DEWSBURY

I moved to Dewsbury in April 1989, and now live in Thornhill. The picture (right) shows the town of Dewsbury, viewed from the edge of the mountain opposite my house.

For more information about Dewsbury on Wikipedia, click this link.

To read about Thornhill, click this link.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page for a pictorial slideshow of Dewsbury.

In recent years, the efforts of Kirklees Metropolitan Council, who sold most of the town centre buildings to some "developers" from London (Stayton) have led to the decline of the town centre. Our local MP, Mr Shahid Malik, spends so much time defending his expense claims that he can't (or won't!) try to do anything about it. On 30th June 2009 I took a wander around and took almost 50 photographs, then made them into the YouTube video below. Stop the website music, then click the picture below to start it.

Dewsbury (West Yorkshire) - population 54,000 - lies beside the River Calder about half-way between Leeds and Huddersfield. It can be reached by road from the M62 (junction 25 if approaching from the west, junction 28 from the east) and from the M1 (junction 40). The town has a railway station dating from 1848, served by trains on the Huddersfield line from places as far away as Hull and Liverpool. Leeds-Bradford airport is about ten miles away. Local bus services link the town with Huddersfield, Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, and National Express coach services run to London.

Dewsbury is surrounded by hills - Earlsheaton, Dewsbury Moor, and Thornhill, where I live. Thornhill is perched on a plateau some 100 metres higher than Dewsbury Town Centre.

The town’s history can be traced back as far as the 7th century, and parts of Dewsbury Minster are said to date from the 13th century. The Domesday book of 1086 lists the town as “Deusberia”.

Dewsbury Market was established in the 14th century, but after many cases of the plague in 1593 and 1603 it was closed. It was re-established in 1741. The present covered market was built in 1904, and still attracts coach-loads of tourists on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

A branch of the Calder and Hebble Navigation Canal was completed in 1770, linking Dewsbury to the main canal system with links to growing towns such as Manchester and Hull.

During the Industrial Revolution Dewsbury was a major centre for the “shoddy” industry– a process of recycling old woollen items to make heavy blankets and uniforms. (Hence the fact that the area is known as the "Heavy Woollen" area). Many old mill buildings survive, some now housing newer industries, some converted to private dwellings.

There were several coal mines in the area – the last being the Caphouse Colliery, which closed in 1985 and is now the National Coal Mining Museum, where the public can descend to the coal face.

Most of these photographs of Dewsbury were taken by me on Thursday 27th April 2006. To be logical, they are listed in alphabetical order. The blue scrolling text box at the bottom contains some interesting notes about the pictures.

Pic 1: ASDA is open 24 hours (Monday 8.00am until Saturday 10.00pm and also Sunday from 10.00am until 4.00pm). It has a massive car park, facilities for disabled shoppers, a cafe, optician, clothing section, toilets and much more. It has its own footbridge over the River Calder to a pedestrian crossing over the road to the Bus Station. It also has parking patrols who fine you large amounts for staying more than two hours!

Pic 2:  The BUS STATION is served by buses to all the surrounding areas, and as far as Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield, Bradford and Halifax. Most services are operated by Arriva, whose depot is nearby. The Huddersfield Bus Company and Longstaff's each operate one service. There is a free shuttle bus (operated by the Halifax Joint Committee) every ten minutes to the nearby Sainsbury's store. National Express services to London and beyond use the bus station, as do many day excursions. The bus station also contains a newsagents, betting shop, cafe and barber's shop. There are toilets, baby changing facilities and Security staff. A large taxi rank is situated on the road outside. The railway station is a five-minute walk away.

Pic 3:  DEWSBURY CEMETERY is on a hillside with spectacular views. There is a Muslim section. The two small chapel buildings are now derelict, but there are plans afoot to renovate them.

Pic 4:  DEWSBURY EVANGELICAL CHURCH was formed in the early 1970's. You can get to their website from the LINKS page of this website.

Pic 5:  STAINCLIFFE BAPTIST CHURCH was formed in 1821 and has occupied the present building since 1879. I regularly attend this Church and operate their website, which you can reach from the LINKS page.

Pic 6:  DEWSBURY COLLEGE of FURTHER EDUCATION on Halifax Road (three bus stops out of the town centre) incorporates the Batley College of Art & Design. It runs a wide variety of courses, both full and part time.

Pic 7:  DEWSBURY CREMATORIUM is situated in peaceful surroundings next to Crow Nest Park.

Pic 8:  DEWSBURY FIRE STATION of the West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service is just outside the town centre on the main Huddersfield Road (A644) The station was built in 1964, and employs 64 full-time firefighters. In 2005 they attended 1105 incidents including 506 fires.

Pic 9: The GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE is on Longcauseway in Dewsbury Town Centre. A parade takes place every year on Remembrance Sunday.

Pic 10:  The HEALTH CENTRE, costing millions of pounds and causing much fierce local debate, finally opened in May 2006. It is home to eight local practices, all of which closed down their previous surgeries.

Pic 11:  The HISTORIC HOUSE in Westborough - two miles from the town centre - was built in 1878, originally as a shop with accomodation. It was purchased in the 1970's by its present owners Dennis and Janet Marston, parents of my partner Samantha. In the photograph you can just see the top of her bedroom window.

Pic 12:  DEWSBURY & DISTRICT HOSPITAL incorporates the buildings of the old Staincliffe Hospital, as well as a huge modern building opened by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the early 1980's. It boasts many facilities including Accident & Emergency, Maternity (where my daughters Bethany and Eloise were born) and Children's Unit. The Trust has now merged with Pinderfields (Wakefield) and Pontefract and inherited phenomenal multi-million pound debts.

Pic 13:  The JOB CENTRE (formerly known as the DHSS) has a large and very busy building next to the Sports Centre on the Ring Road. There isn't a lot that can be said about Job Centres!

Pic 14:  The LIBRARY moved in the late 1990's from a splendid Victorian building near the Railway Station to its present home in a former supermarket. This thriving academic establishment shares the building with an equally thriving Bingo hall.

Pics 15-17:  The MARKET opened on its present site in 1904, but its history can be traced back to the 14th century. Wednesday and Saturday are market days, and attract coach loads of tourists. A colleague of mine, on holiday in Bridlington, went on a "mystery tour" day trip and was somewhat disappointed when the coach pulled up at Dewsbury Market! There is a second-hand market on Fridays, and a "car boot" sale on Sunday mornings. Dewsbury Market has been designated Britain's best market for 2007.

Pic 18: Dewsbury MINSTER is reputed to have parts of the building dating back to the 15th century. It is run by the Church of England, has Sunday services and is open to the public most weekdays. The headstones from the ancient graveyard have been relaid as pathways, and the area turned into beautiful gardens. The local drop-outs spend many hours drinking cheap sherry under the shade of its trees. The town centre also has a United Reformed Church on Longcauseway, a Methodist Church in Daisy Hill, a Baptist Church next to the ring road, and Dewsbury Evangelical Church on Crackenedge Lane - my daughters Bethany and Eloise were members of their playgroup. (There are many other faiths and denominations worshipping in the immediate area).

Pic 19:  The MOSQUE in Saville Town is one of the largest in the country, and hosts many special events and conventions.

Pic 20:  The MOUNTAIN in Thornhill is pictured from the top of Webster Hill, just outside the ring road. Our house is on the top of the mountain directly above the Church spire in the picture, some two miles away. (The Church spire is attached to Thornhill Lees Parish Church).

Pic 21:  The MUSEUM is situated in Crow Nest Park, Dewsbury. Admission is free and there are some interesting displays, including a re-created school classroom from World War 2, (1939-45). During school holidays, special children's events take place there. The building was a former stately home, dating from the late 16th or early 17th century. It was home to the Hague family until 1893 when bequeathed to the town. The museum first opened in 1896.

Pic 22:  Local NEWSPAPER, the DEWSBURY REPORTER is based in this fine victorian building on the Ring Road, opposite Dewsbury Station.

Pic 23:  CROW NEST PARK, home to Dewsbury Museum, is a mile from the town centre. Apart from the museum (which contains the park's only toilets on the first floor!) there is a "Secret Garden", large ornamental lake, woodland, children's playground and field where various shows and sports events take place. There are several interesting monuments, including the Cenotaph, bearing the names of all the Dewsbury men who perished in the two world wars. The undergrowth is renowned for discarded needles, and a murder took place in the Secret Garden during 2008.

Pic 24:  The POLICE STATION (whose 24-hour desk service is currently under threat) is on the Ring Road, next door to the Bus Station. The Yorkshire Ripper was held in the cells there, following his arrest, and it was the base for the Shannon Matthews hunt in 2008.

Pic 25:  The RAIL STATION was opened in 1848, the first of three in the town. The others have now closed. No trace remains of one, which was alongside the Town Hall, but the frontage of the other survives behind Dewsbury Market on Crackenedge Lane. The original rail bridge above this station now carries the Ring Road.

Pic 26:  The former CENTRAL RAIL STATION was closed in 1964. The track bed has been replaced by the Ring Road.

Pics 27 & 28:  These plaques are on the former CENTRAL RAIL STATION.

Pic 29:  The RING ROAD around the Town Centre was completed in 1986.

Pic 30:  The RIVER CALDER passes the town, but is very shallow here (except during heavy rain!) In 1770 the Calder & Hebble Navigation canal was opened. This joins the river at strategic points outside Dewsbury. There is a marina at Saville Town, and another near Fir Cottage (Mirfield) beside the A644. There are several sets of lock gates on this canal.

Pic 31: SHOPS are the main feature of Dewsbury Town Centre, part of which was pedestrianised in 1989. There were branches of Marks & Spencer and Woolworths, and still are branches of Boots, W H Smith and Argos in the town, as well as many smaller shops. There are branches of Barclays, Natwest, HSBC, Lloyds TSB and the Yorkshire Bank as well as the Halifax, Yorkshire Building Society, Abbey and Leeds Building Societies. There are many pizza and Asian take-away shops as well as McDonalds, KFC and traditional English cafes. The town centre also boasts quite a few public houses. There are spotless attended public toilets (8.00 am until 6.00 pm Monday-Saturday) on Longcauseway, as well as not-so-spotless facilities in the Bus Station, Market, Asda and some food outlets.

Pic 32: SPEED CAMERAS have been installed on all main routes leading into Dewsbury, and many residential areas have "speed humps". Most of Dewsbury, including the Ring Road, has a 30 mph speed limit, but there are one or two 20 mph zones, so be careful! The town centre has an extensive CCTV system, linked to the Police.

Pic 33:  The SPORTS CENTRE is home to the town's very popular swimming pool, which was refurbished in 2005.

Pic 34:  The TOWN HALL is the local administration office for Kirklees Metropolitan Council, and houses a Cash Office where you can pay your Council Tax and many other bills. This Victorian building has been modified to include access for disabled people. It has a theatre used for productions by the Dewsbury Collegians, and is available for hire. Many Asian wedding celebrations take place there. Some scenes have been filmed in and around the building for TV programmes "Heartbeat" and "Emmerdale"

MUSIC!

BUSES