Allerton, West Yorkshire facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Allerton
Stepping stones at Pitty Beck, south Allerton
Allerton
Population	12,000
OS grid reference	SE1134
Metropolitan borough	City of Bradford
Metropolitan county	West Yorkshire
Region	Yorkshire and the Humber
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BRADFORD
Postcode district	BD15
Dialling code	01274
Police	West Yorkshire
Fire	West Yorkshire
Ambulance	Yorkshire
EU Parliament	Yorkshire and the Humber
UK Parliament	Bradford West
List of places UK England Yorkshire 53°48′N 1°50′W / 53.80°N 01.83°W / 53.80; -01.83

Allerton is a village in West Yorkshire, England. It's part of the City of Bradford and is becoming more connected to the city itself. About 12,000 people live here. The village is located about 3 miles west-north-west of Bradford.

Allerton was first written about in the Domesday Book as "Wilsden-cum-Allerton". People who live here often say the name as Ollerton, using an 'Ol' sound instead of 'Al'.

Allerton's History and Location

The name Allerton comes from old English words. It means 'alder tree at a farm' or 'settlement'. Allerton was mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1066. It was a settlement valued at two pounds and ten shillings. Sadly, the area was empty in the 11th century. This was likely because of something called the Harrying of the North. This was when William the Conqueror caused a lot of damage in northern England. He was trying to stop rebellions that were influenced by Vikings.

Chellow Dean is a beautiful local spot in the north of Allerton. It's a wooded valley with two old reservoirs from the Victorian era. It's a peaceful place for local wildlife. A large part of the village, especially in the south, was built after the Second World War. These were council houses. This area now has more than half of the people living in the Thornton and Allerton area.

Hospitals and Local Businesses

In 1825, a place called the Bradford Public Dispensary opened near Allerton. It moved in 1843 and became the Bradford Infirmary. This hospital later became the Bradford Royal Infirmary (locals call it BRI). This happened to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. It joined the National Health Service in 1948.

Seabrook Potato Crisps started in Bradford in 1945. The company opened its first factory in Allerton in 1956. Charles and Colin Brook changed an old club building into their factory. The Allerton factory closed in 2004 and was taken down in 2015 after a fire. In 2016, a new Aldi supermarket was built on the site.

New Homes in Allerton

A new housing project called Heron's Reach started building nearly 300 houses in late 2016. This project is on the western edge of the village. It had been stopped before because local people and councillors didn't want it. It's still a bit controversial because it's being built on a green belt area. This means it's land that's usually protected from building.

Schools in Allerton

Allerton has several primary schools for younger students. These include:

• The Academy at St. James, in the south of the village.
• Beckfoot Allerton on Allerton Road.
• St. Matthew's Catholic Primary School.
• Ley Top Primary School, both near Bell Dean Road.
• Sandy Lane Primary School, in the nearby village of Sandy Lane.

Dixon's Allerton Academy is a secondary school. It's located on the far eastern side of the village.

How Allerton is Governed

Allerton has been part of the City of Bradford since 1974. It's part of the Thornton and Allerton voting area. Allerton is also in the Bradford West area for national elections. This area usually votes for the Labour Party. Allerton currently has three Labour councillors. These councillors represent the whole Thornton and Allerton area, where most people live in Allerton village.

Exploring Chellow Dean

Chellow Dene Reservoir, a beautiful spot in Allerton

Chellow Dean is a lovely natural area on the northern edge of Allerton. It's a long, narrow woodland that surrounds two reservoirs. Many people enjoy walking their dogs here on the paths around the water. However, the paths can be a bit harder to walk on further north, especially near the golf course and Heaton. Chellow Dean covers more than thirty-three acres.

Famous People from Allerton

Allerton has been home to some well-known people:

• Dean Cavanagh (born 1966) is a writer for TV, movies, and plays.
• Nicky Evans (born 1979) is an actor. He played Roy Glover in Emmerdale and Shane Maguire in Shameless.
• Kimberley Walsh (born 1981) is a singer. She was part of the popular all-female band Girls Aloud.