The Heavy Woollen District: Batley
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Batley, the District's second
biggest town, has a population of approximately 40,000. It has
a great sense of history with its vast mill complexes, many
of which have been refurbished recently for light industrial
use or for retail outlets.
Batley, derived from the Danish language, means either valley
or homestead of bats. It appeared in the Domesday Book at Bateleia.
The history of the town can be traced back to the start of
the Industrial Revolution (circa 1813) when Benjamin Law, a
local man, decided to mix finely shredded rags with new wool
to produce woven cloth known as "shoddy", which had
a revolutionary effect on the textile industry. Virtually all
the mills in Batley and neighbouring Dewsbury spun these types
of cloth, hence the area came to be called the Heavy Woollen
District.
Batley is also famous for its Grammar School, founded by the
Rev William Lee. One of its former pupils was Sir Titus Salt,
the man who founded Salts Mill and the village of Saltaire (now
a National Heritage site).
Many of the old mills have gone and given way to modern industrial
premises and processes. However, the town's heritage is preserved
with many Victorian town centre buildings and shops, a particularly
good example is the town hall.
Around town
Batley has an excellent communication network. The
town is about 15 minutes drive from junction 27 of the
M62 or junction 40 of the M1.
Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Wakefield and Manchester
are all within easy reach.
Batley railway station lies on the main transpennine
line between Dewsbury and Leeds. At peak times, two
trains an hour each way serve the town. The viaduct,
pictured left, lies to the western side of Batley station.
Local buses, operated by Arriva, provide links with
all the major towns and cities in the District
There is a friendly local rivalry between the neighbouring
towns of Batley and Dewsbury not least from a retail
and leisure standpoint.
With its "mill mile" where former textile
mills have been converted into shops and retail outlets,
Batley is the home to the Redbrick Mill, pictured right,
which has been completely renovated and now provides
floor space for several well-known shops along with
smaller local retailers and a couple of cafes.
Just along the A658 Bradford Road is another retail
outlet known as The Village. Again this is the home
to numerous well-known retailers and coffee shops.
And just around the corner, Alexandra Mills, is another
popular retail outlet.
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Redbrick Mill
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Batley Library
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The main street in Batley is small but has a pleasant
mix of local independent shops and national chains.
A market is held on Fridays and Saturdays.
Between 1993 and 1998, Batley had an investment
of £37.5m. This was provided by the Government
under a scheme called "City Challenge" in
a bid to regenerate the area.
Today, the environment is much improved but the
town still has great potential to improve further
in the future.
For sports fans, the main team in the town is the
Batley Bulldogs (rugby league) who play their home
matches at Mount Pleasant. The club play their league
matches in the Co-Op National League One.
Still with sport, Batley was the home to professional
snooker player Paul Hunter who died from cancer in
2006.
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