Heckmondwikeis a town in theKirkleesdistrict,West Yorkshire,England, 9 miles (14 km) south west ofLeeds.Historicallypart of theWest Riding of Yorkshire,it is close toCleckheatonandLiversedge.It is mostly in theBatley and Spenparliamentary constituency, and had an estimated population of 16,986 at the 2011 Census[2]increasing to 18,149 at the 2021 Census.[3]Heckmondwike forms part of theHeavy Woollen District.
| Heckmondwike | |
|---|---|
 Clock in Heckmondwike's centre, erected in 1863 to commemorate the marriage of thePrince of WalesandPrincess Alexandra of Denmark.[1] | |
  Heckmondwike Location withinWest Yorkshire | |
| Population | 18,149 |
| OS grid reference | SE216234 |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HECKMONDWIKE |
| Postcode district | WF16 |
| Dialling code | 01924 |
| Police | West Yorkshire |
| Fire | West Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| UK Parliament | |
Toponymy
editThe origins of Heckmondwike are inOld English.First recorded asHedmundewic[sic] in theDomesday Bookof 1086,Hedmundewicin 1166, and asHecmundewiksometime in the 13th century, the name seems to be from *Hēahmundes wīc,or 'Heahmund's dairy-farm'.[4]
History
editDuringSaxontimes, Heckmondwike was a "berewick" or independent village in the manor ofGomersal,which, before 1066, was held by Dunstan and Gamel.
ThePoll Tax of 1379records seven families in Heckmondwike, about 35 people: including one named Thomas of Stubly. Most lived in isolated farmsteads such as Stubley Farm, on high ground overlooking the marshy Spen Valley floor.
In 1684, there were around 250 people, occupying 50 houses, in the town. The town became famous for manufacturing blankets, and by 1811 the Blanket Hall was built for trade in the town's primary manufacture. It was replaced by a second hall erected in 1839, on Blanket Hall Street in the town centre.Elizabeth Gaskell's biography ofCharlotte Brontëin 1857 described the inhabitants of Heckmondwike as "a chapel-going people, very critical of their sermons, tyrannical to their ministers and violent radicals".
The town ceased generating electricity in 1924. The Power Company buildings survive in part on Bath Road.[5] The remains of the first Blanket Hall were demolished in spring 2008, along with a number of other old buildings including some formerCo-opbuildings that had been used as the post office and former "George"public house.
A health centre was opened in July 2010 to house two former doctors' practices.[6]
Geography
edit
Located at the edge of thePenninehills, the land rises to the north, east and south of the town centre. The town covers an area of one square mile (640 acres),[7]the town boundary is not the same as the ward boundary.
Heckmondwike has a telephone exchange, north of High Street in theWakefield01924 dialling area. The exchange coversLiversedge,and parts ofDewsbury MoorandStaincliffe.
Politics
editIn 1894 HeckmondwikeUrban District Councilwas established and was incorporated into Kirklees in the local government reorganisation of 1974. The Heckmondwike electoral ward includes Millbridge, Flush, and Norristhorpe inLiversedgesouth of theA62 road.Heckmondwike ward is represented onKirklees Councilby three Labour councillors.
In 2003 the ward elected David Exley of theBritish National Party,after the serving councillor left theLabour Partyto run as an independent. Exley was re-elected in 2004, and in 2006 a second BNP member, Roger Roberts, was elected. Roberts had previously served as councillor for theConservative Party.[8]In May 2007 David Sheard (Labour), was returned. In May 2008 Exley lost his seat to Labour candidate Steve Hall. In May 2010 Roberts lost his seat to Labour candidate Viv Kendrick. Sheard was re-elected in 2011, and Hall was re-elected in 2012.
Media
editThe weekly newspaper was theHeckmondwike Heralduntil Friday 15 August 2008 after which the title was merged into theSpenborough Guardianincorporating theHeckmondwike Herald.It covers the formerSpenborough Urban Districtand Heckmondwike.[9]
Local news and television programmes are provided byBBC YorkshireandITV Yorkshire.Television signals are received from theEmley MoorTV transmitter.[10]
Local radio stations areBBC Radio Leedson 92.4 FM,Heart Yorkshireon 106.2 FM,Capital Yorkshireon 105.6 FM,Hits Radio West Yorkshireon 102.5 FM,Greatest Hits Radio West Yorkshireon 96.3 FM andBranch Radio,a community based radio station that broadcast from theDewsburyon 101.8 FM.[11]
Transport
editThe town hasits own bus station.Very few bus services terminate at Heckmondwike; most are through services from acrossWest YorkshireincludingLeeds,Bradford,HuddersfieldandWakefield.
Notable people
edit- James Berry(1852–1913),executioner[12]
- Horace Brearley(1913–2007), cricketer and schoolmaster
- Jeff Butterfield(1929–2004),internationalrugby unionfootballer.
- Jo Cox(1974–2016), Labour MP
- John Curwen(1816–1880),Congregationalist ministerwho founded theTonic Sol-fasystem ofmusic education;Curwen CrescentandCurwen Parkin the town are named for him.
- Mabel Ferrett(1917-2011), poet, publisher, literary editor and local historian[13]
- Mike Heaton(b. 1967), drummer forpost-BritpopbandEmbrace.
- John Henry Hirst(1826–1882), architect, born in Heckmondwike, practised inBristolandHarrogate
- Kim Leadbeater(b. 1976), Labour MP
- The Rt Rev.John Monsignor O'Connor(1870–1952), anIrishCatholicpriest who served as Parish Priest of Heckmondwike from 1909 to 1919. He was the inspiration forFather Brown,the fictional character created byG. K. Chesterton(1874–1936). While serving in Heckmondwike, the thenFatherO'Connor had the Church of the Holy Spirit constructed. The church was completed in 1915.
- George Arthur Pollard(1863–1939), New Zealand salvation army officer and administrator[14]
- Dave Pybus(b. 1970), bassist member ofextreme metalband,Cradle of Filth.
- Frederick Wilson Whitehead(1863–1926), composer and organist.
- Arthur Wood(1875–1953), composer famous for the 1924 piece,Barwick Green,which is used as the theme song for theBBC Radio 4series,The Archers.
Location grid
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^Historic England."Drinking Fountain (1134624)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved10 June2021.
- ^"Kirklees Ward population 2011".Neighbourhood Statistics.Office for National Statistics.Retrieved25 February2016.
- ^"Kirklees Ward population 2021".Neighbourhood Statistics.Office for National Statistics.Retrieved19 May2023.
- ^'Oxford Dictionary of British Place-Names', A.D. Mills, Oxford University Press; Victor Watts (ed.),The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names Based on the Collections of the English Place-Name Society(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004).
- ^Heckmondwike Official Guide 1st edition
- ^"Kirklees Council - Online news".Archived fromthe originalon 23 May 2012.Retrieved2 December2011.Retrieved 2 December 2011
- ^Heckmondwike Guide 1922
- ^"Results for Heckmondwike in the 2004 Kirklees Election".Archived fromthe originalon 9 June 2011.Retrieved9 June2009.
- ^Wakefield Today Website Dewsbury newspapersArchived29 June 2012 at theWayback Machine
- ^"Emley Moor (Kirklees, England) Full Freeview transmitter".UK Free TV.1 May 2004.Retrieved4 November2023.
- ^"Christian Radio Station - Dewsbury West Yorkshire UK - Branch FM".branchfm.Retrieved4 November2023.
- ^James Berry."My experiences as an executioner".Retrieved19 April2018– via Internet Archive.
- ^Kirk, Pauline (17 February 2011)."Mabel Ferrett obituary".The Guardian.Retrieved13 August2020.
- ^Bradwell, C. R."George Arthur Pollard".Dictionary of New Zealand Biography.Ministry for Culture and Heritage.Retrieved23 April2017.
External links
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