Esholt
Esholt
Esholt is a village between Shipley and Guiseley, in the metropolitan district of the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England.- Derivation of name :The name "Esholt" indicates that the village was first established in a heavily wooded area of ash trees....
on the border of Bradford
City of Bradford
The City of Bradford is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. It is named after its largest settlement, Bradford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Keighley, Shipley, Bingley, Ilkley, Haworth, Silsden and...
and Leeds
City of Leeds
The City of Leeds is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England, governed by Leeds City Council, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. The metropolitan district includes Leeds and the towns of Farsley, Garforth, Guiseley, Horsforth, Morley, Otley, Pudsey, Rothwell,...
. To the north of the village runs the Airedale Railway Line
Airedale Line
The Airedale Line is the name given to one of the rail services in the Metro area of northern England. The service is operated by Northern Rail, on the route connecting Leeds and Bradford with Skipton in the North of England. Some services along the line continue to Morecambe or Carlisle...
(travelling between 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 Shipley), the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
Leeds and Liverpool Canal
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , it crosses the Pennines, and includes 91 locks on the main line...
and 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....
, which separate Thackley from Baildon further north. There are footbridge
Footbridge
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
s over all three, meaning one can directly walk on foot between the villages of Thackley and Baildon. Thackley can be described as the northernmost part 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...
which is south of the River Aire.
The village has no obvious centre (such as a village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
, one of which is present in the neighbouring village of Idle), however it is centred on a crossroads to the south of the village known as Thackley Corner. The main 'A' Road
Great Britain road numbering scheme
The Great Britain road numbering scheme is a numbering scheme used to classify and identify all roads in Great Britain. Each road is given a single letter, which represents the road's category, and a subsequent number, with a length of between 1 and 4 digits. Originally introduced to arrange...
(the A657) known as Leeds Road runs east-west, with Leeds to the east and Shipley to the west. Town Lane heads southwards towards Bradford, and Thackley Road runs north into the residential area of Thackley. Thackley Corner and the adjacent section of Leeds Road are home to most of the village's shops, pubs and eateries.
Notable buildings include the large Methodist church building on Thackley Road, which also acts as an impromptu village hall and gathering place for various groups and societies.
BUCK WOOD
Buck Wood lies to the north of Thackley in north Bradford. The Wood covers an area of fairly level high ground, as well as the steep north-facing slope down to the Leeds-Liverpool canal. Below the Wood the canal follows the course of the River Aire round a distinct bend as it flows eastwards. Above this valley Buck Wood forms a broad semi-circular zone of woodland, adjoining other similar woods which are part of a woodland corridor stretching along the Aire Valley.
Covering 42 hectares, Buck Wood is bordered by the curving route of the canal at its lower perimeter, which is around 60m above sea-level. Its highest boundary, 135m above sea level, is shaped by the stately tree-lined sweep of Ainsbury Avenue which leads from Thackley to Esholt. Thackley itself forms the southern boundary of the Wood, and at the northern edge is Field Wood and land now belonging to Yorkshire Water.
Buck Wood lies above a layer of Millstone Grit rock, which gives rise to numerous rocky outcrops, especially on the steeper slopes, where some quarrying has taken place. The Wood contains a mixture of habitats, with areas of both broad-leaved woodland and mixed deciduous/coniferous plantations. It has patches of marshland created by the many springs occurring throughout the Wood. There are fields scattered within the woodland, some used as pasture for grazing. With such a variety of habitats it is an important reservoir for wildlife in Thackley and its surrounding area, as well as a pleasant area for walking and other peaceful leisure activities.
THE PREHISTORIC ENCLOSURE
During 2009 an archaeological project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund revealed the site in Buck Wood of an enclosure that was in use as a settlement from Neolithic to post-Roman times, and which contained features of considerable significance to the archaeological-landscape of the Aire Valley and its adjacent uplands, and which adds detail to the existing picture of prehistoric activity in the region.
The work, undertaken by the Friends of Buck Wood led by professional archaeologists, showed that in the past a substantial wall had been built of local unworked stone, enclosing a natural terrace of level ground now surrounded by woods. This formed an oval enclosure, roughly 82m x 78m in size. The wall had been well-made, with inner and outer faces almost 2m apart, and a filling of rubble which included heat-affected stones. In one area the wall had collapsed and been rebuilt. There was no trace of a ditch.
In the centre of the enclosure there were the remains of at least two circular or crescent-shaped constructions, with walls built in the same way as the enclosure walls, and, like them, incorporating large numbers of heat-affected rocks. Part of the excavated wall of these structures was 1m high, and must have been solidly built to have survived so well. The remains of a quern for grinding grain was also found within this central area, as was a single carved rock.
Leading away from the enclosure is an orthostat wall of large stones, which appears to be part of a network of such walls in the wood. Throughout the adjacent woodland several carved rocks were found, and other objects such as a quern stone show that from Neolithic times there were people living in and around Buck Wood.
THE OPEN AIR SCHOOL
Near the main entrance to Buck Wood on Ainsbury Avenue is the plateau which was originally formed from waste material created when the first railway tunnel was built under Buck Wood in the 1840s. Between 1908 and 1939 this flat raised area was used as a playground by children attending the Open Air School in Buck Wood which was built adjoining the plateau. Traces of the foundations of the school buildings can still be seen beyond the steps leading down from the north-east edge of the plateau. The clearance of the site has been a project organised by the Friends of Buck Wood, who have also produced a book about the history of the School. A notice board on the school site gives more information about this unusual school.
FRIENDS OF BUCK WOOD
The Friends of Buck Wood group was established in March 2004, and includes local residents and other users of the wood. The group aims to protect and improve Buck Wood, Thackley, for the benefit of the wildlife and environment, and for the people of the surrounding area. They work in partnership with the owners of the Wood, Bradford Council.
The Friends organise a variety of events throughout the year, aimed at adding to peoples’ enjoyment and understanding of the woodland environment. These are open to the public (for a small charge) and to members who pay an annual subscription.
Members of the Friends also meet regularly for activities such as clearing the site of the Open Air School, cutting back overgrown bushes such as holly, planting native wildflowers and bulbs, and installing bat and bird boxes in the Wood.
The Friends of Buck Wood have an archive website at www.lhi.org.uk – follow the Project Directory links to ‘A Breath of Fresh Aire’.
Notable people
Joseph WrightJoseph Wright
Joseph Wright may refer to:* Joseph A. Wright , governor of Indiana* Joseph C. Wright , American art director* Joseph Robert Wright, Jr...
, a distinguished 19th/20th Century linguist, was born and raised in Thackley.
Governance
The village is located in the ward of Idle and ThackleyIdle and Thackley
Idle and Thackley is a Ward in Bradford Metropolitan District in the county of West Yorkshire, England, named after the villages of Idle and Thackley around which it is drawn....
, and in the newly revived parliamentary constituency of Bradford East
Bradford East (UK Parliament constituency)
Bradford East is the name of a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The constituency originally existed from 1885 to 1974 and was recreated for the 2010 general election, electing one Member of Parliament by the first past the post...
(formerly Bradford North).
Sport
The village has a football team, Thackley F.C.Thackley F.C.
Thackley F.C. are a football club based in the village of Thackley in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They were established in 1930 and joined the Yorkshire League Division Two in 1967. In the current 2011-12 season, they are members of the Northern Counties East Football League Premier Division....
, who play in the NCEL Premier Division. They play at Dennyfield, situated in the wooded area known as Buck Wood to the north west of the village.
The village also has a 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...
club, Thackley C.C. who also play nearby.
Education
Thackley Primary School is named after the village, and is situated on Thackley Corner.Immanuel CofE School is located on Leeds Road (Although sometimes stated as Idle)
Transport
The village is the site of the Thackley TunnelThackley Tunnel
Thackley tunnel is a railway tunnel on the Airedale Line from Leeds to Shipley then on to Bradford or Skipton.Built in 1844/5, the tunnel is approximately long and cut through the prominent Thackley Hill to reduce travel time...
, a long railway tunnel which runs underneath Thackley Hill. The nearest railway station is Shipley
Shipley railway station
Shipley railway station serves the town of Shipley in West Yorkshire, England.Train services are mostly commuter services between Leeds and Bradford, the Airedale Line , and the Wharfedale Line...
, which has connections to Bradford, Leeds and towns to the north west as far as Carlisle
Carlisle railway station
Carlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston...
.
The village also has good road links to Bradford, Shipley and Leeds.