West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire | |
---|---|
Admin HQ | Leeds |
ONS code | 2F |
GSS code | E11000006 |
ITL | UKE4 |
Website | www |
Districts | |
Districts of West Yorkshire Metropolitan districts | |
Districts |
West Yorkshire is a
The county, established in 1974, has an area of 2,029 km2 (783 sq mi) and a population of 2.3 million, making it the fourth-largest ceremonial county by population. Large parts of West Yorkshire are urban; many settlements are part of the West Yorkshire built-up area, which has a population of 1.78 million. The largest settlements are the cities of Leeds (516,298) and Bradford (366,187), Huddersfield (162,949), and the city of Wakefield (109,766). The west of the county is more rural. The county is governed by five metropolitan boroughs: City of Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, City of Leeds and City of Wakefield, which collaborate through West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
The western part of West Yorkshire is in the South Pennines, and contains a small part of the Peak District National Park. It is characterised by steep valleys and is the source of the River Calder, which flows past Wakefield before meeting the Aire, which flows through Leeds, near Castleford. The landscape becomes flatter in the east, and the county boundary is on the edge of the Vale of York.
Remnants of strong coal, wool and iron ore industries remain in the county, having attracted people over the centuries, and this can be seen in the buildings and architecture. Several railways and the M1, M621, M606, A1(M) and M62 motorways traverse the county.
Governance
Body | Headquarters |
---|---|
West Yorkshire Combined Authority | Leeds City Centre
|
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service |
Birkenshaw |
West Yorkshire Joint Services | Morley |
West Yorkshire Police | Wakefield |
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council | Bradford City Hall |
Calderdale Council |
Halifax Town Hall |
Kirklees Council | Huddersfield Town Hall |
Leeds City Council | Leeds Civic Hall |
Wakefield Council | County Hall, Wakefield |
West Yorkshire County Council was abolished in 1986 and its five districts effectively became unitary authorities. The metropolitan county, covering an area of 2,029 square kilometres (783 sq mi), continues to exist in law and as a geographic frame of reference.[3][4][5]
Since 1 April 2014, West Yorkshire has been a
The conurbation of Bradford, Dewsbury, Halifax, Huddersfield, Leeds and Wakefield makes up the West Yorkshire Built-up Area, which is the fourth-largest in the United Kingdom and the largest within the historic county boundaries of Yorkshire.
In Parliament, 13 out of 22 of West Yorkshire's MPs are Labour and 9 are Conservative. At local level, the councils are generally divided, apart from the Wakefield district, which has long been one of the safest Labour councils in the country.
Some services are provided across the county by
Geography
The county borders, going anticlockwise from the west: Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Derbyshire, South Yorkshire and North Yorkshire. The terrain of the county mostly consists of the Pennines and its foothills which dominate the west of the county and gradually descend into the Vale of York and Humberhead Levels in the east. Geologically, it lies almost entirely on rocks of carboniferous age which form the inner Southern Pennine fringes in the west[8] and the Yorkshire coalfield further eastwards.[9] In the extreme east of the metropolitan county there are younger deposits of Magnesian Limestone.[10] Areas in the west such as Bradford and Calderdale are dominated by the scenery of the eastern slopes of the South Pennines, dropping from upland in the west down to the east, and dissected by many steep-sided valleys while a small part of the northern Peak District extends into the south west of Kirklees. Large-scale industry, housing, public and commercial buildings of differing heights, transport routes and open countryside conjoin. The dense network of roads, canals and railways and urban development, confined by valleys creates dramatic interplay of views between settlements and the surrounding hillsides, as shaped the first urban-rural juxtapositions of David Hockney. Where most rural the land crops up in the such rhymes and folklore as On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at, date unknown, the early 19th century novels and poems of the Brontë family often in and around Haworth and long-running light comedy-drama Last of the Summer Wine in the 20th century.
The carboniferous rocks of the Yorkshire coalfield further east have produced a rolling landscape with hills, escarpments and broad valleys in the outer fringes of the Pennines. In this landscape there is widespread evidence of both current and former industrial activity. There are numerous derelict or converted mine buildings and recently landscaped former spoil heaps.[citation needed] The scenery is a mixture of built up areas, industrial land with some dereliction, and farmed open country. Ribbon developments along transport routes including canal, road and rail are prominent features of the area although some remnants of the pre industrial landscape and semi-natural vegetation still survive. However, many areas are affected by urban fringe pressures creating fragmented and downgraded landscapes and ever present are urban influences from major cities, smaller industrial towns and former mining villages.[citation needed] In the Magnesian Limestone belt to the east of the Leeds and Wakefield areas is an elevated ridge with smoothly rolling scenery, dissected by dry valleys. Here, there is a large number of country houses and estates with parkland, estate woodlands, plantations and game coverts.[citation needed] The rivers Aire and Calder drain the area, flowing from west to east.
History
Wakefield's Parish Church was raised to cathedral status in 1888 and after the elevation of Wakefield to diocese, Wakefield Council immediately sought city status and this was granted in July 1888.
Post-1974 | Pre-1974 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Metropolitan county | Metropolitan borough | County boroughs | Non-county boroughs | Urban districts
|
Rural districts |
West Yorkshire is an amalgamation of 53 former local government districts, including five county boroughs and ten municipal boroughs. |
Bradford | Bradford | Keighley
|
Shipley
|
Skipton |
Calderdale | Halifax
|
Todmorden
|
Sowerby Bridge
|
Hepton | |
Kirklees | Dewsbury
|
Spenborough
|
Mirfield
|
||
Leeds | Leeds | Morley • Pudsey | Rothwell
|
Tadcaster • Wharfedale • Wetherby | |
Wakefield | Wakefield
|
Pontefract
|
Stanley
|
Wakefield
|
- ^ a b Queensbury and Shelf Urban District was split between Bradford and Calderdale in 1974: Queensbury civil parish became part of Bradford; Shelf civil parish became part of Calderdale.
West Yorkshire was formed as a metropolitan county in 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972, and corresponds roughly to the core of the historic West Riding of Yorkshire and the county boroughs of Bradford, Dewsbury, Halifax, Huddersfield, Leeds, and Wakefield.
West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council inherited the use of West Riding County Hall at Wakefield, opened in 1898, from the West Riding County Council in 1974. Since 1987 it has been the headquarters of Wakefield City Council.[13]
The county initially had a two-tier structure of local government with a strategic-level county council and five districts providing most services.
Although the county council was abolished, West Yorkshire continues to form a
.Green belt
West Yorkshire contains green belt interspersed throughout the county, surrounding the West Yorkshire Urban Area. It was first drawn up in the 1950s. All the county's districts contain large portions of green belt.
Parish
A small section of West Yorkshire forms scattered settlements into
Demography
District | Area km2 | Population | Density |
---|---|---|---|
City of Bradford | 366.42 | 523,100 | 1,346 |
Calderdale | 363.92 | 200,100 | 545 |
Kirklees | 408.61 | 401,000 | 975 |
City of Leeds | 551.72 | 761,100 | 1,360 |
City of Wakefield | 338.61 | 321,600 | 949 |
Metropolitan borough | Seat | Other places |
---|---|---|
City of Bradford |
Bradford City Hall, Bradford | . |
Calderdale |
Halifax Town Hall, Halifax | Bailiff Bridge, Boothtown, Brighouse, Copley, Cragg Vale, Elland, Greetland, Hebden Bridge, Heptonstall, Hipperholme, Holywell Green, Luddendenfoot, Mytholmroyd, Norwood Green, Rastrick, Ripponden, Rishworth, Shelf, Shibden, Sowerby Bridge, Todmorden |
Kirklees |
Huddersfield Town Hall, Huddersfield | Hartshead Moor, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Honley, Kirkburton, Kirkheaton, Linthwaite, Liversedge, Marsden, Meltham, Mirfield, New Mill, Norristhorpe, Roberttown, Scammonden, Shelley, Shepley, Skelmanthorpe, Slaithwaite, Thornhill
|
City of Leeds |
Leeds Civic Hall, Leeds | New Farnley, Otley, Oulton, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Pudsey, Rothwell, Rawdon, Scarcroft, Scholes, Stourton, Swillington, Walton (Leeds), Wetherby, Yeadon, Woodhouse
|
City of Wakefield |
West Riding County Hall, Wakefield
|
Ethnic Group | Year | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1991[21] | 2001[22] | 2011[23] | 2021[24] | |||||
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
White: Total | 1,849,480 | 91.8% | 1,842,813 | 88.6% | 1,819,818 | 81.8% | 1,801,352 | 76.6% |
White: British | – | – | 1,798,413 | 86.5% | 1,746,295 | 78.4% | 1,693,845 | 72.0% |
White: Irish | – | – | 18,859 | 0.9% | 14,910 | 0.7% | 13,893 | 0.6% |
White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller
|
– | – | – | – | 1,660 | 0.1% | 2,311 | 0.1% |
White: Roma | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3,982 | 0.2% |
White: Other | – | – | 25,541 | 1.2% | 56,953 | 2.6% | 87,321 | 3.7% |
Asian or Asian British : Total
|
129,831 | 6.4% | 185,907 | 9% | 291,547 | 13.1% | 372,728 | 15.9% |
Asian or Asian British: Indian | 34,829 | 42,430 | 2.0% | 53,152 | 2.4% | 62,407 | 2.7% | |
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani | 80,531 | 122,210 | 5.9% | 189,708 | 8.5% | 250,497 | 10.7% | |
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi | 5,987 | 8,213 | 0.4% | 15,632 | 0.7% | 20,099 | 0.9% | |
Asian or Asian British: Chinese | 3,892 | 5,734 | 0.3% | 10,783 | 0.5% | 12,516 | 0.5% | |
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian | 4,592 | 7,320 | 0.4% | 22,272 | 1.0% | 27,209 | 1.2% | |
Black or Black British: Total | 23,906 | 1.1% | 20,771 | 1% | 46,476 | 2.1% | 72,257 | 3.1% |
Black or Black British: African | 2,569 | 4,216 | 0.2% | 24,685 | 1.1% | 47,888 | 2.0% | |
Black or Black British: Caribbean | 14,798 | 14,409 | 0.7% | 15,581 | 0.7% | 15,588 | 0.7% | |
Other Black | 6,539 | 2,146 | 0.1% | 6,210 | 0.3% | 8,781 | 0.4% | |
Mixed or British Mixed: Total | – | – | 25,081 | 1.2% | 48,126 | 2.2% | 64,947 | 2.8% |
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean | – | – | 11,263 | 0.5% | 20,827 | 0.9% | 23,573 | 1.0% |
Mixed: White and Black African | – | – | 1,842 | 0.1% | 4,624 | 0.2% | 7,756 | 0.3% |
Mixed: White and Asian | – | – | 8,049 | 0.4% | 15,098 | 0.7% | 21,014 | 0.9% |
Mixed: Other Mixed | – | – | 3,927 | 0.2% | 7,577 | 0.3% | 12,604 | 0.5% |
Other: Total | 10,409 | 0.5% | 4,639 | 0.2% | 20,091 | 0.9% | 40,295 | 1.7% |
Other: Arab
|
– | – | – | – | 9,212 | 0.4% | 11,515 | 0.5% |
Other: Any other ethnic group | 10,409 | 0.5% | 4,639 | 0.2% | 10,879 | 0.5% | 28,780 | 1.2% |
Total | 2,013,626 | 100% | 2,079,211 | 100% | 2,226,058 | 100% | 2,351,579 | 100% |
West Yorkshire is ethnically diverse, hosting large populations of multiple ethnic minority groups. Most notably, the city of Bradford is well known for its large concentration of British Pakistanis, the highest by percentage in the country. Leeds and Kirklees also have large British Pakistani populations. Kirklees also hosts a large population of British Indians. West Yorkshire is home to a large Eastern European population, particularly British Poles. Ethnic minorities totalled to over 21% of West Yorkshire's population in 2011.[25]
Economy
Industries
Leeds has since attracted investment from financial institutions, to become a recognised financial centre, with many
West Yorkshire grew up around several industries. Wakefield, Castleford, Pontefract and South and East Leeds were traditional coal mining areas.
- Wool
Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield grew through the development of woollen mills. Leeds' traditional industry was the manufacturing of cloth while heavier engineering industries facilitated growth in South Leeds.
The
- Rhubarb
The
- Coal
The last pit in West Yorkshire to close was Hay Royds Colliery at Denby Dale in 2012 after a flood.[28]
Film and television productions
Several films and television series have been filmed in West Yorkshire's historic areas, particularly around the town of Halifax.[29][30] For example, portions of the BBC television series Happy Valley were filmed in Huddersfield; in addition to exteriors, some of the studio filming was done at North Light Film Studios at Brookes Mill, Huddersfield. As well, interiors for the BBC's Jamaica Inn, for the BBC's Remember Me and for ITV series Black Work, were also filmed at the studios.[31][32][33][34] More recently, many of the exteriors of the BBC series Jericho were filmed at the nearby Rockingstone Quarry and some interior work was done at North Light Film Studios.[35]
Tourism
Urban tourism varies. National interest features include sporting stadia, museums, theatre and galleries. Royal Armouries is in Leeds, as is the Leeds Playhouse (formerly the West Yorkshire Playhouse), Opera North and The Grand Theatre. The
Signposted walks follow rivers and the escarpment of the Pennines, which is scaled in meandering stages and tunnels by the recreational
Transport
West Yorkshire lies in arguably the most strategic part of Yorkshire: the
Unlike South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire has no light transit system; the Leeds Supertram was proposed but was later cancelled after the withdrawal of government funding. Public transport is run under the authority of West Yorkshire Metro.
In October 2021, £830 million of funding was announced for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to develop mass transit for the region.[36][37]
Additionally, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority won its bids for the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme and Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) scheme, the successful ZEBRA funding will see the introduction of between 179 and 245 zero-emission electric buses with the necessary infrastructure whilst the BSIP plan will give the West Yorkshire Combined Authority £70 million out of a desired £168 million to implement the improvements outlined in the authority's BSIP.[38][39][40][41]
Sport
Major
There are two racecourses in West Yorkshire: Pontefract and Wetherby.
West Yorkshire also used to host regular speedway meetings, having the Halifax Dukes and the Bradford Dukes teams. Odsal Stadium used to host BriSCA stock cars. Leeds has a hill climb event at Harewood speed Hillclimb.
Places of interest
Historic environment
Key | |
Abbey/Priory/Cathedral | |
Accessible open space | |
Amusement/Theme Park | |
Castle | |
Country Park | |
English Heritage | |
Forestry Commission | |
Heritage railway | |
Historic House
| |
Places of Worship | |
Museum (free/not free) | |
National Trust
| |
Theatre | |
Zoo |
- Bretton Hall
- Cartwright Hall
- Cliffe Hall, also known as Cliffe Castle, Keighley
- East Riddlesden Hall
- Esholt Hall, Esholt
- Firsby Hall
- Harewood House
- Kershaw House
- Keighley & Worth Valley Railway
- Kirklees Hall/Priory
- Kirkstall Abbey
- Roman Lagentium (Castleford)
- Ledston Hall, Ledston
- Linthwaite Hall, Linthwaite
- Linton Hall
- Lister Park, Bradford
- Lotherton Hall
- Middleton Railway, the world's oldest steam railway
- Nostell Priory
- Oakwell Hall
- Oulton Hall, Oulton
- Piece Hall, Halifax
- Pontefract Castle
- Pontefract Priory, Pontefract
- Queen's Park, Castleford
- Roundhay Park Leeds
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Sandal Castle
- Scarcroft Watermill, Scarcroft
- Shelley Hall, Shelley
- Shibden Hall
- Shipley Glen Tramway
- Tong Hall, Tong
- Wetherby Castle, Wetherby
Museums
- Abbey House Museum, Leeds
- Armley Mills Industrial Museum, Leeds
- Bagshaw Museum, Batley
- Bankfield Museum, Halifax
- Eccleshill/Fagley, Bradford
- Brontë Parsonage Museum, Haworth
- Colne Valley Museum, Golcar, Huddersfield
- Eureka, Halifax
- Leeds City Museum, Leeds
- Overton, Wakefield
- National Media Museum, Bradford
- Pennine Farm Museum, Ripponden, Halifax
- Pontefract Museum
- Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds
- Thackray Museum, Leeds
- The Hepworth Wakefield
- Thwaite Mills, Leeds
- Dalton, Huddersfield
- Wakefield Museum, Wakefield
- West Yorkshire Folk Museum, Shibden Hall, Halifax
- Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton, Wakefield
Natural environment
- Emley Moor, site of the tallest self-supporting structure in the UK (a TV mast)
- Harewood Estate – Leeds Country Way public footpath runs through the estate, landscaped gardens and home to Red Kites amongst many other birds
- Ilkley Moor, part of Rombalds Moor
- New Swillington Ings Nature Reserve
- Otley Chevin – extensive wooded parkland on high ground with extensive views North over Wharfedale and South as far as the Peak District
- RSPB Fairburn Ings and St Aidan's– wetland centres for birds
- Seckar Woods LNR, a Local Nature Reserve
- Walton Hall, West Yorkshire, home of naturalist Charles Waterton and the world's first nature reserve
Waterways
- Scammonden Reservoir, Deanhead Reservoir – both in the moors near Ripponden
- River Hebble, River Spen, River Worth
- Aire and Calder Navigation
- Calder and Hebble Navigation
- Huddersfield Broad Canal
- Huddersfield Narrow Canal, Standedge Tunnel
- Leeds and Liverpool Canal
- Rochdale Canal
See also
- List of Lord Lieutenants of West Yorkshire
- List of High Sheriffs of West Yorkshire
- The Kingdom of Elmet
- West Yorkshire Urban Area
- West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service
- West Yorkshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Own)
- List of ceremonial counties in England by gross value added
- Listed buildings in West Yorkshire
References
- ^ "No. 62943". The London Gazette. 13 March 2020. p. 5161.
- ^ "West Yorkshire Demographics | Age, Ethnicity, Religion, Wellbeing". Varbes. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
- ^ "Gazetteer of the old and new geographies of the United Kingdom" (PDF). Office for National Statistics. p. 48. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 December 2003. Retrieved 14 December 2006.
- ^ "Metropolitan Counties and Districts". Beginners' Guide to UK Geography. Office for National Statistics. 17 September 2004. Archived from the original on 6 June 2002. Retrieved 11 January 2007.
- ^ "Yorkshire and Humber Counties". The Boundary Commission for England. Archived from the original on 2 February 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2007.
- ^ "Devolution deal worth £1.8bn agreed". BBC News. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
- ^ Beecham, Richard (13 May 2020). "West Yorkshire mayor plans still on track for next May despite lockdown". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
- ^ "Yorkshire Southern Pennine Fringe". www.countryside.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 8 September 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2008.
- ^ "Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire Coalfield". www.countryside.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2008.
- ^ "Southern Magnesian Limestone". www.countryside.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 8 September 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2008.
- ^ Beckett 2005, pp. 39, 40
- ^ "History of City Hall". City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
- ^ "County Hall". Wakefield City Council. 20 November 2004. Archived from the original on 11 November 2006.
- ^ Redcliffe-Maud and Wood, B., English Local Government Reformed, (1974)
- ^ Kingdom, J., Local Government and Politics in Britain, (1991)
- ^ "Wars of the roses: How the rivalry between Yorkshire and Lancashire still exists today". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ^ Hayes, Dean (1 October 2000). The Wars of the Roses: A History of Lancashire vs. Yorkshire Cricket Matches. ASIN 1903158117.
- ^ Himelfield, Dave; Macpherson, Jon (2 November 2020). "The Yorkshire town that wishes it was in Lancashire". LancsLive. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ^ Himelfield, Dave (30 January 2021). "More towns which aren't sure if they're in Lancashire or Yorkshire". YorkshireLive. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ^ Shaw, Megan (6 December 2020). "The fight to keep these historic villages in Yorkshire nearing a sad end". YorkshireLive. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ^ "1991 census: local base statistics". NOMIS. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023.
- ^ "KS006 - Ethnic group - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- ^ "2011 Census: Ethnic Group, local authorities in England and Wales, ONS".
- ^ "TS021 - Ethnic group - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- ^ "2011 Census: Ethnic Group, local authorities in England and Wales, ONS".
- ISBN 9780226377759.
- ^ Application to register: Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb (PDF), DEFRA, archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2013, retrieved 25 February 2010
- ^ "The Drift remembers Yorkshire's industrial past". University of Bolton. 27 January 2014. Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
- ^ "Productions at North Light Film Studios". North Light Film Studios. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
- ^ "Film & TV". Examiner. Huddersfield. Archived from the original on 15 May 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
- ^ Ballinger, Lauren (5 December 2014). "North Light Film Studios – Remember Me filming locations". Examiner. Huddersfield. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
- ^ Rees, Caroline (3 November 2013). "Sally Wainwright: not the same old". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
- ^ Bremner, Jade (11 December 2013). "Last Tango in Halifax actress Sarah Lancashire begins shooting new crime drama in Yorkshire". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
- ^ "Creative England provides filming location and crew support to new BBC drama Happy Valley when filming in Yorkshire". Creative England. 29 April 2014. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
- ^ Gildea, Samantha (1 February 2016). "Jericho filming locations". Examiner. Huddersfield. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
- ^ "£830m Government boost set to kickstart mass transit scheme - including line through West Leeds". West Leeds Dispatch. 22 October 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- ^ "West Yorkshire Mayor welcomes £830 million funding to progress work on transforming the region's transport system". West Yorkshire Combined Authority. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- ^ "'Tough decisions' needed after funding for bus improvement plan falls £98m short". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- ^ "Mayor cautiously welcomes £900 million funding to improve transport across West Yorkshire". West Yorkshire Combined Authority. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- ^ "Over 240 electric buses could soon be rolled out through £81m scheme". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- ^ "Capital Spending and Project Approvals" (PDF). 23 June 2022. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
Sources
- Beckett, J. V. (2005), City status in the British Isles,1830–2002, Ashgate Publishing, ISBN 0-7546-5067-7
External links
- West Yorkshire Joint Services
- Images of West Yorkshire Archived 31 July 2013 at the English Heritage Archive
- West Yorkshire at Curlie