Lightcliffe
Encyclopedia
Lightcliffe is a village 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
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...

.

Situated approximately three miles east of Halifax
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...

 in the metropolitan district of Calderdale
Calderdale
The Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England, through which the upper part of the River Calder flows, and from which it takes its name...

.

Lightcliffe is "sought after" as a dormitory village for people working in Halifax or the surrounding other urban towns. Although a village, it often has more the size and feel of a suburb. It's characteristics are that it stretches along the Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....

 and 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...

 roads, fields and rolling open countryside is never far away.
Another characteristic, is that Lightcliffe feels very established and green - with many mature trees and large houses.
There is a main park here called 'the Stray' which contains a war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...

 to the north, and is otherwise sweeping grassland. The avenue of cherry trees in the park provides a breathtaking display in the spring.
Towards the village centre in a picturesque setting can be found the cricket club.
There are two golf clubs. One is the long established Lightcliffe Golf Club, the other one is the newer Crow's Nest Golf Club.

The oldest part of the village contains the Sun Inn - a former coaching inn, along what was in antiquity a main road to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. The Sun Inn is very photogenic, as is the remains of the old church immediately opposite.
The new Lightcliffe Anglican church, St Matthew's, was built to replace the old church, just a stone's throw away, and is in the style of part Gothic, with details which are reminiscent of a medieval castle.

On the Leeds road is situated the architecturally interesting former URC church - now converted to offices. A feature of this church is that it contained a peal of bells - unusual for a Non-Conformist church. There is also a tall steeple and stained glass. Thankfully this is now preserved due to the office conversion.
The actual church has merged to share a building with the nearby Hipperholme Methodist Church.
Lightcliffe is the home base of the successful Hipperholme and Lightcliffe High School - a secondary foundation school and sports college.
Of primary schools, there is Lightcliffe Church of England - located in an enviable old stone building. There is next to the high school, Cliffe Hill Primary - in a newer building.

Also Sir Titus Salt, a wealthy businessman in the 1800s well known for his factory and town at Saltaire
Saltaire
Saltaire is a Victorian model village within the City of Bradford Metropolitan District, West Yorkshire, England, by the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal...

in Bradford, used to live in Crow's Nest Mansion, Lightcliffe.
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