About -Cleckheaton
CLECKHEATON: STEEPED IN HISTORY.
Situated in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, right in the middle of the West Yorks Conurbation, with Leeds, Bradford and Halifax, Huddersfield and Dewsbury all approx the same short distance away. Affectionately known by the locals (and regular visitors) as Cleckhuddersfax, Cleckheckmondsedge or just plain Clecky, the name is a corruption due to J.B. Priestley (1894-1984) and his writings, Clekywyke being the setting for “When we are married”.
THE SPEN VALLEY:
Inspiration to many writers including the Brontes who lived on Halifax Road, Hightown before moving to Haworth. Clough House, in which the parents first lived and in which Maria and Elizabeth were born while their father was curate at Hartshead Church, is still standing. The Red House (1660’s and now a museum) and Kirklees Hall are both mentioned in Charlotte’s writings, the Red House being “Briarmains” and Kirklees Hall being “Nunwood” in her book “Shirley”. Robin Hood is reputedly buried in Kirklees Park, where the Hall sits, just over the hill in Clifton.
1812 LUDDITE DISTURBANCES;
Several protestors were shot by soldiers in 1812 in Huddersfield at the mill owner’s request in reprisal for the famous Luddite uprising. This originated in the East Midlands but was at it’s fiercest on the banks of the Spen Beck. In 1813 the rioters attacked Rawfold Mill in our town. As a result of plotting at a nearby public house, The Shears, they set out to wreck the power operated cropping machines. 1842 brought more civil disturbances with the Boiler Plug Riots. 5000 marched to Peg Mill to draw the plugs out of the steam boilers. One of our local folk clubs has kept the name alive of The Croppers (held every Friday eve except at Festival time), The Cropper Lads being their theme song telling the historical tale of events.
WEST RIDING
Saw the arrival of trains in the 1830’s and by 1840 we were connected to Heckmondwike and Dewsbury and linked to Huddersfield and Bradford. The old line has now been cleared and made into a walk way, renamed Spen Valley Greenway, and provides a safe, quiet path for everyone to walk, cycle or horseride, with many access points along the way.
Royds Park has a minature railway built on the LNWR trackbed and ‘real’ steam trains run once or twice a month on Sundays.
SPEN FACTS:
It was in 1962 that Mr Joynter of Cleckheaton won a national sausage eating competition eating 57.5 sausages in 37 minutes.
Roger Hargreaves, the creator of Mr. Men was born in Cleckheaton.
Poll Tax records from 1379 show only 7 families, or 35 people lived in Heckmondwike at that time.
John Fozzard, inventor of the Harrier Jump Jet was born in Millbridge.
Joseph Priestley, discoverer of oxygen, once lived at The Old Hall pub in Heckmondwike.
Providence Place in Cleckheaton was designed by Saltaire Architects Mawson & Walton and opened in 1859. Closed for worship in the late 20th Century, it now houses the largest Indian Restaurant in the world- The Aakash and can seat in excess of 850 people. 
