Milnsbridge
Encyclopedia
Milnsbridge is a district of Huddersfield
, West Yorkshire
, England
2.5 miles (4 km) west of the town centre, situated in the Colne Valley
. The name is said to have derived from the water-powered mill and the bridge that stood alongside it in the 13th century.
The Huddersfield Narrow Canal
runs through Milnsbridge close to the River Colne
. A viaduct carries the trans-Pennine Huddersfield Line
railway that runs through Milnsbridge, and links Leeds
and Manchester
via Huddersfield. The Huddersfield to Manchester road route A62
passes Milnsbridge along the south side of the valley.
Until recent times Milnsbridge was mostly centred on the woollen
and worsted
yarn textile industry, with mills situated along the riverside. These formerly relied on the river and the Canal. There is less evidence of this industry than there was, as most of the mill chimneys were removed when the mills were demolished or converted into housing. However, there are still many streets of 19th century terraced houses in the area; these were originally built as mill workers' houses.
Britannia Mills is well known for the manufacturing, by Arthur Quarmby & Son, of pub-related items such as beer mats, mirrors and clocks.
Jack Ramsay in his book "Made in Huddersfield" describes Milnsbridge in 1989:
Milnsbridge spreads from Cowlersley
- on the other side of the A62
Manchester Road - to Golcar
, Longwood and Paddock
. Since the demolition of the school on New Street (with its swimming pool) the main primary school in Milnsbridge has been Crow Lane School, with 11-18s either attending Royds Hall School
, Salendine Nook High, All Saints Catholic High or Colne Valley High in Linthwaite
. At the centre of Milnsbridge is the Baptist Church (founded 150 years ago, but rebuilt in 2004).
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....
, 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...
2.5 miles (4 km) west of the town centre, situated in the Colne Valley
Colne Valley
The Colne Valley is a steep sided valley on the east flank of the Pennine Hills in the English county of West Yorkshire. It takes its name from the River Colne which rises above the town of Marsden and flows eastward along the floor of the valley....
. The name is said to have derived from the water-powered mill and the bridge that stood alongside it in the 13th century.
The Huddersfield Narrow Canal
Huddersfield Narrow Canal
The Huddersfield Narrow Canal is an inland waterway in northern England. It runs just under from Lock 1E at the rear of the University of Huddersfield campus, near Aspley Basin at Huddersfield to the junction with the Ashton Canal at Whitelands Basin in Ashton-under-Lyne...
runs through Milnsbridge close to the River Colne
River Colne, West Yorkshire
The River Colne is a river in West Yorkshire formed by a confluence at the foot of the Pennines close to the village of Marsden.-Course:Numerous brooks formed by rainwater high in the Pennines of West Yorkshire, flow down the hillsides through the small valleys to feed two Yorkshire Water...
. A viaduct carries the trans-Pennine Huddersfield Line
Huddersfield Line
The Huddersfield Line is the name given to one of the busiest rail services on the West Yorkshire MetroTrain network in northern England. Local services are operated by Northern Rail with longer distance services operated by TransPennine Express...
railway that runs through Milnsbridge, and links 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 Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
via Huddersfield. The Huddersfield to Manchester road route A62
A62 road
The A62 is a major road in Northern England that runs between the two major cities of Manchester and Leeds.The road is approximately 40 miles long. It runs north east from Manchester through Failsworth and Oldham then Saddleworth before crossing the Pennines at Standedge into West Yorkshire...
passes Milnsbridge along the south side of the valley.
Until recent times Milnsbridge was mostly centred on the woollen
Woolen
Woolen or woollen is a type of yarn made from carded wool. Woolen yarn is soft, light, stretchy, and full of air. It is thus a good insulator, and makes a good knitting yarn...
and worsted
Worsted
Worsted , is the name of a yarn, the cloth made from this yarn, and a yarn weight category. The name derives from the village of Worstead in the English county of Norfolk...
yarn textile industry, with mills situated along the riverside. These formerly relied on the river and the Canal. There is less evidence of this industry than there was, as most of the mill chimneys were removed when the mills were demolished or converted into housing. However, there are still many streets of 19th century terraced houses in the area; these were originally built as mill workers' houses.
Britannia Mills is well known for the manufacturing, by Arthur Quarmby & Son, of pub-related items such as beer mats, mirrors and clocks.
Jack Ramsay in his book "Made in Huddersfield" describes Milnsbridge in 1989:
Milnsbridge spreads from Cowlersley
Cowlersley
Cowlersley is a district 2 miles west of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England it is situated between Milnsbridge and Linthwaite....
- on the other side of the A62
A62 road
The A62 is a major road in Northern England that runs between the two major cities of Manchester and Leeds.The road is approximately 40 miles long. It runs north east from Manchester through Failsworth and Oldham then Saddleworth before crossing the Pennines at Standedge into West Yorkshire...
Manchester Road - to Golcar
Golcar
Golcar is a village located on a hillside crest above the Colne Valley in West Yorkshire, England, west of Huddersfield, and just north of the River Colne and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal...
, Longwood and Paddock
Paddock, Huddersfield
Paddock is a district of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated 1 mile to the southwest of the town centre.It has a population of 3,117 according to the 2001 Census....
. Since the demolition of the school on New Street (with its swimming pool) the main primary school in Milnsbridge has been Crow Lane School, with 11-18s either attending Royds Hall School
Royds Hall School
Royds Hall High School is a comprehensive school in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.-About Royds Hall High School:Royds Hall High School is a successful and popular Specialist College for Science and Mathematics, which caters for approximately 825 students, aged 11–16, and with a national...
, Salendine Nook High, All Saints Catholic High or Colne Valley High in Linthwaite
Linthwaite
Linthwaite is a village in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated 4 miles west of Huddersfield, on the A62 in the Colne Valley...
. At the centre of Milnsbridge is the Baptist Church (founded 150 years ago, but rebuilt in 2004).
External links
- Milnsbridge.org website
- A night at the circus? A circus visit to Milnsbridge in 1891, pieced together from details in the census of that year. BBC Bradford and West Yorkshire, retrieved 12 December 2006.