Brockholes
Encyclopedia
Brockholes is a small village in West Yorkshire
, England
in the administrative area of Kirklees Metropolitan Council
and Holme Valley Parish Council
. It is within the Postal district of Holmfirth
.
The A616 route
between Huddersfield
and Penistone
passes directly through the village and the A628 Woodhead Road
passes down the valley on its westward side. Central to the village is a small green set back from the A616 by some terraced housing, and overlooked by a church, a chapel and the village hall, formerly the village school. A more modern junior and infants school Brockholes Primary School for 4 to 11 year olds, now exists a little further up the road to the local Railway station
, which has a direct link between Huddersfield
and Sheffield
on the Penistone Line
.
Village folklore purports that the village was named after the extensive network of badger
sett
s that used to exist in the surrounding woodlands, Brock being an old English name for a badger. Today just a few, well-hidden setts still exist, carefully watched over by a local badger protection group.
The village of Honley
borders to the immediate north of the village and Holmfirth
lies to the south. According to the 2001 census
, Brockholes had a resident population of 1,861 in 764 households.
It was once home to Brook (Electric) Motors, which was acquired by the Hawker Siddeley Group. The factory produced the motors to turn the gears, made by David Brown Gears in Lockwood
, which turned the revolving restaurant at the top of the Post Office Tower in London. The factory has now closed down and the buildings have been divided up into a number of smaller units. Other former businesses included Ben Shaws, a soft drinks manufacturers, the old K&M Candle factory, taken over by shoe polish manufacturer Kiwi
, and eventually closed down, and Norton Scientific Instruments. It has two Public Houses: The Rock Inn and the Travellers Rest, plus some small general village shops, a post office, and a number of larger businesses springing up in the industrial units of the old Rock Mill site. These include, tyre fitting and repair, an electrical wholesalers, Steel Fabrication and a car registration plate business. More recently the local fuel station has been bought out by a national chain and refurbished to include a mini supermarket.
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
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...
in the administrative area of Kirklees Metropolitan 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...
and Holme Valley Parish Council
Holme Valley
Holme Valley is a large civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 25,049 . Its administrative centre is in Holmfirth. Other sizeable settlements in the parish include, Brockholes, Honley and New Mill...
. It is within the Postal district of Holmfirth
Holmfirth
Holmfirth is a small town located on the A6024 Woodhead Road in the Holme Valley, within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Centred upon the confluence of the Holme and Ribble rivers, Holmfirth is south of Huddersfield and from Glossop. It mostly consists of...
.
The A616 route
A616 road
The A616 is a road which links Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, to the M1 motorway at Junction 30, then reappears at Junction 35A and goes on to Huddersfield, West Yorkshire....
between 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 Penistone
Penistone
Penistone is a small town market town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, in South Yorkshire, England, with a population of 10,101 at the 2001 census. It lies west of the town of Barnsley and north east of Glossop, in the foothills of the Pennines...
passes directly through the village and the A628 Woodhead Road
A628 road
The A628 is a major road in the north of England connecting Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire by crossing the Pennine chain of hills by way of the Woodhead Pass through the Peak District National Park. The height and the exposure of the road often creates problems during poor weather in winter...
passes down the valley on its westward side. Central to the village is a small green set back from the A616 by some terraced housing, and overlooked by a church, a chapel and the village hall, formerly the village school. A more modern junior and infants school Brockholes Primary School for 4 to 11 year olds, now exists a little further up the road to the local Railway station
Brockholes railway station
Brockholes railway station serves the village of Brockholes, near Huddersfield in West Yorkshire. It lies away from on the Penistone Line operated by Northern Rail.Trains passing between Brockholes and pass through a tunnel under Thurstonland....
, which has a direct link between 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 Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
on the Penistone Line
Penistone Line
The Penistone Line is operated by Northern Rail in the West Yorkshire Metro/ Travel South Yorkshire area of northern England. It connects Huddersfield and Sheffield via Penistone and Barnsley, serving many rural communities...
.
Village folklore purports that the village was named after the extensive network of badger
Badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are nine species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...
sett
Sett
A badger sett or set is a badger's den, usually consisting of a network of tunnels. The largest setts are spacious enough to accommodate 15 or more animals, with up to of tunnels and as many as 40 openings. It takes many years for the animals to dig these large setts...
s that used to exist in the surrounding woodlands, Brock being an old English name for a badger. Today just a few, well-hidden setts still exist, carefully watched over by a local badger protection group.
The village of Honley
Honley
Honley is a large village in West Yorkshire, England near to Holmfirth and Huddersfield situated on the banks of the River Holme in the Holme Valley. In 2001 it had a population of 5,897 according to the census.-Education:...
borders to the immediate north of the village and Holmfirth
Holmfirth
Holmfirth is a small town located on the A6024 Woodhead Road in the Holme Valley, within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Centred upon the confluence of the Holme and Ribble rivers, Holmfirth is south of Huddersfield and from Glossop. It mostly consists of...
lies to the south. According to the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, Brockholes had a resident population of 1,861 in 764 households.
Industry
Brockholes is a semi-rural area, mostly consisting of farms with a large housing area, some of which has been built on the former premises of Rock Mills, which was only one of several large textile mills. There was also a spinning works, shoddy mill, and a textile machinery engineering works, though now only the latter still exists.It was once home to Brook (Electric) Motors, which was acquired by the Hawker Siddeley Group. The factory produced the motors to turn the gears, made by David Brown Gears in Lockwood
Lockwood
-People:*Al Lockwood, retired RAF officer and politician*Annea Lockwood, composer*Belva Ann Lockwood, feminist and lawyer*Betty Lockwood, Baroness Lockwood of Dewsbury, political activist*Cara Lockwood, American writer*Charles A. Lockwood, admiral...
, which turned the revolving restaurant at the top of the Post Office Tower in London. The factory has now closed down and the buildings have been divided up into a number of smaller units. Other former businesses included Ben Shaws, a soft drinks manufacturers, the old K&M Candle factory, taken over by shoe polish manufacturer Kiwi
Kiwi (shoe polish)
Kiwi is the brand name of a shoe polish, first made in Australia in 1906 and sold in almost 180 countries. Previously owned by the Sara Lee Corporation since 1984, it was sold in 2011 to SC Johnson...
, and eventually closed down, and Norton Scientific Instruments. It has two Public Houses: The Rock Inn and the Travellers Rest, plus some small general village shops, a post office, and a number of larger businesses springing up in the industrial units of the old Rock Mill site. These include, tyre fitting and repair, an electrical wholesalers, Steel Fabrication and a car registration plate business. More recently the local fuel station has been bought out by a national chain and refurbished to include a mini supermarket.