| Heckmondwike | |
|---|---|
 Clock in Heckmondwike's centre, erected in 1863 to commemorate the marriage of thePrince of Wales andPrincess Alexandra of Denmark.[1] | |
  Heckmondwike Location withinWest Yorkshire | |
| Population | 18,149 |
| OS grid reference | SE216234 |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HECKMONDWIKE |
| Postcode district | WF16 |
| Dialling code | 01924 |
| Police | West Yorkshire |
| Fire | West Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| UK Parliament | |
| 53°42′29″N1°40′12″W / 53.708°N 1.670°W /53.708; -1.670 | |
Heckmondwike is a town in theKirklees district,West Yorkshire, England, 9 miles (14 km) south west ofLeeds.Historically part of theWest Riding of Yorkshire, it is close toCleckheaton andLiversedge. It is in theSpen Valley parliamentary constituency, and had an estimated population of 16,986 at the 2011 Census[2] increasing to 18,149 at the 2021 Census.[3] Heckmondwike forms part of theHeavy Woollen District.
The origins of Heckmondwike are inOld English. First recorded asHedmundewic [sic] in theDomesday Book of 1086,Hedmundewic in 1166, and asHecmundewik sometime in the 13th century, the name seems to be from *Hēahmundes wīc, or 'Heahmund's dairy-farm'.[4]
DuringSaxon times, Heckmondwike was a "berewick" or independent village in the manor ofGomersal, which, before 1066, was held by Dunstan and Gamel.
ThePoll Tax of 1379 records seven families in Heckmondwike, about 35 people: including one named Thomas of Stubly. Most lived in isolated farmsteads such as Stubley Farm, on high ground overlooking the marshy Spen Valley floor.
In 1684, there were around 250 people, occupying 50 houses, in the town. The town became famous for manufacturing blankets, and by 1811 the Blanket Hall was built for trade in the town's primary manufacture. It was replaced by a second hall erected in 1839, on Blanket Hall Street in the town centre.Elizabeth Gaskell's biography ofCharlotte Brontë in 1857 described the inhabitants of Heckmondwike as "a chapel-going people, very critical of their sermons, tyrannical to their ministers and violent radicals".
The town ceased generating electricity in 1924. The Power Company buildings survive in part on Bath Road.[5]The remains of the first Blanket Hall were demolished in spring 2008, along with a number of other old buildings including some formerCo-op buildings that had been used as the post office and former "George"public house.
A health centre was opened in July 2010 to house two former doctors' practices.[6]
Located at the edge of thePennine hills, the land rises to the north, east and south of the town centre. The town covers an area of one square mile (640 acres),[7] the town boundary is not the same as the ward boundary.
Heckmondwike has a telephone exchange, north of High Street in theWakefield 01924 dialling area. The exchange coversLiversedge, and parts ofDewsbury Moor andStaincliffe.
In 1894 HeckmondwikeUrban District Council was established and was incorporated into Kirklees in the local government reorganisation of 1974. The Heckmondwike electoral ward includes Millbridge, Flush, and Norristhorpe inLiversedge south of theA62 road. Heckmondwike ward is represented onKirklees Council by three Labour councillors.
In 2003 the ward elected David Exley of theBritish National Party, after the serving councillor left theLabour Party to run as an independent. Exley was re-elected in 2004, and in 2006 a second BNP member, Roger Roberts, was elected. Roberts had previously served as councillor for theConservative Party.[8] In May 2007 David Sheard (Labour), was returned. In May 2008 Exley lost his seat to Labour candidate Steve Hall. In May 2010 Roberts lost his seat to Labour candidate Viv Kendrick. Sheard was re-elected in 2011, and Hall was re-elected in 2012.
The weekly newspaper was theHeckmondwike Herald until Friday 15 August 2008 after which the title was merged into theSpenborough Guardian incorporating theHeckmondwike Herald. It covers the formerSpenborough Urban District and Heckmondwike.[9]
Local news and television programmes are provided byBBC Yorkshire andITV Yorkshire. Television signals are received from theEmley Moor TV transmitter.[10]
Local radio stations areBBC Radio Leeds on 92.4 FM,Heart Yorkshire on 106.2 FM,Capital Yorkshire on 105.6 FM,Hits Radio West Yorkshire on 102.5 FM,Greatest Hits Radio West Yorkshire on 96.3 FM andBranch Radio, a community based radio station that broadcast from theDewsbury on 101.8 FM.[11]
The town hasits own bus station. Very few bus services terminate at Heckmondwike; most are through services from acrossWest Yorkshire includingLeeds,Bradford,Huddersfield andWakefield.
Places adjacent to Heckmondwike | |
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Authority control databases: Geographic |
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