Thongsbridge
Encyclopedia
Thongsbridge is a small village in the Kirklees
district of West Yorkshire
, England
. It is in the semi-rural Holme Valley
and the village boundaries merge into the neighbouring communities of Holmfirth
, New Mill and Wooldale
. According to the 2001 Census
, it covers an area of 124.7 hectares (308.1 acre).
One of the first records of Thongsbridge is from the early 13th century when the area was owned by the Bisset family. The village expanded in the early days of the industrial revolution, its location, within the steep-sided valley, being ideal for the water powered textile mills.
The homes and businesses located in the valley bottom were affected by a number of flood
s that affected the Holme Valley
. The Holmfirth Flood
of 1852 being amongst the most severe, with a number of houses and parts of the local textile
mill being swept away.
The village originally had a station on the railway branch line going from Brockholes
and terminating in Holmfirth
built by Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
company in 1850. The railway partially closed in 1959 with passenger services being stopped and then finally shut down to freight trains as well in 1965. The goods yard and railway trackbed have now mostly been built on but can still be seen in places.
cricket club and bowling club.
Thongsbridge Cricket Club was formed in 1860 and was one of the founding members of the Huddersfield and District Alliance League in 1893.
More history about Thongsbridge Cricket Club can be found on Thongsbridge Cricket History
Thongsbridge Tennis Club is one of the most progressive and dynamic tennis clubs in Britain. Website
Since mid 2008, Holme Valley black belt academy has been set up in the old Thongsbridge mills (previously at the Holmfirth Civic hall)
ward and is currently represented by Conservative
MP
Jason McCartney
since his victory in 2009. Thongsbridge was previously represented by Labour
MP
Kali Mountford
after her win over Graham Riddick
in 1997
.
At a local level the village is part of the Holme Valley South Ward which has 3 councillors who represent the area at Kirklees Borough Council. The Metropolitan District Council is responsible for all aspects of local services and policy, including planning, transport, roads (except trunk roads and motorways), public rights of way, education, social services and libraries. The 3 Holme Valley South Councillors are currently Donald Firth (Conservative), Kenneth Sims (Conservative) and Nigel Patrick (Conservative).
and is also surrounded by several villages. These neighbouring settlements include:- Netherthong
, Honley
, Brockholes
, New Mill, and Wooldale
.
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...
district of 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...
. It is in the semi-rural Holme Valley
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...
and the village boundaries merge into the neighbouring communities 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...
, New Mill and Wooldale
Wooldale
Wooldale is a small village nestled on a hill, overlooking the Kirkroyds area of Newmill, Holmfirth in West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 2,420.-Co-operative Society:...
. 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....
, it covers an area of 124.7 hectares (308.1 acre).
History
The name of the village is derived from the old Viking word ‘thong’ meaning a strip of land.One of the first records of Thongsbridge is from the early 13th century when the area was owned by the Bisset family. The village expanded in the early days of the industrial revolution, its location, within the steep-sided valley, being ideal for the water powered textile mills.
The homes and businesses located in the valley bottom were affected by a number of flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
s that affected the Holme Valley
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...
. The Holmfirth Flood
Holmfirth Flood
The Holmfirth Flood refers to a number of instances when severe flooding has occurred in the Holme Valley, West Yorkshire, England affecting Holmfirth and other settlements in the valley. The earliest recorded one being in 1738 and the latest in 1944...
of 1852 being amongst the most severe, with a number of houses and parts of the local textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
mill being swept away.
The village originally had a station on the railway branch line going from Brockholes
Brockholes
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....
and terminating in 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...
built by Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
company in 1850. The railway partially closed in 1959 with passenger services being stopped and then finally shut down to freight trains as well in 1965. The goods yard and railway trackbed have now mostly been built on but can still be seen in places.
Leisure facilities
Leisure facilities in the village include fitness centres located at the nearby Holmfirth High School Sports Center and Thongsbridge tennis club, which is located in the valley bottom, adjacent to thecricket club and bowling club.
Thongsbridge Cricket Club was formed in 1860 and was one of the founding members of the Huddersfield and District Alliance League in 1893.
More history about Thongsbridge Cricket Club can be found on Thongsbridge Cricket History
Thongsbridge Tennis Club is one of the most progressive and dynamic tennis clubs in Britain. Website
Since mid 2008, Holme Valley black belt academy has been set up in the old Thongsbridge mills (previously at the Holmfirth Civic hall)
Politics
Thongsbridge is part of the Colne ValleyColne Valley (UK Parliament constituency)
Colne Valley is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. In the post-war period the seat had the distinction of being one of the few Labour/Liberal marginals,...
ward and is currently represented by Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Jason McCartney
Jason McCartney (politician)
Jason Alexander McCartney is a British Conservative Party politician who serves as the Member of Parliament for Colne Valley in West Yorkshire.-Early career:...
since his victory in 2009. Thongsbridge was previously represented by Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Kali Mountford
Kali Mountford
Kali Carol Jean Mountford is a British Labour Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Colne Valley from 1997 until she retired from the House of Commons at the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
after her win over Graham Riddick
Graham Riddick
Graham Edward Galloway Riddick was the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Colne Valley in West Yorkshire, England from 1987 to 1997.-Family and early life:...
in 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
.
At a local level the village is part of the Holme Valley South Ward which has 3 councillors who represent the area at Kirklees Borough Council. The Metropolitan District Council is responsible for all aspects of local services and policy, including planning, transport, roads (except trunk roads and motorways), public rights of way, education, social services and libraries. The 3 Holme Valley South Councillors are currently Donald Firth (Conservative), Kenneth Sims (Conservative) and Nigel Patrick (Conservative).
Surrounding villages
The village of Thongsbridge is adjacent to the town of HolmfirthHolmfirth
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...
and is also surrounded by several villages. These neighbouring settlements include:- Netherthong
Netherthong
Netherthong is a small village near the town of Holmfirth. It lies in the Holme Valley in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. The village is on the B6107 road to Meltham from the main A6024 Woodhead Road through the Holme Valley from Honley to Holmfirth...
, 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:...
, Brockholes
Brockholes
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....
, New Mill, and Wooldale
Wooldale
Wooldale is a small village nestled on a hill, overlooking the Kirkroyds area of Newmill, Holmfirth in West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 2,420.-Co-operative Society:...
.