West Yorkshire Totally Explained

Everything about West Yorkshire totally explained

West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, that has a population of 2.1 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972.
West Yorkshire, which is landlocked, consists of five metropolitan boroughs (City of Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, City of Leeds and City of Wakefield) and shares borders with the counties of Derbyshire (to the south), Greater Manchester (to the south-west), Lancashire (to the north-west), North Yorkshire (to the north and east) and South Yorkshire (to the south-east). West Yorkshire County Council was abolished in 1986, and so its districts (the metropolitan boroughs) are now effectively unitary authorities. However, the metropolitan county, which covers an area of 2,029 km², continues to exist in law, and as a geographic frame of reference.
West Yorkshire encompasses the West Yorkshire Urban Area, which is the most built-up and biggest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Yorkshire.

Divisions and environs

West Yorkshire is divided into five local government districts; they're the City of Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, the City of Leeds and the City of Wakefield. The county borders, going anticlockwise from the west: Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Derbyshire, South Yorkshire and North Yorkshire.

District	Area km²	Population	Population density
	366.42	493,100	1,346
Calderdale	363.92	198,500	545
Kirklees	408.60	398,200	975
	551.72	750,200	1,360
	338.61	321,200	949

History

It 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, Leeds, Wakefield, Dewsbury, Halifax and Huddersfield. The Wakefield district's industrial heritage is significantly different from most of the rest of the county in that coal-mining was a large employer whilst textiles wasn't a particularly large industry (except in Ossett, where the two industries were both important).
   West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council inherited the use of 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.
   It initially had a two-tier structure of local government with a strategic-level county council and five districts providing most services. In 1986, throughout England the metropolitan county councils were abolished. The functions of the county council were devolved to the boroughs; joint-boards covering fire, police and public transport; and to other special joint arrangements. Organisations such as West Yorkshire Police Authority and West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive continue to operate on this basis.
   Although the county council was abolished, West Yorkshire continues to form a metropolitan and ceremonial county with a Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire and a High Sheriff.

Politics

In Parliament, all but two of West Yorkshire's M.P.s are Labour. 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.
There are currently plans for a tram system in West Yorkshire, but those for a Leeds Supertram were rejected by the government in 2005.

Economy

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of West Yorkshire at current basic prices published

(pp.240-253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.

Year	Regional Gross Value Added	Agriculture	Industry	Services
1995	21,302	132	7,740	13,429
2000	27,679	80	8,284	19,314
2003	31,995	91	8,705	23,199

Cities, towns and villages

Ackworth, Addingham, Allerton Bywater, Almondbury

Baildon, Bailiff Bridge, Batley, Beeston, Bingley, Birkby, Birkenshaw, Birstall, Boothtown, Boston Spa, Bradford, Brighouse, Burley-in-Wharfedale

Castleford, Cleckheaton, Collingham, Copley, Cottingley, Cragg Vale, Crofton, Crigglestone, Crossflatts, Cullingworth,

Denby Dale, Denholme, Dewsbury

East and West Morton, Elland, Emley, Esholt

Fairburn Ings, Ferrybridge, Fitzwilliam

Garforth, Gilstead, Golcar, Gomersal, Greetland, Guiseley

Halifax, Harden, Harewood, Hartshead, Hartshead Moor, Haworth, Hebden Bridge, Heckmondwike, Hemsworth, Heptonstall, Hipperholme, Holmfirth, Honley, Horbury, Horsforth, Huddersfield

Ilkley

Keighley, Kippax, Kirkburton, Kirkstall, Knottingley

Ledsham, Ledston, Leeds, Linthwaite, Liversedge

Marsden, Meltham, Menston, Mirfield, Morley, Mytholmroyd

New Mill, Newmillerdam, New Farnley, Nostell, Norristhorpe

Oakworth, Ossett, Oxenhope, Otley, Oulton

Pontefract, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Pudsey

Queensbury

Rastrick, Riddlesden, Ripponden, Rothwell, Roberttown

Saltaire, Sandal, Sandy Lane, Scammonden Scarcroft, Scholes, Shelley, Shepley, Shibden, Shipley, Silsden, Skelmanthorpe, Slaithwaite, Sowerby Bridge, Stanbury, Steeton, Swillington

Thornbury, Thornton, Thornhill, Todmorden, Tong

Wakefield, Walton (Leeds), Walton (Wakefield), West Bretton, Wetherby, Wilsden

Yeadon

Places of interest

Historic environment

Harewood House

Queens Park, Castleford

Cliffe Hall, also known as Cliffe Castle, Keighley

Esholt Hall, Esholt

Firsby Hall

Kirklees Hall

Leeds (in general)

Ledston Hall, Ledston

Linthwaite Hall, Linthwaite

Shelley Hall, Shelley

Tong Hall, Tong

Pontefract Priory, Pontefract

Wetherby Castle, Wetherby

Scarcroft Watermill, Scarcroft

Roman Lagentium (Castleford)

Saltaire, a model village

Keighley and Worth Valley Railway

Museums

Brontë Parsonage Museum, Haworth

Colne Valley Museum

Colour Museum (External Link

), Bradford

Leeds City Museum (opening 2008)

National Coal Mining Museum for England (Netherton)

National Media Museum, Bradford

Pennine Farm Museum, Ripponden

Pontefract Museum

Royal Armouries museum, Leeds

Tolson Museum, Dalton (Huddersfield)

Wakefield Museum, Wakefield

West Yorkshire Folk Museum, Shibden Hall

Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton

Natural environment

Emley Moor, site of the tallest self-supporting structure in the UK (a TV mast)

Walton Hall, West Yorkshire, home of naturalist Charles Waterton and the world's first nature reserve

RSPB Fairburn Ings - wetland centre for birds

Seckar Woods LNR, a Local Nature Reserve

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

Harewood Estate - Leeds Country Way public footpath runs through the estate, beautiful landscaped gardens and home to Red Kites amongst many other birds

Waterways

Scammonden Water, Deanhead Reservoir - both in the moors near Ripponden

River Aire, River Calder, River Hebble, River Spen, River Worth

Aire & Calder Navigation

Calder and Hebble Navigation

Huddersfield Broad Canal

Huddersfield Narrow Canal, Standedge Tunnel

Leeds and Liverpool Canal

Knottingley & Goole Canal

Rochdale CanalFurther Information

Get more info on 'West Yorkshire'.

External Link Exchanges

Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:

<a href="http://west_yorkshire.totallyexplained.com">West Yorkshire Totally Explained</a>

Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned.