Travel

Kirkburton Village - Huddersfield

Kirkburton is a village and civil parish in the county of West Yorkshire, England, lying five miles southeast of Huddersfield, in the borough of Kirklees. It comprises the two villages of Kirkburton and Highburton together with several hamlets, including Thorncliffe, Burton Royd, Riley, Dogley Lane, Common Side and Linfit Lane. According to the 2001 census the entire parish had a population of 23,986.

In the Middle Ages the township formed part of the Manor of Wakefield and Kirkburton church was at the head of a 16,000 acre Parish, which extended as far west as the Holme Valley.

The manufacture of woollen cloth was well established here by the time of the first Queen Elizabeth. It expanded rapidly after the late 18th century. The first textile mill was built at Dogley about 1787 and used waterpower to prepare wool for spinning and for fulling the finished cloth. About 1800 another mill opened at Linfit, which used steam power to carry out the same activities. Both mills gradually took on other processes and developed into substantial businesses under the Kenyon and Hey families. By 1880 there were about eight mills at work in the township.

The tanning of leather and exploitation of local coal deposits made valuable contributions to the economy of Kirkburton for several centuries. The last tannery closed in the 1830s. Coal mining grew in importance with the increased use of steam in the mills and by 1850 there were no fewer than 20 small pits in the township. The last colliery closed about 70 years ago.

One old-established industry, which has only recently moved from the village, is the manufacture of edge tools and shovels, which was introduced in the mid 18th century.

The population of the township increased rapidly with the growth of the textile trades. By 1800 the population was about 1400: 60 years later it was approaching 3700. After this, better job opportunities elsewhere led to a general decline in the population and for nearly a century the figure settled around the 3000 mark. By 1971 there were 2800 inhabitants, but following housing development at Highburton the estimated population is now nearer 4000.