Kirkburton, West Yorkshire

Kirkburton C of E School and Kirkburton Secondary Modern

I have many fond memories of Kirkburton, I remember my old headmaster at the C of S school, Mr Pearson, my sister and I still have nightmares about him and his maypole (lol) we hated it, my fav teacher was Miss Innes. At the secondary modern school the teachers I liked best were Mr Monk, Mr Rothery and Mr Wood (I remember all the teachers' names). I still have some family living in Kirkburton, I used to live in Linfit Lane (my dad still lives there). I was in the Girl Guides and attended the church (All Hallows) and will always remember the Rev Mr Edward Clarke with lots of love and affection.

Memories of my past

This scene hasn't changed very much. My grandfather Archibald Barnaby Eliott live in the Co-op house which was in Low Town, 'Treacle Ole' as it was called. He used to drive a donkey-cart, delivering coal I think, round the village. My great grandma lived in a one up one down across from what used to be the old swimming baths in Low Town, she had 9 children so I think it would have been cramped. There used to be a photo in the George Hotel of my grandfather. My father George Elliott used to keep the Smiths Arms and I would be very interested to find any history on the building. When I got married my in-laws used to keep the sweet shop next door to what used to be the old barbers by the road crossing.

West Yorkshire Photographic Memories

Just five miles south of Huddersfield on the road to Wakefield, Kirkburton in the 19th century was just as polluted by smoke as its near neighbours. The town was full of woollen mills and corset factories and was surrounded by numerous collieries. Later, the town became a centre for ‘fancy’ goods such as cords, velveteens and fine woollens.

Leeds Pocket Album

Severely modern and uncompromising in its architecture, this grammar school symbolised the progressive educational changes of the post-war period. In 1966 proposals were put forward to reorganise the education system within 15 years. It was decreed that all children aged 11 to 18 years would attend comprehensive schools. In the interim period comprehensives were split between those taking 11 to 13 year olds, and those taking 13 to 18 year olds.

Leeds Pocket Album

After the 1930s the next blow to the Woollen District came in the 1960s with the import of cheap Italian heavy-woollen skirtings and coatings. Even after taking transportation costs into account, cheap labour enabled the Italians to undersell heavy-woollen Yorkshire-made products.