Queensbury, West Yorkshire facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Queensbury
Queensbury and the chimney of the former Black Dyke Mills
Queensbury
Population	16,273 (2011 Census)
OS grid reference	SE105311
• London	175 mi (282 km) SE
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	BD13
Dialling code	01274
Police	West Yorkshire
Fire	West Yorkshire
Ambulance	Yorkshire
EU Parliament	Yorkshire and the Humber
UK Parliament	Bradford South
Councillors	Matthew Bibby (Conservative) Luke Majkowski (The Bradford South Independents) Hazel Parsan (Labour)
List of places UK England Yorkshire 53°46′06″N 1°50′43″W / 53.768333°N 1.845278°W / 53.768333; -1.845278

Queensbury is a village in West Yorkshire, England. It is part of the City of Bradford. Queensbury sits high up, offering great views over places like Halifax and Bradford. It is one of the highest villages in England. From here, you can see the Yorkshire Dales in the distance.

In 2011, about 16,273 people lived in Queensbury. The village is famous for being the home of Black Dyke Mills and the amazing Black Dyke Band.

History of Queensbury

Queensbury used to be called Queenshead. This name came from a local pub. The pub was popular with people travelling between Halifax and Bradford long ago. They used pack horses to carry goods on these routes.

How Queensbury is Governed

Queensbury is a 'ward' within the Bradford Metropolitan District. A ward is an area that elects its own representatives. These representatives are called councillors. They help make decisions for the local area.

The Queensbury ward includes other small villages and hamlets. Some of these are Clayton Heights, Horton Bank Top, and Scarlet Heights.

For many years, the area mostly elected councillors from the Conservative Party. More recently, there have been Labour councillors elected too. Sometimes, councillors also choose to become 'Independent'. This means they don't belong to a specific political party.

Black Dyke Mills and Its Impact

Black Dyke Mills was built starting in 1835. It was a large factory that made wool and mohair fabric. John Foster owned the mill. His company, John Foster & Son, built many buildings in Queensbury. These included homes, shops, and places for fun for their workers.

In 1891, the company built the Victoria Hall. This hall had a concert area, a library, and a billiards room. It was for the workers and the whole community. The company also supported the famous Black Dyke Mills Band. This band is known all over the world.

Today, the old mill has been turned into different business units. The company still makes fabric, but in other places nearby.

Music in Queensbury

Queensbury is well-known for its strong musical history. It's home to the world-famous Black Dyke Band. Many other musicians and bands also come from Queensbury. These include bands like Scarlet Heights, which was named after a local hamlet.

Getting Around Queensbury

Queensbury used to have three railway lines. These lines connected to Halifax, Keighley, and Bradford. They all met at Queensbury station. This station was special because it had platforms on all three sides of a triangle.

Near the station was the Queensbury Tunnel. It was very long, about 2,287 meters (2,501 yards). Another tunnel, Clayton Tunnel, was also nearby. All these railway lines closed to passengers in 1955. They fully closed in the 1960s and 1970s.

Today, the main roads are the A647 road and the A644 road. These roads meet at the Albert Memorial. Buses also run through the village, connecting Queensbury to Bradford and Halifax.

Gallery

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  Black Dyke Mills

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  Sunset over Queensbury in September 2010.

Images for kids

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  This map shows the boundaries of the Queensbury Ward in 2004.