Clayton West is a village in
Kirklees
Kirklees is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England, governed by Kirklees Council with the status of a metropolitan borough. The largest town and administrative centre of Kirklees is Huddersfield, and the district also includes ...
,
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
, England. It had a population of 2,648 (2001 census) and 2,704 in 2008. It is southeast of
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...
and northwest of
Barnsley
Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
.
History
The
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
was the transition to new manufacturing processes in the period from about 1760 to sometime between 1820 and 1840. The Industrial Revolution had brought a migration of the population to the Dearne Valley where abundant water was available for manufacturers, so people lived away from the church. Both Clayton West and Scissett had grown so rapidly that there were people still alive in 1873 that could remember the expansion. Although the parish of Scissett had been created in 1839, yet Clayton West remained as a part of High Hoyland.
By 1865 eleven coal mines existed in the Dearne Valley. The Clayton West village coal mine (pit), "Park Mill", closed in 1989, having been somewhat bypassed by the events of the
UK miners strike (1984–85)Park Mill Collieryoperated for over 100 years.
There is evidence of 700 years of mining in the adjacent village of Emley. Records from the 13th century indicate that monks from Byland Abbey mined and smelted iron ore. They mined using bell pits. A pit was sunk to a depth of 7 meters and worked outward from the bottom of the shaft. Pits dating back to the 16th century can be seen off Woodhouse Lane. Evidence of bell pits is also clearly visible in the woodlands around Duke Wood, down the hill from Cliffe Woods, in Clayton West. Joseph Norton was the owner of a number of mines around the 1870s which he used to mine to produce coal to power his
textile mill
Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...
s located at Cuttlehurst and in Scissett. One of these was a mine in Duke Wood. This shaft still acts as an emergency exit and air vent for the privately owned "Flacks" mine, the only mine still operating in the village.
The village once had a
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
on a branch line, opening 1 September 1879, branching off the
Penistone Line
The Penistone Line is operated by Northern Trains in the West Yorkshire Metro and Travel South Yorkshire areas of northern England. It connects Huddersfield and Sheffield via Penistone and Barnsley, serving many rural communities. Metrocards ( ...
. However the station along with Skelmanthorpe was closed in January 1983. The
Kirklees Light Railway
Whistlestop Valley, formerly the Kirklees Light Railway, is a visitor attraction featuring a long gauge minimum gauge railway. The attraction's main site is in the village of Clayton West in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England which was first ...
now runs and operates trains from the former station.
Clayton West was occasionally used as a location for Britain's longest running comedy series ''
Last of the Summer Wine
''Last of the Summer Wine'' is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke and originally broadcast by the BBC from 1973 to 2010. It premiered as an episode of ''Comedy Playhouse'' on 4 January 1973, and the first series of episodes foll ...
'', in which one of the village's former pubs, "The Shoulder of Mutton" in Church Lane, features prominently. The village lost its post office in 2010.
All Saints Church, on Church Lane, dates back to 1875 and is still in use today. It belongs to the Diocese of Wakefield. All Saints cost £2,300 to construct between 1872 and 1875. Half of the cost was met by the parish, the other half by WB Beaumont of
Bretton Hall Bretton Hall may refer to:
*Bretton Hall, Flintshire, former fortified manor house on the England/Wales border
*Bretton Hall, West Yorkshire, country house in West Yorkshire, England
*Bretton Hall College
Bretton Hall College of Education was a h ...
(later to be
Baron Allendale), the church's patron and benefactor. All Saints can be seen from many places around the village, the only building with a spire, which houses one bell. The roof slates of the church were last replaced in the early 1980s, following a slate appeal when raffle tickets were sold to raise funds for the roof replacement, the spire was also repainted and reclad at this time. In 2019 the roof is again in need of major restoration.
Historical Listings
Clayton West is listed a
Clayton_[West/nowiki>_in_the_Domesday_book.html" ;"title="est
">Clayton [West
/nowiki> in the Domesday book">est">Clayton [West
/nowiki> in the Domesday bookand has been translated as meaning settlement on clayey soil. The settlement had a land value attributed to the Lord of £1 in 1066. Plough land is also listed as being two, with other resources listed as woodland, one half times one half leagues. The Lord in 1066 is stated to b
Alsi, son of Karski
The Lord in 1086, following the conquest, was listed a
Ilbert de Lacy
(1045–1093) and is attributed as the builder of Pontefract Castle, who is also noted as the Tenant-in-Chief in 1086. The de Lacy family took part in the Norman Conquest of Briton and there is evidence that Ilbert fought at William's side at Hastings.
Listed as Clayton, West, the village featured in
A Topographical Dictionary of England
which was published by Samuel Lewis, London, 1848. In 1848 the village had 1440 residents and was described as being 1080 acres belonging to various owners. Mining was listed as the predominant industry, along with the production of silk and worsted goods for clothing. The account states that many large mills had been constructed in the village for this purpose.
In 1848 the four places of worship were listed.
Listed as CLAYTON (West), in John Marius Wilson'
Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales
(1870–72). Clayton West is described as a township of the High Hoyland parish with hamlets of Cuttlehurst, Parkmill, Topitt and Spring-Grove. The village has a post office and comprises 1,098 acres, with real-estate worth £4, 371, £122 of which are in mines. The population is now listed as 1,532, with 325 houses. Woollen manufacture is again listed as a pre-dominant industry. Chapels are listed for independents (constructed in 1866) and Baptists.
Further information of the progressing village is delineated in Kelly's 188
Directory of the West Riding of Yorkshire
It describes "Clayton West" as a township and large village. The manufacture of fancy woollens, as well as twine and flax spinning seems to be the prevalent industry of the village. The church of All Saints, constructed in 1875, is now listed along with Congregational, Baptist, New Connexion Methodist, Primitive Methodist and Wesleyan chapels. Kelly lists the charities for distribution as being £13 annually . Also mentioned is the un-denominational school (Kaye's First School) built by William and John Kaye esqs., which was erected in 1862, and in 1881 William Priestly was school master. Capt. Henry Savile is lord of the manor. The main landowners are listed as W. B. Beaumont esq., M.P. W. T. Spencer-Stanhope esq., J.P. John Kaye esq., J.P. and Thomas Norton esq. J.P. The area occupied by the village is now 1,140 acres with rateable value, £4,548. The population in 1871 was 1,531.
Textile Mills
One such mill, the Spring Grove Mill, still has buildings visible, just off the A636, opposite the Scissett swimming baths building. Locally is it still known a
Beanlands Mill
named after the Beanland family who purchased the business in 1869 from Charles Walker for £8,500. The mill stopped operating as such in 1975, and the mill chimney has since been removed along with other buildings.
Pictures of the Mill are available
War Memorial
The village has an obelisk styl
war memorial
now situated at the junction of Church Lane with Holmfield Road. The memorial commemorates 37 people, 30 from the First World War, six from the Second World War and one from the Falklands War. The war memorial used to be located on the grass triangle at Hill Top.
Geography
Clayton West is located between the villages of High Hoyland
High Hoyland is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with West Yorkshire. It lies to the west of Kexbrough, and is located at approximately , at an elevation of around 200 ...
, Scissett
Scissett is a village in West Yorkshire, England. It is south-east of Huddersfield and north-west of Barnsley. According to the 2001 census, the village had a population of 1,324. Scissett is halfway between the villages of Clayton West, S ...
and Skelmanthorpe
Skelmanthorpe is a clustered village 8 miles (13 km) south-east of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. According to the 2011 census, the village has 4,549 inhabitants.
The village sits on the south (right) bank of the first river-like ...
.
The river that runs through the village is called the River Dearne
The River Dearne South Yorkshire, England flows roughly east for more than , from its source just inside West Yorkshire. It flows through Denby Dale, Clayton West, Darton, Barnsley, Darfield, Wath upon Dearne, Bolton on Dearne, Adwick upon D ...
and was part of the 2007 United Kingdom floods
A series of large floods occurred in parts of the United Kingdom during the summer of 2007. The worst of the flooding occurred across Scotland on 14 June; East Yorkshire and the Midlands on 15 June; Yorkshire, the Midlands, Gloucestershire, Here ...
.
Present day
It is in the parish of Clayton West and High Hoyland. An attractive stone-built village, there is also a little light industry and a number of new housing developments.
Facilities in the village include a village store and two pubs. It has a primary school and nursery called Kayes First and Nursery School, which was built in 1862, and was doubled in size in 1981. Kayes First and Nursery School consists of 202 children and 32 staff from Nursery to year 5 (2017 figures). The school is also part of a three tier schooling system with Scissett Middle School and Shelley College (formally Shelley High School).
It also has a Scout Group which offers access to a number of outdoor activities including archery, target shooting, kayaking and much more.
Flooding
In 200
severe flooding
of the river Dearne affected some 420 properties in Clayton West and Skelmanthorpe. Summer flooding has also occurred in the area in 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2008. The textile industry history of the area has resulted in modern-day conversions of old textile mill
Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...
to become residential accommodation. The valley floor also has a high density of residential properties making these areas more prone to flooding.
Future development
Plans
dated December 2016, are available detailing proposed developments by the Clayton West Development Company Ltd (CWDCL), who are promoting the development of green belt land at the north eastern edge of Clayton West.
See also
*Listed buildings in Denby Dale
Denby Dale is a civil parish in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. It contains 82 listed buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England. Of these, one is listed at Grade I, the highest of ...
References
External links
Clayton West Scouts
{{authority control
Villages in West Yorkshire
Denby Dale