Morley, West Yorkshire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Morley |
|
|---|---|
.jpg) Dawson Hill |
|
 Morley
|
|
| Population | 44,440 (Including Adwalton. 2011) |
| OS grid reference | SE265275 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LEEDS |
| Postcode district | LS27 |
| Dialling code | 0113 |
| Police | West Yorkshire |
| Fire | West Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament |
|
Morley is a busy market town and a civil parish in West Yorkshire, England. It's part of the City of Leeds area. Morley is actually the biggest town in this area, apart from Leeds itself. It's also part of a region known for its wool industry, called the Heavy Woollen District.
Morley is about 5 miles (8 km) south-west of Leeds city centre. The town was built on seven hills: Scatcherd Hill, Dawson Hill, Daisy Hill, Chapel Hill, Hunger Hill, Troy Hill, and Banks Hill. In 2011, about 44,440 people lived in the town and its surrounding parish.
The town is divided into two main areas for local government: Morley North and Morley South. These areas help choose who represents Morley on the Leeds City Council. Morley is also part of the Leeds South West and Morley area for the UK Parliament.
Contents
History of Morley
Morley was first mentioned way back in 1086 in a very old book called the Domesday Book. Back then, it was called Morelege, Morelei, or Moreleia. The name "Morley" means "open ground by a moor." A "moor" is an open, wild area, and "leah" means a clearing or open space.
Howley Hall
A grand house called Howley Hall was built in the 1580s by Sir John Savile. This family owned a lot of land in Yorkshire. During the English Civil War in 1643, the house was surrounded by soldiers before a battle nearby. Luckily, it wasn't badly damaged. People lived there for a while, but it eventually fell apart. The hall was taken down in 1730, but you can still see some old ruins today, like the cellars.
Industry and Mining
Morley became well-known for making textiles, especially a type of cloth called shoddy. This fabric was even used by soldiers on both sides during the American Civil War.
The town was also a big area for coal mining. Sadly, on October 7, 1872, a terrible explosion at the Morley Main Colliery killed 34 people.
How Morley is Governed
Historically, Morley was an important local center. It became a special type of town called a Municipal Borough in 1889. Later, in 1972, it became part of the larger City of Leeds area.
Today, Morley has its own town council, which was set up in 2000. This council helps with local matters, even though some nearby villages are not part of it.
For the UK Parliament, Morley is now part of the Leeds South West and Morley area. This area chooses one person to represent them in Parliament.
Morley's old coat of arms showed symbols of its main industries: making textiles, coal mining, and quarrying (getting stone from the ground).
Morley Today
Town Hall and Local Life
Morley Town Hall is a beautiful old building. Sometimes, it's used for recording music. TV shows like Heartbeat and Emmerdale have even filmed scenes there, using its old courtrooms and a nearby cobblestone street. The Town Hall also hosts concerts by local schools and shows by the Morley Amateur Operatic Society.
St Mary in the Wood Church is located north of the town center. It closed in the late 20th century. Sadly, a fire in 2010 destroyed the inside of the church. Today, the site is overgrown, but you can still see its impressive spire from the town center.
Morley is known for being very patriotic. It holds one of the biggest St George's Day parades in the country each year and has even been called "the most patriotic town in England."
Shopping and Parks
Morley Market has been a part of the town for a very long time. The market building has a big hall with different shops, including butchers, fashion stores, and a café. You can also find supermarkets like Morrisons, Home Bargains, B&M, a 24-hour Asda, and an Aldi in and around Morley.
Scatcherd Park is in the center of Morley, next to the Morley Leisure Centre. It has a large playing field, a skate park, a children's play area, a bowling green, and memorial gardens. The town's war memorial is also here. During the summer, events are often held on the park's field.
Special Events
On February 21, 2010, a statue of the famous comedian Ernie Wise was put up outside Morley Post Office. His wife, Doreen, helped to show it to everyone. Ernie Wise used to perform in the old cinema nearby, which is now a pub.
On June 25, 2012, the Olympic Torch visited the Morley Academy as it traveled around Britain before the London Olympic Games.
Getting Around Morley
Morley railway station is about half a mile (800 meters) from the town center. You can catch a train to and from Leeds seven days a week, though less often on Sundays.
Buses run from stops near the Town Hall to Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, and other towns in West Yorkshire.
The M621 motorway runs west of Morley, and the M62 motorway is to the south. Junctions 27 and 28 of the M62 are the closest to the town.
Schools in Morley
Morley has many primary schools, including Morley Newlands Academy, Churwell Primary, Seven Hills Primary School, Morley Victoria Primary School, Asquith Primary, Fountain Primary, and St Francis Catholic Primary School. There's also a private school called Queenswood School.
Three secondary schools serve students from Morley: The Morley Academy, Bruntcliffe Academy, and Woodkirk Academy.
Media and News
Local news and TV shows for Morley are provided by BBC Yorkshire and ITV Yorkshire. You can get TV signals from the Emley Moor TV transmitter.
For local radio, you can listen to BBC Radio Leeds, Heart Yorkshire, Capital Yorkshire, Hits Radio West Yorkshire, and Greatest Hits Radio West Yorkshire. The town also has its own local newspaper, the Morley Observer & Advertiser.
Sports in Morley
Morley R.F.C. is a rugby union club that started in 1878. The club was very successful in the 1970s, winning the Yorkshire Cup five times. In 2005, they won the Powergen Intermediate Cup at Twickenham.
Morley also has a cricket club, Morley CC, which plays in the Bradford League. For football, there's Morley Town AFC and Morley Amateur FC. Morley Borough plays rugby league.
Morley Leisure Centre is a modern sports facility. It opened in 2010 after a big renovation project. It has a 25-meter swimming pool, a smaller learner pool, a large gym, sports halls, a dance studio, and a cafe.
Morley was also the home of Beryl Burton, a cycling champion who won seven world titles! Scatcherd Park Bowling club also competes in many leagues.
Morley on Screen
Morley is a setting in David Peace's Red Riding Quartet novels and the 2009 television series. These stories look at police corruption in West Yorkshire during the 1970s and 1980s. The TV show Emmerdale often uses Morley Town Hall for filming court and wedding scenes.
Twin Town
Morley is twinned with Siegen, a city in Germany. This partnership started in 1966.
Famous People from Morley
People from Morley often call themselves "Morleians." Here are some well-known people who come from Morley:
- H. H. Asquith, a former British Prime Minister
- Brian Bedford, an actor known for his voice work (like Disney's Robin Hood) and Shakespearean plays
- Beverley Callard, an actress
- Mark Crook, a professional footballer
- Helen Fielding, the author of Bridget Jones's Diary
- Jonathan Howson, a professional footballer
- Joe Seddon, a technology entrepreneur
- Ben Kaye, a rugby league player
- Aaron Murphy, a rugby league player for Huddersfield Giants
- Jack Popplewell, a playwright and composer
- Titus Salt, who created the famous village of Saltaire
- Alice Cliff Scatcherd, a pioneer for women's rights who gave Scatcherd Park to the town
- Nick Scruton, a professional rugby league player
- Lee Smith, a rugby league player for Leeds RLFC
- Stevie Ward, a rugby league player for Leeds Rhinos
- John R. Womersley, a mathematician and computer scientist
Images for kids
-
A street map of Morley
See also
In Spanish: Morley (Yorkshire del Oeste) para niños
