Castle Hill, Huddersfield
Castle Hill is a
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Castle_Hill_2003-11-12_14-04-25_P1210664.jpg/700px-Castle_Hill_2003-11-12_14-04-25_P1210664.jpg)
Geology
The hill owes its shape to an outlying cap of hard Grenoside sandstone that has protected the softer stone beneath from erosion. The slopes below Castle Hill are formed from alternating deposits of shale and harder sandstones and form a series of slopes and benches.[4] Five coal seams lie within the shales of the lower slopes some of which have been worked along the hillside, by adits and shafts. Workings are visible in several places and there is also evidence of old quarries that have been infilled.
History
Early history
The first people to visit Castle Hill were probably hunters and gatherers of the
Excavations on part of the hillfort in 1970 demonstrated that Castle Hill had at some stage suffered from a severe episode of burning. Vitrified forts such as Castle Hill are rarely found in England, and are more usual in Scotland.[5][6]
The banks and ditches that remain are more likely to be the result of recutting and other alterations carried out during the
In the early 14th century there was an attempt to found a settlement in the lower bailey, and possibly elsewhere on the hill. Aerial photography revealed a central roadway flanked by regularly laid-out plots. It was probably abandoned by the 1340s, although memory of it may have lingered, since the map of Almondbury drawn up in 1634 marks the hill as the site of a town. After the end of the Middle Ages, Castle Hill remained uninhabited until the early 19th century. Its prominent position made it an ideal site for a warning beacon, as part of a network of such beacons on other prominent hills all over the country, spreading out in lines from the coast.
Modern history
Castle Hill's flat top was a venue for large political, religious, and other meetings.
The Thandi Partnership bought the
An
Today the hill retains the remnants of all its past uses, and is a popular site for local people and tourists. Overhead electricity cables were relocated below ground in 2006 to enable
Victoria Tower
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Victoria_Tower_Castle_Hill%28RLH%29.jpg/160px-Victoria_Tower_Castle_Hill%28RLH%29.jpg)
By 1897 Queen Victoria had reigned over the British Empire for sixty years, longer than any other monarch. A permanent memorial of this event was planned in the form of a tower perched on the hill overlooking the town of Huddersfield. Despite some difficulty raising the money required, the tower was opened by the Earl of Scarborough on 24 June 1899. Although often referred to as the Jubilee Tower, the correct name is the Victoria Tower. Designed by Isaac Jones of London, it was built by the firm of Ben Graham and Sons of Folly Hall, using stone from Crosland Hill. It cost £3,298, and was 106 feet (32.3 m) high, which, added to the height of the hill itself, made the top 1,000 feet (305 m) above sea level.
During the Second World War it was suggested that the tower should be demolished to prevent it from being used as a navigation aid by German bombers. A few bombs were dropped near the tower in 1940 and 1941, but were probably just randomly jettisoned.
The tower is a Grade II-designated
References
- ^ "Castle Hill and Victoria Tower - Attraction - Huddersfield - West Yorkshire | Welcome to Yorkshire". www.yorkshire.com. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- ^ Historic England. "Castle Hill: slight univallate hillfort, small multivallate hillfort, motte and bailey castle and deserted village (1009846)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
- ^ a b Historic England. "Victoria Tower, Castle Hill (1210385)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
- ^ "Castle Hill, Huddersfield". West Yorkshire Geology Trust. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
- ISBN 9781853311987.
- ISBN 9780199695249.
- ^ "Huddersfield Civic Society Newsletter – Winter 2004" (PDF). Huddersfield Civic Society. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2006. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
- ^ Huddersfield Examiner – Thandi Brothers new attempt to build at Castle Hill (5 December 2011)
- ^ Thandi Brothers Submit new Castle Hill pub application (5 July 2012)
- ^ Huddersfield Examiner, See item 13 (23 January 2006)
External links
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