Batley Viaduct from Crackenedge on Kirklees Way - geograph

Batley is a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

in the

Kirklees Kirklees is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. The borough comprises the ten towns of Batley, Birstall, West Yorkshire, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Meltham, Mirfield and Slaithwaite. It ...

district, in

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...

, England, south-west of

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

, north-west of

Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...

and

Dewsbury Dewsbury is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Calder, West Yorkshire, River Calder and on an arm of the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway. It is to the west of Wakefield, ...

, south-east of

Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...

and north-east of

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees 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 confl ...

, in the

Heavy Woollen District The Heavy Woollen District is a region of textile-focused industrial development in West Yorkshire, England. It acquired the name because of the heavyweight cloth manufactured there from the early 19th century. The district is made up of parts o ...

. In 2011, the population was 48,730. ''Select "Batley M.B." from "Available Areas"''

Batley Town Hall Batley Town Hall is a municipal facility in the Market Place in Batley, West Yorkshire, England. It is a Grade II listed building. History The building, which was designed in the neoclassical style, was paid for by public subscription and open ...

, designed in the neoclassical style, was paid for by public subscription and opened as the local mechanics' institute in 1854. The town was the home of

Batley Variety Club Batley Variety Club was a variety club in Batley, West Yorkshire, England. During its existence, the club staged concerts by performers including Louis Armstrong, Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Roy Orbison, Eartha Kitt, Morecambe and Wise, Gene Pitn ...

, which was frequented by many notable musical acts, from 1967 onwards.

History

Middle Ages

Batley is recorded in the ''

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

'' as 'Bateleia'. After the

Norman conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

, the manor was granted to Elbert de Lacy and in 1086 was within the

wapentake A hundred is an administrative division that is geographically part of a larger region. It was formerly used in England, Wales, some parts of the United States, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and in Cumberland County in the British Colony of ...

of Morley. It subsequently passed into the ownership of the de Batleys, and by the 12th century had passed by marriage to the Copley family. Their residence at Batley Hall was held directly from

the Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

; at this time the district was part of the

Duchy of Lancaster The Duchy of Lancaster is an estate of the British sovereign. The estate has its origins in the lands held by the medieval Dukes of Lancaster, which came under the direct control of the monarch when Henry Bolingbroke, the then duke of Lancast ...

. There has been a church in Batley since the 11th century. Batley Parish Church was built in 1485 and contains parts of a 13th-century predecessor. Despite Batley being an ancient settlement, this is all that remains of any great antiquity. Town Hall - geograph

Howley Hall Howley Hall is a ruined Elizabethan era, Elizabethan English country house, country house located between the towns of Batley, West Yorkshire, Batley and Morley, West Yorkshire, Morley in West Yorkshire, England. It has been designated a schedul ...

in Soothill was built during the 1580s by Sir John Savile, a member of the great Yorkshire landowners, the Savile family. The house was besieged during the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

in 1643 before the

Battle of Adwalton Moor The Battle of Adwalton Moor occurred on 30 June 1643 at Adwalton, West Yorkshire, during the First English Civil War. In the battle, the Royalists loyal to Charles I of England, King Charles led by the William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcast ...

but appears to have sustained no serious damage. It continued to be occupied during the 17th century but fell into disrepair. Howley Hall was destroyed in 1730. Among the numerous ruins that are still present are the cellars of its great hall.

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

came to Batley in the 1740s through the evangelism of John Nelson, a

lay preacher A lay preacher is a preacher who is not ordained (i.e. a layperson) and who may not hold a formal university degree in theology. Lay preaching varies in importance between religions and their sects. Overview Some denominations specifically disco ...

from Birstall and frequent companion of the movement's founder

John Wesley John Wesley ( ; 2 March 1791) was an English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a principal leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies ...

. Two leading figures in the early Methodist movement,

John William Fletcher John William Fletcher (born Jean Guillaume de la Fléchère; 12 September 1729 – 14 August 1785) was a Swiss-born English Anglican divine, divine and Methodist leader. Of French Huguenot stock, he was born in Nyon in Vaud, Switzerland. Fletch ...

and Mary Bosanquet, were married at All Saints Church in Batley in 1781. By the 1780s meetings were being held in the town and the first Methodist chapel was established around 1800.

Industrial Revolution

During the late 18th century, the main occupations in the town were

farming Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

and

weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...

. The

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

reached Batley in 1796 with the arrival of its first water powered mills for carding and spinning. During the next half century the population grew rapidly, from around 2,500 at the start of the 19th century to 9,308 at the 1851

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

. The parish of Batley at this point included Morley,

Churwell Churwell is a settlement in the civil parish of Morley, West Yorkshire, Morley, in the City of Leeds, Leeds district, in West Yorkshire, England, between Leeds city centre and Morley. It is south-west of Leeds city centre and away from the Le ...

and

Gildersome Gildersome is a village and civil parish in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough 5 miles (7 km) south-west of Leeds city centre in West Yorkshire, England. Glidersome forms part of the Heavy Woollen District. Location Historic coun ...

, with a total population of 17,359. Before the industrial revolution, wool was made in Batley for centuries as a

cottage industry The putting-out system is a means of subcontracting work, like a tailor. Historically, it was also known as the workshop system and the domestic system. In putting-out, work is contracted by a central agent to subcontractors who complete the p ...

. Samuel Jubb, a 19th-century mill owner and local historian, noted that this was "a manufacture for which the place is well adapted, on account of its possessing a good supply of water and coal, and its central situation in relation to the principal local markets, being about equidistant from Leeds, Huddersfield, Bradford, Halifax, and Wakefield." The water he referred to was not the beck but the large

aquifer An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing material, consisting of permeability (Earth sciences), permeable or fractured rock, or of unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Aquifers vary greatly in their characteristics. The s ...

beneath the town, which was tapped for cleaning and dying wool. A

toll road A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road for which a fee (or ''Toll (fee), toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemented to help recoup the costs of road construction and ...

built in 1832 between Gomersal and

had a branch to Batley (the present day Branch Road) which allowed for "the growing volumes of wool, cloth and coal" to be transported. Until then there had only been foot and cart tracks. Around the same time there were strikes in the mills, which led to an influx of Irish workers who settled permanently. Initially this led to antagonism from residents, due to the lower wages paid to the Irish workers and general anti-

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

sentiment, but this faded in time. By 1853 Catholic services were held regularly in the town; its first Roman Catholic church
St Mary of the Angels
was not built until 1870 and is still in existence. By 1848 there was a

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

in Batley, and in 1853

was erected. It was enlarged in 1905, and is in the

Neoclassical style Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, emerged as a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassici ...

, with a corbelled

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an upward extension of a wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/brea ...

and

pilaster In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...

s rising to a centre

pediment Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...

. In 1868 Batley was incorporated as a

municipal borough A municipal borough was a type of local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of ...

, the former

urban district An urban district is a division generally managed by a local government. It may also refer to a city district, district, urban area or quarter Specific urban districts in some countries include: * Urban districts of Denmark * Districts of Germa ...

of Birstall was added to it in 1937. Batley - Carnegie Library

1853 also saw the establishment of a small

confectionery Confectionery is the Art (skill), art of making confections, or sweet foods. Confections are items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates, although exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confections are divided into two bro ...

shop by Michael Spedding. His business expanded, moving to larger premises in 1927 becoming

Fox's Biscuits Fox's Biscuits is an English biscuit manufacturer, founded by the Fox family in Batley, West Yorkshire, in 1853 and currently a subsidiary of Ferrero. The head office and main factory are based in the town, and the company has another site in ...

. Today, along with

Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in the United Kingdom at its head offices in Welwyn Garden City, England. The company was founded by Jack Cohen (businessman), Sir Jack Cohen in ...

, it is one of the largest employers in the town. The Mill Batley - geograph

During the late 19th century, Batley was the centre of the

shoddy Recycled wool, also known as rag wool or shoddy is any Wool, woollen textile or yarn made by shredding existing fabric and re-spinning the resulting fibres. Textile recycling is an important mechanism for reducing the need for raw wool in manufact ...

and mungo trade in which wool, rags and clothes were recycled by reweaving them into blankets, carpets and uniforms. In 1861 there were at least 30 shoddy mills in Batley. The owners of the recycling businesses were known as the "shoddy barons". There was a "shoddy king" and a "shoddy temple", properly known as the Zion Chapel. This imposing building in the town centre was opened in 1870, and reflected the popularity of the Methodist movement. The chapel is still active today. In 1875 local woman Ann Ellis led a weavers strike against the shoddy mill owners who were planning to reduce wages. At the close of the 19th century, growth in population changed the form of governmental institutions above the parish of Batley; the Morley division of the wapentake of

Agbrigg and Morley Agbrigg and Morley was a wapentake of the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. The main purpose of the wapentake was the administration of justice by a local court. At the time of the Domesday survey in 1086, Agbrigg and Morley were separate wape ...

was disused as special purpose districts were formed. The library was built in 1907 with funds donated by the

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie ( , ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the History of the iron and steel industry in the United States, American steel industry in the late ...

. The library has been modernised, with a microfilm viewer, and reels of the Batley News dating back 120 years. The newspaper was founded by James Fearnsides – a local printer. His grandson, Clement, later became the mayor of Batley. The first records of

coal mining Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...

in Batley date back to the 16th century at White Lee; the last pit in the town closed in 1973.

Post-industrial history

On the nights of 14 and 15 March 1941, the West Yorkshire area as a whole was subject to a Nazi air raid. Batley came through relatively unscathed with one unexploded ordnance being located near the Healey Mill area (opposite Healey Community Centre to be precise) whilst Cleckheaton, located north-west, suffered from seven bombs that exploded as intended. Leeds, located north-east, went through two nights of damage as, "The raid caused more than 100 serious fires, damaged over 4,500 buildings and resulted in 65 people losing their lives." The manufacture of shoddy continued into the postwar period. A doctor posted to Batley hospital in 1952 described the town as "one of the last reminders of the industrial revolution as described by Dickens", riven by economic inequality and 'Victorian' diseases like

rickets Rickets, scientific nomenclature: rachitis (from Greek , meaning 'in or of the spine'), is a condition that results in weak or soft bones in children and may have either dietary deficiency or genetic causes. Symptoms include bowed legs, stun ...

: In 1974, responsibility for local government passed to

Kirklees Metropolitan Council Kirklees Council, also known as Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council, is the Local government in England, local authority for the metropolitan borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. As a metropolitan borough council it provides the maj ...

, with its headquarters in

21st century

Batley's Labour MP

Jo Cox Helen Joanne Cox (née Leadbeater; 22 June 1974 – 16 June 2016) was a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Batley and Spen from May 2015 until her murder in June 2016. She was a member of the Labour Party. Born ...

was shot and stabbed to death outside her

constituency surgery A political surgery, constituency surgery, constituency clinic, mobile office or sometimes advice surgery, in British and Irish politics, is a series of one-to-one meetings that a Member of Parliament (MP), Teachta Dála (TD) or other politica ...

in Birstall in June 2016. The politically-motivated murder, carried out by a local man in the name of

white supremacy White supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White supremacy has roots in the now-discredited doctrine ...

, was the first assassination of a sitting British MP since 1990. Her seat was filled by Labour candidate

Tracy Brabin Tracy Lynn Brabin (born 9 May 1961) is a British politician who has been the Mayor of West Yorkshire since the office was established on 10 May 2021. She was previously the Member of Parliament (MP) for Batley and Spen from 2016 to 2021 under ...

in a by-election later the same year, uncontested by the other major parties. Brabin was elected the first

Mayor of West Yorkshire The mayor of West Yorkshire is a directly elected mayor responsible for the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire in England. The mayor chairs and leads the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, and assumes the office and powers of the West Yorks ...

in 2021, triggering a high profile by-election in which Labour expected to struggle to retain the formerly safe red wall seat. Former Labour MP

George Galloway George Galloway (born 16 August 1954) is a British politician, broadcaster, and writer. He has been leader of the Workers Party of Britain since he founded it in 2019, and is a former leader of the Respect Party. Until 2003, he was a member ...

ran for the

Workers Party of Britain The Workers Party of Britain (WPB), also called the Workers Party of Great Britain (WPGB) or Workers Party GB, is a Socialism, socialist and Social conservatism, socially conservative political party in the United Kingdom, strongly identified ...

, on a platform criticising newly-elected Labour leader

Keir Starmer Sir Keir Rodney Starmer (born 2 September 1962) is a British politician and lawyer who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024 and as Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He previously ...

and targetting issues important to the local South Asian Muslim community. Labour candidate

Kim Leadbeater Kim Michele Leadbeater (; born 1 May 1976) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Spen Valley, formerly Batley and Spen, since 2021. Early life and career Kim Leadbeater was born on 1 May 1976 in ...

, the sister of Jo Cox, ultimately won the election by a narrow margin, following a campaign focused on local issues. The governing Conservative's surprise loss was blamed on poor campaigning and a scandal involving Health Secretary Matt Hancock in the weekend prior to the by-election. AllSaintsChurch-Batley

In the

2024 general election This is a list of elections that were held in 2024. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections around the world. * 2024 United Nations Security Council election * 2024 national electoral calendar * 2024 local electo ...

, Labour lost the new Dewsbury and Batley constituency to Iqbal Mohamed, who was one of four independent candidates who won seats in heavily Muslim areas largely due to Labour's stance on the

Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...

Demography

From the end of the 1950s, the need for cheap labour in the town's textile industries drew in migrant labourers from

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

, Pakistan and India. The South Asian population of Batley is now around 33% in Batley West and 54% in Batley East.

Geography

Batley includes the districts of

Batley Carr Batley Carr is a district which includes parts of Dewsbury and Batley in West Yorkshire, England. Batley Carr housed workers from the mills of Dewsbury and Batley. As the settlement expanded with the growth of the textile industry, it gained i ...

Carlinghow Carlinghow is a district of Batley, West Yorkshire, England. It is west of Batley town centre, and stretches up towards White Lee and Birstall, along Carlinghow Lane and Bradford Road. The name means "the hill or burial mound of the "Witch" ...

, Cross Bank,

Hanging Heaton Hanging Heaton is a village in West Yorkshire, England. Partly in both Batley and Dewsbury, it is an historic village mentioned in the Domesday Book under the name 'Etun'. The prefix 'Hanging' refers to a steep hillside hanging above lower gro ...

, Healey, Lamplands, Carlton Grange Mount Pleasant, Soothill,

Staincliffe Staincliffe is a cross-over district of both Batley and Dewsbury, in West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire was one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. ...

, Upper Batley and White Lee. As Batley shares boundaries with both

and

Heckmondwike Heckmondwike is a town in the Kirklees district, West Yorkshire, England, south west of Leeds. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is close to Cleckheaton and Liversedge. It is in the Spen Valley parliamentary constituency ...

, parts of Batley Carr, Hanging Heaton and Staincliffe are part of Dewsbury, while part of White Lee is in

. There is an area of Ossett known as Healey, which is identical in name to the Batley district of Healey; the Ossett area is sometimes referred to as "Healey Mills" due to the very large congregation of mills that once existed in that area.

Transport

Batley bus station serves the town and is owned and maintained by

West Yorkshire Metro Metro is the passenger information brand used by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority in England. It was formed on 1 April 1974 as the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (WYPTE), at the same time as the metropolitan county of West Yo ...

. It is situated in Batley town centre and can be accessed from Bradford Road and St. James's Street. It was re-built by Metro in April 2005 replacing the previously owned

Arriva Yorkshire Arriva Yorkshire is a major bus operator providing services primarily within and across West Yorkshire, although it also provides service in some parts of South Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and southern areas of North Yorkshire. It is a ...

site. There are six stands and a real-time information board at the bus station. Arriva Yorkshire is the main operator. Batley railway station is on the Huddersfield line between Leeds and Manchester.

Schools

Batley Grammar School Batley Grammar School is a state-funded co-educational free school in Batley, West Yorkshire, England, for pupils aged 4 to 16. History The school was founded in 1612 by the Rev. William Lee. An annual founder's day service is held in his ...

was founded in 1612 by the Rev. William Lee and is still in existence.

Primary schools

* Batley Parish CE (VA) J, I and N School * Birstall Primary Academy * Carlinghow Princess Royal J, I and N School * Field Lane J, I and N School * Fieldhead Primary Academy * Hanging Heaton CE (VC) J and I School * Healey J, I and N School * Hyrstmount Junior School * Lydgate J and I School (Soothill) * Manorfield I and N School * Mill Lane Primary School (Hanging Heaton) * Park Road J.I and N School * Purlwell I and N School * St. Mary's Catholic Primary School, Batley * St. Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Birstall * Staincliffe CE (VC) Junior School * Warwick Road J.I and N School * Windmill Primary School

Secondary schools

* Batley Girls' High School, formerly a Visual Arts College * Cambridge Street School, Muslim Boys School * Batley Grammar School, founded in 1612 * Upper Batley High School, formerly known as Batley High School for Boys, founded in 1959

PRU

* Engage Academy

Landmarks

Landmarks around Batley include

Oakwell Hall Oakwell Hall is an Elizabethan manor house in Birstall, West Yorkshire, England. The Grade I listed hall is set in period gardens surrounded by of country park. The house was built for John Batte. A recarved stone dated 1583 probably indica ...

, Bagshaw Museum,

Wilton Park Wilton Park is an executive agency of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office providing a global forum for strategic discussion. Based since 1951 at Wiston House in Sussex, it organises over 70 dialogues a year in the UK and overs ...

, Mount Pleasant stadium, and All Saints Church, a Grade I listed building.

Sport

The town is home to the professional

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

club Batley RLFC and junior football club Batley Juniors F.C. (formerly Carlinghow Boys F.C.) Carlinghow is also located in Batley. In

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

, Batley has several local teams, and is also part of the cricket association for the

. The original definition of the latter area was to within a radius of Batley Town Hall. The Heavy Woollen Cup can now be entered by any team within of Batley, but there is an upper limit of 64 teams. The Mount Cricket Club play at Staincliffe and currently in the

Halifax Cricket League The Halifax Cricket League is the premier cricket competition in the town of Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. In the league, there are also clubs from the nearby Calder Valley, city of Bradford, town of Huddersfield and the Spen Valley. League ...

Culture

(Batley Park) is a large park between the town centre and Birstall. In its grounds are the Milner K. Ford

Observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysics, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. Th ...

(built in 1966 and home to the Batley & Spenborough Astronomical Society) and Bagshaw Museum. The museum is located in a house built by the "shoddy baron", George Sheard, and features local history,

natural history Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

, curios from around the world, and an

Ancient Egyptian Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...

exhibition. The museum (originally the Wilton Park Museum) is named after its first

curator A curator (from , meaning 'to take care') is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the particular ins ...

Walter Bagshaw, a Batley councillor and extensive traveller. The Yorkshire Motor Museum had a small but varied collection of cars dating back to 1885, and reflecting local car makers as well as more famous marques. The museum closed in 2010. Batley Art Gallery, in the Batley Library building, features contemporary art, craft and photography. Between 1966 and 1977 the

was frequented by many notable acts including

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer. Starting his 69-year career with singles of standard (music), standard music, Mathis is one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century and became highly popular as ...

Eartha Kitt Eartha Mae Kitt (née Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress. She was known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Baby" ...

, the

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were ...

the Hollies The Hollies are an English rock and pop band formed in Manchester in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Singer Allan Clarke and ...

and

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is a British singer and actor. He has total sales of over 21.5 million singles in the United Kingdom and, as of 2012, was the third-top-selling artist in UK Singles Chart histo ...

among others. For a brief period it was named ''Crumpets'', after which it was closed for four years surviving numerous applications to have the building demolished. The club was then known as the Frontier nightclub from the late 1970s onwards. The Frontier was sold to businessmen in April 2005 and continued to operate as a nightclub whilst hosting variety shows and sporting events such as boxing, snooker and darts. The Frontier closed its doors for the final time in 2016 and following a £2 million refurbishment was successfully transformed into JD gym. A dramatic society was founded in October 1913 at Shelton's café at 53 Commercial Street to present dramatic works to raise funds for Batley and District Hospital. On 8 January 1914 at a meeting in the Temperance Hall, it was decided that it would be known as the “Batley Amateur Thespian Society” and it became affiliated with the

National Operatic and Dramatic Association NODA has a membership of over 2m500 amateur theatre groups and 1000 individual enthusiasts throughout the UK, staging musicals, operas, plays, concerts and pantomimes in a wide variety of performing venues, ranging from the country's leading ...

Media

Local news and television programmes are provided by

BBC Yorkshire BBC Yorkshire is one of the English regions of the BBC. It was formed from the division of the former BBC North region into BBC Yorkshire and BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, based in Kingston upon Hull. Serving West, North and South Yorkshir ...

and

ITV Yorkshire ITV Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire Television and commonly referred to as just YTV, is the British television service provided by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV (TV network), ITV network. Until 19 ...

. Television signals are received from the

Emley Moor The Emley Moor transmitting station is a telecommunications and broadcasting facility on Emley Moor, west of the village centre of Emley, in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It is made up of a concrete tower and apparatus that began ...

transmitter and the local relay transmitter situated in the town centre. Local radio stations are

BBC Radio Leeds BBC Radio Leeds is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of West Yorkshire. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios at St Peter's Square in Leeds. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audienc ...

, Heart Yorkshire,

Capital Yorkshire Capital Yorkshire was a regional radio station owned by Global as part of the Capital network. It broadcast to South Yorkshire & North Derbyshire, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, the East Riding of Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire. Capi ...

Hits Radio West Yorkshire Hits Radio West Yorkshire, formerly Pulse 1, is an Independent Local Radio station based in Leeds, England, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to West Yorkshire. As of September 2024, t ...

, Greatest Hits Radio West Yorkshire, and Rhubarb Radio, a community based station that broadcast from

. The town is served by the local newspaper, ''

Dewsbury Reporter The ''Dewsbury Reporter'' is a local weekly publication, providing news for residents of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, and surrounding areas. It is owned by National World, and has sister newspapers covering Mirfield, Wakefield, Batley and Birst ...

''.

In popular culture

Batley was used for location filming of the fictional town of Barfield in the 1955 film ''

Value for Money In economics, economic value is a measure of the benefit provided by a good or service to an economic agent, and value for money represents an assessment of whether financial or other resources are being used effectively in order to secure such ...

'', starring

John Gregson Harold Thomas Gregson (15 March 1919 – 8 January 1975), known professionally as John Gregson, was an English actor of stage, television and film, with 40 credited film roles. He was best known for his crime drama and comedy roles. Gregson w ...

and

Diana Dors Diana Dors (born Diana Mary Fluck; 23 October 19314 May 1984) was an English actress and singer. Dors came to public notice as a Bombshell (slang), blonde bombshell, much in the style of Americans Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and Mamie Van ...

. ''

Monty Python's Flying Circus ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' (also known as simply ''Monty Python'') is a British surreal humour, surreal sketch comedy series created by and starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam, w ...

'' had a series of recurring sketches in which the members of the Batley Ladies Townswomen's Guild would present famous plays or musicals, or re-enact various historical battles (such as the Battle of Pearl Harbor), by charging at each other, swinging handbags and wrestling in the mud.

Notable people

The following people are or were from Batley: *

Joseph Priestley Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, Unitarian, Natural philosophy, natural philosopher, English Separatist, separatist theologian, Linguist, grammarian, multi-subject educator and Classical libera ...

(1733–1804), chemist, theologian, educator, and political theorist credited with the discovery of

oxygen Oxygen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group (periodic table), group in the periodic table, a highly reactivity (chemistry), reactive nonmetal (chemistry), non ...

born in Birstall and educated at Batley Grammar School. * William Henry Colbeck (1823–1901), New Zealand politician born in Batley. *

Titus Sheard Titus Sheard (October 4, 1841 – April 13, 1904) was an American businessman and politician. He served as a member of the New York State Assembly from 1878 to 1879, and in 1884. He also served as a member of the New York State Senate from 1890 t ...

(1841–1904), American businessman and politician born in Batley. * Theodore Taylor (1850–1952), businessman and politician known for his pioneering profit-sharing scheme at J. T. & J. Taylor born in Carlinghow. * Louis Hall (1852–1915),

cricketer Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

for

Yorkshire County Cricket Club Yorkshire County Cricket Club is a professional Cricket club based in Yorkshire, England. The team competes in the County Championship, the top tier of English First-class cricket. Nicknamed "Vikings". Yorkshire also competes in T20 Blast, O ...

born in Batley where he served as a councillor and Methodist lay preacher. *

Joseph Cookman Joseph Cookman (February 6, 1899 – August 12, 1944) was an American journalist, critic and a founder of The Newspaper Guild. Life and career Early life Born in 1899, in Batley, England, Joseph was the oldest of three children born to John ...

(1899–1944), American journalist born in Batley. * Hugh Garner (1913–1979), Canadian novelist born in Batley. * Robert G. Edwards (1925–2013), physiologist who received a

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...

for the development of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) born in Batley. * Leslie V. Woodcock (born 1945), professor of chemical thermodynamics at the

University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...

Robert Palmer Robert Allen Palmer (19 January 1949 – 26 September 2003) was an English singer and songwriter. He was known for his powerful and soulful voice, sartorial elegance and stylistic explorations, combining soul, funk, jazz, rock, pop, regga ...

(1949–2003),

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

singer famous for the 1986 hit, " Addicted to Love" born in Batley. * Arthur Roche (born 1950),

archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

who served as the ninth Bishop of Leeds before being appointed Secretary of the

Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments The Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments () is the dicastery (from , from δικαστής, 'judge, juror') of the Roman Curia that handles most affairs relating to liturgical practices of the Latin Church as distin ...

Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...

in 2012 born in Batley Carr. * Larry Hirst (born 1951), chairman of

IBM International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...

Europe, Middle East and Africa between 2008 and 2010 born in Batley. *

(born 1961), politician and first

born in Batley, served as Labour MP for Batley & Spen from 2016 to 2021. * Mark Eastwood (born 1971), politician and Conservative MP for Dewsbury since 2019 grew up in Carlinghow and educated at Batley Boys High School. *

(1974–2016), politician born in Batley, served as Labour MP for Batley & Spen from 2015 until her

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...

in Birstall in 2016. *

(born 1976), politician born in Batley, has served as Labour MP for Batley & Spen since 2021.

References

External links

Portal for general information about Batley
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20061004033143/http://batleyanddewsbury.co.uk/ Batley & Dewsbury Towns' Management Associationbr>Visitors to Dewsbury
at

GENUKI GENUKI is a genealogy web portal, run as a charitable trust. It "provides a virtual reference library of genealogical information of particular relevance to the UK and Ireland". It gives access to a large collection of information, with the emphas ...

Website of Batley & Spenborough Astronomical Society
{{Authority control Towns in West Yorkshire Unparished areas in West Yorkshire Former civil parishes in West Yorkshire Geography of Kirklees Heavy Woollen District