Everything about Dewsbury totally explained
Dewsbury is a
market town within the
Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in
West Yorkshire,
England. It is to the west of
Wakefield, and lies by the
River Calder and the
Calder and Hebble Navigation.
Historically a part of the
West Riding of Yorkshire, after undergoing a period of major growth in the 19th century as a
mill town, Dewsbury went through a period of decline. More recently there has been rapid and ongoing redevelopment of derelict mills into luxury apartments and other projects concerned with regenerating run-down or deprived areas.
According to the
2001 census the Dewsbury urban sub-area had a population of 54,341. Dewsbury is the largest town in the
Heavy Woollen District, which forms a conurbation of small mill towns.
History
Toponymy
The
Domesday Book of
1086 records the name of the town as
Deusberia and
Deusberie. The name is believed to mean "
fortified place by a stream", from Old English
deaw "
dew" (in the sense stream) and
burg "
fort"
(External Link
).
There are some other theories on the name's origin:
- A Mercian name, after the founder of a fortified settlement in the area, named Dui, Dew or Deus--"beria" meaning fort or stronghold.(External Link)
- "God's Hill", from the old British word "Duw", meaning God (cf Latin "Deus"), and "burg", meaning a hill.(External Link)(External Link)
- "Tiu's Hill", as above, but derived from the Germanic god Tiu from the same Indo-European origin.(External Link)
Early history
In
Saxon times, Dewsbury was a centre of considerable importance. The
Parish of Dewsbury extended east of the
Pennines to encompass
Huddersfield,
Mirfield and
Bradford. Ancient legend records that in 627
Paulinus, the first Bishop of York, preached in the church situated here. Numerous Saxon graves have been found in Dewsbury and
Thornhill.
(External Link)
Dewsbury
Minster lies near the banks of the
River Calder, traditionally on the site where Paulinus preached. Parts of the church are said to date to the 13th century.
(External Link) It houses the "Devil's Knell", a bell rung each Christmas Eve, one toll for each year, in a tradition dating back to the 15th century. It was donated by Sir Thomas de Soothill, in penance for murdering a servant boy in a fit of rage. The tradition was commemorated on a
Royal Mail postage stamp in 1986.
(External Link)
Dewsbury Market was established in the 14th century for local clothiers. Occurrences of the
plague in 1593 and 1603 closed the market until it was reopened in 1741.
Through the
Middle Ages Dewsbury retained a measure of importance in ecclesiastical terms, collecting tithes from as far away as
Halifax in the mid-14th century.
John Wesley visited the area five times in the mid-18th century, and the first
Methodist Society was established in 1746. Centenary Chapel on Daisy Hill commemorates the
centenary of this event, and the Methodist tradition remained strong in the town.
(External Link)
Industrial Revolution
1770, a short branch of the
Calder and Hebble Navigation Canal was completed, linking Dewsbury to the main
canal system and giving access to distribution centres in Manchester and Hull. By the time of the
Industrial Revolution, Dewsbury was one of the centres for the "
shoddy" industry, the recycling of old woollen items by mixing them with new wool and making them into heavy blankets and uniforms. The town benefited economically from the canal, its location at the heart of the
Heavy Woollen District, and its proximity to the coal mines. The railways arrived in 1848 when
Dewsbury Wellington Road railway station on the
London and North Western Railway opened; this is the only station which remains. Other stations were Dewsbury Central (
Great Northern Railway) which closed in 1964 and Dewsbury Market Place (
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway) which closed in 1930; a fourth goods-only station was built in the early 1900s at Savile Town (
Midland Railway). In 1985 a road bypass was built on the site of Central Station and its adjacent viaduct, and nothing remains of Market Place Station. The 1800s saw a great increase in population, rising from 4,566 in 1801 to around 30,000 by 1890.
The town’s rapid expansion and commitment to industrialisation wasn't without problems, resulting in social instability. In the early 1800’s Dewsbury was one of the centres of Luddite opposition to industrialisation in which workers retaliated against the onset of mechanisation and smashed the new machinery which threatened their way of life. In the 1830’s Dewsbury was also one of the centres of Chartist agitation. The C vote to the working classes. In August 1838, after a speech by Chartist leader Fergus O’Connell, a mob of between five and seven thousand people besieged the Dewsbury Poor Law Guardians in the town’s Royal Hotel. The mob had to be dispersed by troops. Trouble again flared in 1840 when radical agitators seized control of the town, again troops were called in and stationed in the town to maintain order. This radical tradition left a legacy in the political life of the town, in fact the town’s first elected MP in 1867 was John Simon, a Jewish lawyer from Jamaica and a Liberal.
The mills were still often run as family businesses, and continued manufacturing after the
wool crisis in 1950-51, which saw
Australian
sheep farmers begin to charge higher prices. However, the recovery of the late 1960s was reversed by the
1973 oil crisis, and the textile industry in Dewsbury declined, with only
bed manufacturing remaining a large scale employer.
Recent history
After questioning at Dewsbury Police Station, it was to the courtroom of Dewsbury Town Hall that
Peter Sutcliffe, the infamous
Yorkshire Ripper, was taken after his arrest in January 1981 to be formally charged before magistrates. In 2005, two high profile
crimes once more brought the media spotlight on Dewsbury. In June, a girl of 12 was charged with
grievous bodily harm following what was reported as the attempted hanging of a five year old boy from Chickenley
(External Link).
Also Mohammad Sidique Khan (from Thornhill), one of the July 7th bombers was discovered to have been living in Dewsbury.
On
February 19,
2008,
Shannon Matthews disappeared from her home in
Dewsbury Moor. 24 days after going missing, Shannon was found alive on
March 14,
2008 hidden in the base of a divan bed in
Batley Carr. A 39-year-old man, named as Michael Donovan, was arrested. The hunt for Shannon Matthews was the largest police search for a missing person since the hunt for the
Yorkshire Ripper nearly 30 years previously. Shannon Matthews' mother was subsequently arrested and charged with perverting the course of justice and child neglect.
Governance
Dewsbury was incorporated as a
municipal borough in 1862
(External Link), its first
mayor being Dr George Fearnley. The 1868
Reform Act constituted Dewsbury a
parliamentary borough, its first
MP being Mr Sergeant Simon. The fine
Victorian town hall that stands in front of the old marketplace was built in 1886-89. Dewsbury's boundaries were expanded to include the urban districts of Ravensthorpe, Thornhill, Soothill Nether and half of Soothill Upper in 1910 and it was elevated to
county borough status in 1913. "Soothill Nether" refers to the current east end of the town, although, at the time, Chickenley and Chidswell were hamlets, and Earlsheaton formed the bulk of the area's population. The covered market was opened in 1904 and during the 1920s trade moved from the original market place to the area around the covered market.
In 1974 responsibility for local government passed to
Kirklees Metropolitan Council, with its headquarters in Huddersfield. The population of Dewsbury has remained broadly static over the past century - the 1911 census recorded 53,351 people
(External Link), and the 1971 census 51,326 people, making it the fourth least populous county borough in England (after
Canterbury,
Burton and
Yarmouth).
Geography
Dewsbury is situated between a number of larger towns and cities.
Leeds and
Bradford lie eight miles to the north,
Huddersfield a similar distance to the south west, and Wakefield some six miles east. In recent years its proximity to these major urban centres, the
M1 and
M62 motorways and its position on the
Huddersfield Line, served by the
TransPennine Express, have contributed to its rising popularity as a
commuter town.
Dewsbury is part of the
West Yorkshire Urban Area, and the natural boundaries of the town are not well defined, with built up areas of the town running into neighbouring
Batley,
Heckmondwike and
Ossett.
Geologically, the town is situated on rock dated to the
Carboniferous Period, consisting of
coal measures and
gritstones.
Quaternary Period rock,
glacial deposits and
gravels exist in the
Calder Valley.
Coal,
stone and gravel have all been exploited commercially.
Average rainfall is 100 cm per annum.
(External Link)
The town is dominated by hills, notably Earlsheaton, Dewsbury Moor, Staincliffe and
Thornhill. The town centre is at 40 m-55 m above
sea level, rising to 110 m at Earlsheaton and Batley Carr, and 230 m at Grange Moor. The approach down from Earlsheaton through the Wakefield Road cutting, constructed in 1830, is dramatic with the view of the town centre nestling in the Calder Valley opening up as you descend.
The majority of the older buildings were built in Yorkshire stone, many of which have recently been restored by
sandblasting. Notable structures include the railway
viaduct, and
Machell's Shoddy and Mungo Mill, converted into apartments but still bearing the famous slogan of its original occupants.
Demographics and economy
From the outset of the Industrialisation of the town with its many mills, a large influx of Irish workers arrived in the town, settling in the Westtown area. This area has a large, imposing Catholic church, St. Paulinus and a school, once run by the nuns of the area. The Irish National Club also is home to Dewsbury Celtic Amateur Rugby League club, with its many age groups of players. Starting in the late 1950s and continuing until the 1970s, many families from
South Asia, particularly
Pakistan, settled in Dewsbury. By 1966 around 2,000 immigrants from
Commonwealth countries had made Dewsbury their home. Many worked in the woollen mills, making good the labour shortage in that sector.
The town has a large Asian community; this was estimated in November 2006 at 33%, but it's likely to be slightly higher.
Savile Town and
Ravensthorpe are populated mainly by Muslims of
Indian and
Pakistani origin. In recent years, there has also been an immigration of Iraqi
Kurds and
Hungarians into the town.. Dewsbury is known for having a Shariah arbitration court, which has caused some controversy.
The
Dewsbury Moor, Ravensthorpe and Chickenley areas are classed among the 10% most deprived areas in the UK
(External Link). In contrast to some British towns and cities, the east side of the town is generally more affluent. The majority of houses in the town are in the cheapest band for council tax, for house prices are amongst the lowest in the country.
(External Link)
The town centre is starting to see a something of a revival, with large retailers such as
Sainsbury's,
Next and
Matalan. The local market comprising 400 stalls is one of the busiest in Yorkshire and today draws coach-loads of visitors to the town; in April 2007, Dewsbury Market won the award as Britain's Best Market. Wednesdays and Saturdays are the normal market days with the popular flea market on Fridays. Just south of the river Calder in the town centre was where the mills of the town were traditionally located. As the mills closed, this area became the largest
brownfield site in the country. However, many of the units have now been reoccupied and the town's largest employer,
Carlton Cards is based in this area. A large shopping centre, planned to occupy a large area of the town centre has as many supporters as detractors.
Ravensthorpe has also now started to see a new lease of life, in the shape of the district's new shopping park. Retailers on the development include Netto, Subway, Home Bargains, Au Naturale and Poundstretcher.
Inspired setting for A Kind of Loving
The 1960 book
A Kind of Loving is set in a fictional city named "Cressley", but its description was based upon Dewsbury. The author,
Stan Barstow, was born in
Horbury and grew up in Ossett - both of which are just to the east of Dewsbury.
Sport and local attractions
The
Dewsbury Rams Rugby League Club play in National League 1. They play on Owl Lane, towards
Ossett, on the site of the old Savile & Shaw Cross Colliery. Their original and famous ground
Crown Flatt stood on Leeds Road at Earlsheaton for many years until it was burned down by arsonists in the late 1980s. It has been replaced with a modern housing estate.
Dewsbury Celtic play in National League 3. Their ground is on the west side of the town in Crow Nest Park. The club's headquarters are at the Dewsbury Irish National Club on Park Parade.
Dewsbury Museum in Crow Nest Park features a permanent children's history section, including a 1940s classroom and an extensive
toy collection, alongside temporary exhibits.
Nearby attractions include the
National Coal Mining Museum for England and the
Bagshaw Museum, in neighbouring
Batley.
Education
Dewsbury had two
grammar schools – The Wheelwright Grammar School for Boys and, further up the hill, the school For Girls. The
1970s education reforms downgraded these two establishments to High Schools. They are now used by Dewsbury College. In the 2005 School League Tables, Dewsbury's Eastborough
Junior school, Infants school and Nursery School were reported to have the most consistently improved results over the past four years. However, the Headteacher of the school, Nicola Roth, has been highly critical of School League Tables in the UK and has been reported to have said "It would be better if league tables didn't exist".
Batley College of
Art and Design, which is part of Dewsbury College, has a strong reputation for print and textile-based art work.
Suburbs of Dewsbury
Dewsbury has a number of different suburbs with very different geographical and socio-economic patterns.
Some of the suburbs of Dewsbury are, Chickenley, Crackenedge, Dewsbury Moor, Earlsheaton, Eastborough, Eightlands, Flatts, Ravensthorpe, Savile Town, Shaw Cross, Scout Hill, Thornhill Lees, Westborough, Westtown.
Batley Carr, Hanging Heaton and
Staincliffe have areas which lie in both Dewsbury and neighbouring
Batley.
Thornhill is sometimes classified as part of Dewsbury and sometimes as a separate settlement. It was annexed by the town's council in 1910, along with Briestfield and Whitley, but there have been no official definitions of Dewsbury's boundaries since the 1974 local government reforms.
Famous people born in Dewsbury
The actor Patrick Stewart was born in nearby Mirfield. He worked for a very brief period as a journalist for the town's local Dewsbury Reporter(External Link) and appeared on 4 April 2003 in Dewsbury Town Hall to raise money for charity.
The Reverend Patrick Brontë, the father of Anne Brontë, Charlotte Brontë and Emily Brontë, was rector of the parish church from 1809 to 1811. In Charlotte Brontë's Shirley, Dewsbury features as "Whinbury".
John Rudd, the Tudor cartographer, was Vicar of Dewsbury and Rector of Thornhill. His apprentice in map making was Christopher Saxton, who lived with Rudd in Dewsbury as his servant while a young man, and went on to complete the mapping of England.
John Michell, the 18th century scientist known for his pioneering work on magnetism, geology, and astronomy, especially his early postulation of the possibility of black holes, was Rector of Thornhill from 1767 until his death in 1793.
Dewsbury was also the birth place of actors Frank Crawshaw, Valentine Pelka, Kazia Pelka, Mary Tamm, Rebecca Callard.
Tom Kilburn, a computer engineer and the co-inventor of the first stored-program computer, and Thomas Clifford Allbutt, inventor of the clinical thermometer, were both born in Dewsbury.
Sir Owen Willans Richardson, physicist, professor and Nobel Prize winner was born in Dewsbury.
Larry Hirst CBE, Chief Executive of IBM UK.
Wallace Hartley, bandmaster on the RMS Titanic when it sank in 1912, called Dewsbury his home at the time of his death. A blue plaque marks the house on West Park Street in which he lived.
Franz Ferdinand bassist, Bob Hardy, was born in Dewsbury but grew up in Bradford.
Leeds Rhinos and Great Britain Rugby League player Matt Diskin was born in Dewsbury and played for Dewsbury Moor ARLFC before becoming a professional player.
Former rugby league player and Sky Sports commentator Mike Stephenson was born in the town and captained Dewsbury to their only championship success in 1973. Another rugby league commentator Eddie Waring was born in Dewsbury and also managed the town's rugby league club, former Leeds Rhinos winger Francis Cummins was also born in Dewsbury.
Former Speaker of the House of Commons (Parliament), Betty Boothroyd, controversial writer Tim Fountain and Andrew Morton, the biographer of Diana, Princess of Wales, were born in Dewsbury.
Betty Lockwood, Baroness Lockwood of Dewsbury, was born in the town in 1924 and attended Eastborough Girls' School. She went on to become the first Chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission and later Chancellor of the University of Bradford.
Sheffield United footballer, Leigh Bromby, was born in Dewsbury, as was Neil Redfearn, journeyman footballer with a 24 year playing career and 5th on the all time records for number of Football League matches played (790).
Former WBF World, European and Commonwealth Welterweight boxing champion James Hare was born in Dewsbury. (External Link)
Greg Rusedski claimed on the Friday Night with Jonathan Ross TV show that his mother was born in Dewsbury.
Vic Metcalfe, the Huddersfield Town and England right winger, was born in Ravensthorpe.
References in popular culture
Dewsbury is referenced in the Beatles' 1967 film Magical Mystery Tour. A line of dialogue in the film has one of the magicians (all portrayed by the Beatles themselves) - who are keeping an eye on the whereabouts of the bus that's taking its passengers on the journey of the film's title - exclaim: "The bus is ten miles north on the Dewsbury road and they're having a lovely time!" (External Link)Dewsbury is also referenced in the 1991 single "It's Grim Up North" by the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu (also known as The KLF).
The Dogs of Dewsbury is the title of a volume of poetry (now out of print) written by the poet Cliff Ashby. In Plainsong - Collected Poems (pub. Carcanet 1985) the poem "Dewsbury" appears and starts "Incite me to love/This shoddy town/And its inhabitants/Who surrounded by their ´Special Offer´homes/Dream of a city/Where there's no night."
As many people are unsure how to pronounce "Dewsbury", it was included in the Oxford B.B.C. Guide to Pronunciation, where it was defined as 'dju:zbəri.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Dewsbury'.
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