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Birkenshaw
Birkenshaw maps
Historic maps of Birkenshaw and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Birkenshaw maps
Birkenshaw photos
We have no photos of Birkenshaw, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Tong| Birstall| Cleckheaton| Heckmondwike| Batley| Roberttown| Morley| Bradford| Farsley| Dewsbury| Shelf| Calverley| Hipperholme| Greengates| Kirkstall Abbey| Apperley Bridge| Horsforth| Shipley| Ossett| Headingley| Far Headingley| Leeds| Saltaire| Elland| Horbury
Birkenshaw area books
Displaying 1 of 28 books about Birkenshaw and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Birkenshaw
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West Yorkshire memories
An Industrial Village
Having grown up in Birstall I have a fondness for this little market town in West Yorkshire, situated approximately 8 miles from Leeds and centrally placed for easy access to other major towns Bradford, Huddersfield and Wakefield.
Fifty years ago Birstall was a thriving village, where everyone knew everybody else (and their business!). There were several mills in the area, Birstall Carpet Company, Holton's, Charles Sheards to name but a few.
The shopping centre was busy and there was a variety of shops, unlike today when the centre seems to be full of beauty parlours, hairdressers and takeaways, with traditional shopkeepers struggling to earn a living.
In the market place stands a statue of Joseph Priestley, who discovered oxygen. He was born in Fieldhead. Birstall also has links with the Brontes, as Charlotte often stayed at Oakwell Hall and Brookroyd House and based her book "Shirley" on the area.
Until the 1990's not much had been written about Birstall. I then decided to write... Read more
Cinema on A Saturday as A Boy
I grew up in Driglington late 50s/ 60s and remember going to watch Roy Rogers and Hopalong Cassidy, now that was another lifetime ago.
As I got a bit older lots of us drig lads used to visit a coffee shop in the main street - cannot remember its name, and met lots of Birstall girls there. I also remember the first 3d movie I saw there, it was the House of Wax, we had to wear those red and green glasses.
Birstall Life, 1970
Does anybody remember Clifford the milkman, he had a barrel in a yard that he used as a dog kennel in the village. Or the Co-op in the village, I think it was that sold record players and I think shirts folded up, and kept in drawers behind the counter. I was 4 at the time of these memories. The dry cleaners that you could get high on walking past at the bottom of North Terrace. Singing 'Lily the Pink' at the working men's club. My dad Ernest Shaw played darts for the Hare and Hounds, if anybody remembered him he died in 1972. Liptons shop in the village. The fish and chip shop near Raikes Lane infant school, they went to Australia from the chippy. Did anybody reading this go to that school in 1970 -72? I still have the card you all signed when I left. Does anybody remember Dr Chong's in the village, didn't he always give you a lollypop?
Jack Garside And Mucky Minnie
Does anyone remember 'Spring-heeled Jack' and 'Mucky Minnie', the local tramp and his partner from the market place? Well, we do, and we also bought his house to sell on. My husband still has the scars from the flea bites to prove it.
Peggy Alley
I was born at 2a Brooklyn Street, better known as Peggy Alley, Cleckheaton. I grew up in was a wonderful place of industry, hence it's motto on the arms: Industry Enriches.
Exchange Mills
Does anyone remember Charlie's exchange mills? It was C. HIRSTS & SON. I am trying to trace June who worked in the offices. June.
Victoria Terrace
I was born in Victoria Terrace in Cleckheaton, which I think is near the old railway station. This was in the 1940's and although my family moved away from Cleck in 1950, I still visit my roots every few years. Does anyone remember the Sunday evening concerts at The Town Hall with Tommy Parkinson's orchestra? My dad played the piano in the orchestra. As a young man in the 1920's and 30's he had played for the silent films at the Savoy cinema. I have happy memories of visiting my grandma who lived in Cross Crown Street and other family members in Thorntonville. I also remember the old Central Chapel when it was still used as a church. My friend and I used to go to the youth club there! My most recent visit to Cleck was in 2011 and I still recognise the main landmarks like the town hall and the memorial park, but the rest has changed a lot over the years. I seem to remember a... Read more
