Shipley, West Yorkshire facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Shipley
Shipley town centre (June 2010)
Shipley
Population	15,483 (ward. 2011)
OS grid reference	SE 146 375
Civil parish	Shipley
Metropolitan borough	City of Bradford
Metropolitan county	West Yorkshire
Region	Yorkshire and the Humber
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Shipley
Postcode district	BD17-18
Dialling code	01274

Police	West Yorkshire
Fire	West Yorkshire
Ambulance	Yorkshire

EU Parliament	Yorkshire and the Humber
UK Parliament	Shipley
Councillors	Anna Watson (Green Party) Kevin Warnes (Green Party) Martin Love (Green Party)
List of places UK England Yorkshire 53°49′59″N 1°46′37″W / 53.833°N 1.777°W / 53.833; -1.777

Shipley is an old market town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, England. It's part of the City of Bradford. Shipley is located north of Bradford, right by the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. In 2011, about 15,483 people lived here. Before 1974, Shipley was its own special area called an "urban district." Now, it's connected to Bradford as one big urban area.

Shipley's Past: A Look at History

What Does "Shipley" Mean?

The name Shipley comes from two very old English words. The first word, scīp, meant 'sheep'. The second word, lēah, could mean 'a forest clearing' or 'a meadow'. So, Shipley likely means 'forest clearing used for sheep' or 'sheep field'.

Early Days of Shipley

People first settled in Shipley a very long time ago, in the late Bronze Age. The town is even mentioned in the famous Domesday Book from 1086, where it was called Scipelei(a).

For many years, Shipley's history was mostly about the powerful families who owned the land, called the 'Lords of the Manor'. In the 12th century, one of these lords, 'Adam, son of Peter', gave monks from Rievaulx Abbey rights to graze sheep and mine for iron. Later, the Gascoigne family and then the Rawson family owned the manor. The Rawsons lived in a big house called Over Hall, which was where the Shipley Town Hall is today.

The Industrial Revolution and Growth

Canal-side mills, Shipley

The Industrial Revolution completely changed Shipley, especially with the rise of the textile industry. Because Shipley had a lot of sheep, wool was easy to find. The River Aire also provided water to power mills and clean wool.

By the 1500s, there were already mills in Shipley. In the 1700s, many people worked from home, spinning yarn in special "loom shops" in their cottages. You can still see examples of these old cottages along the canal in Saltaire.

Later, bigger mills with steam engines were built, like Providence Mill in 1796. These larger mills could do all the steps of making wool fabric in one place. Two very important mills were Joseph Hargreaves' Airedale Mills and Salts Mill, built by Titus Salt in 1853. Salts Mill is now a famous gallery and restaurant complex.

The growth of these mills meant more jobs and a huge need for housing. Titus Salt even built a special model village called Saltaire for his workers. Other mill owners, like Hargreaves, also built houses for their employees. Shipley's population grew from just over 1,200 people in 1822 to 10,000 by 1869!

Shipley After the Wars

Shipley Market Place (August 2009)

After the wars, the textile industry began to decline, and many mills were torn down. Only Salts Mill and Victoria Mills remain, now used for other things.

In the 1950s, many old, crowded houses were considered slums and were demolished. New shops and a market square were built. The tall, modern market hall tower is a well-known landmark. More old buildings were removed in 1978 to make way for a library, swimming pool, and health center.

Shipley's Location and Surroundings

Shipley is located where important roads and the River Aire cross. It's protected by hills like Wrose and Windhill to the east, and Baildon and Hawksworth Moors to the north.

The town first grew around a crossroads, now known as Fox Corner. This was a key spot where routes from Otley to Bradford and from Skipton to Leeds met at the River Aire.

In the past, Shipley had shared fields and open areas. Over time, these were divided into individual farms. The town was bordered by the River Aire to the north and Bradford Beck to the east. Areas like Windhill and Saltaire became part of Shipley later on.

How Shipley is Governed

Shipley Town Hall

Shipley used to be a small area within the larger parish of Bradford. In 1853, a local board was formed to manage Shipley. Shipley became its own civil parish in 1866.

In 1894, the Shipley Urban District Council was created, and the Windhill area joined Shipley. The impressive Shipley Town Hall was built in 1932. It was meant to help create jobs during the Great Depression. The Town Hall was Shipley's main government building for many years.

For a long time, Shipley didn't want to join Bradford for local government. There was even a big protest march in 1937! However, in 1974, Shipley officially became part of the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council.

Today, Shipley has its own Shipley Town Council, which was created in January 2020. This council helps make decisions for the local community.

Local Councillors: Shipley is represented on the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council by three councillors: Anna Watson, Kevin Warnes, and Martin Love, all from the Green Party.
Town Councillors: The Shipley Town Council has nine councillors representing different wards like Saltaire and Hirstwood, Nabwood and Moorhead, Shipley Central & Dockside, and Northcliffe and Norwoods.

Shipley's Economy and Attractions

Shops and Businesses

Shipley is mainly a place where people live and travel to work in bigger cities like Bradford and Leeds. However, it still has some important businesses. For example, ARRIS, a technology company, is located in the Salts Mill complex.

The town center has a large Asda supermarket, plus smaller shops. There's an outdoor market and a covered market hall with its famous clock tower. You can also find shops like Boots and the Arndale Centre. The Kirkgate Centre is a cultural hub, hosting community activities, live music, and films.

Gordon Terrace, in the historic Saltaire Village, has unique independent shops, restaurants, and cafes. Shipley is also a busy route for traffic between Bradford, Leeds, and other towns.

Places to Visit

Salts Mill alongside the Leeds and Liverpool Canal

Saltaire: This village, located in Shipley, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built by Sir Titus Salt in the Victorian era for his textile workers. The famous Salts Mill is no longer used for making textiles. Instead, it houses the 1853 Gallery, which displays many artworks by David Hockney. You can also find shops, restaurants, and businesses there. Saltaire is easily reached by Saltaire railway station and attracts many tourists.

Shipley Glen: North of the River Aire is Shipley Glen, a beautiful valley. It has been a popular spot for a long time. In 1895, the Shipley Glen Tramway was built to take visitors up the hill. Volunteers still run the tramway on many weekends during the summer.

Looking over Shipley from Northcliffe

Parks and Green Spaces

Crowghyll Park: This park was once a quarry and a refuse dump. It was turned into a public park in 1889, and a playground opened in 1890.
Northcliffe Park: This larger area has playing fields, gardens, woods, and a golf club. The woods and playing fields are open to the public.
Roberts Park: Located in Saltaire, this park was built by Sir Titus Salt for his workers to enjoy.

Entertainment and Arts

The Victoria Hall in Saltaire is a concert hall that hosts various bands. In the past, Shipley had several cinemas:

Queen's Palace: This was a theatre and later a cinema, but it was demolished after a fire in 1960.
Glen Royal: This large cinema opened in 1932. It later became a casino and bingo hall, and was destroyed by fire in 2013.
Saltaire Picture House: Opened in 1922, it later became the Gaumont cinema and was demolished in 1957.
Pavilion: This small cinema opened in 1914 and closed in 1956.
Prince's Hall: Opened in 1911, it was the last cinema in Shipley until it closed around 2000.

Today, the Shipley Film Society brings independent and world films back to Shipley.

Libraries

Shipley has a branch library on Well Croft, which is part of the Bradford Central Library system. There was also a Carnegie Library on Briggate, built with a donation from Andrew Carnegie, but it is now empty.

Local Industries

Shipley is home to several industrial businesses, including Denso Marsten, Manor Coatings, Produmax, Teledyne, and HC Slingsby.

Places of Worship

Shipley has many non-conformist churches, which are Protestant churches that are not part of the Church of England. There are four Methodist churches and the beautiful Saltaire United Reformed Church, built by Sir Titus Salt in 1859.

The first place of worship in Shipley was the Bethel Baptist Chapel in 1758. Another Baptist chapel, Rosse Street, built in 1865, is still in use. There is also a Salvation Army Citadel.

Shipley didn't have a Church of England church until the 19th century. The first was the Gothic St Paul's on Kirkgate, built in 1826. Other Anglican churches include St Margaret's and St Peter's. The Roman Catholic Church of St Walburga's is also on Kirkgate.

Getting Around Shipley

Roads

Main roads like Bradford Road, Otley Road, and Saltaire Road connect Shipley to Bradford, Leeds, and other towns in the Aire Valley. In 2022, a clean air zone was started in Bradford and Shipley. This means some vehicles, especially older, more polluting ones, might be charged to enter certain areas to help improve air quality.

Shipley Market Place has a small bus station.

Trains

Platforms 1 and 2 at Shipley railway station

The railway arrived in Shipley in 1846, connecting it to Leeds and Bradford. Later, lines to Keighley and Guiseley opened. By 1876, Shipley was on the London to Scotland train route.

Shipley railway station has a unique triangular shape, serving trains going to Skipton, Leeds, and Bradford Forster Square. Saltaire railway station, which reopened in 1984, serves the historic village of Saltaire. You can catch long-distance trains to London and Carlisle, and local trains to Leeds, Bradford, and Skipton.

Canals

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal was once very important for transporting goods to and from Shipley. The section to Shipley was finished in 1773. Today, the canal is mostly used for pleasure boating.

Trams

Trams used to run through Shipley, connecting different parts of the town. The main road junction, Fox's Corner, was even called Cobweb Square because of all the tram lines crossing there. One old tram building on Saltaire Roundabout is now a pub.

News and Media

Shipley's first newspaper was the Shipley Times & Express, which closed in 1981. Today, Shipley is covered by the Bradford-based Telegraph & Argus newspaper. The Saltaire Review is a local magazine launched in 2014 that covers community news and events.

Famous People from Shipley

Many notable people have connections to Shipley:

Sir Douglas Mawson (1882–1958): Born in Shipley, he was a famous explorer of the Antarctic.
Joseph Wright (1855–1930): A linguist who wrote the English Dialect Dictionary, he grew up in Windhill (now part of Shipley).
Helen Clare (1916–2018): A singer who performed on BBC Radio in the 1930s and 1940s.
Harry Corbett (1918–1989): The creator of the popular Sooty glove puppet character.
Laura Groves (born 1988): A singer and songwriter.
Steven Hartley (born 1960): An actor.
Bryan Mosley (1931–1999): An actor known for playing Alf Roberts in Coronation Street, who lived in Shipley.
Tony Richardson (1928–1991): A film director known for movies like Look Back in Anger and A Taste of Honey.
Rebecca Storm (born 1957): A musical theatre actress and singer.
Marie Studholme (1872–1930): An actress and singer from the Victorian and Edwardian eras, raised in Baildon and Shipley.
Richard Corbett (born 1955): A MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, who lives in Shipley.
William Wallace, Baron Wallace of Saltaire (born 1941): A Liberal Democrat politician.
Jim Laker (1922–1986): A famous England spin bowler from Frizinghall. He holds a world record for taking 19 wickets in a single first-class cricket match. A street in Shipley is named Jim Laker Place in his memory.
Nick Jefferies, Tony Jefferies, and David Jefferies: Multiple winners of the Isle of Man TT motorcycle race.
Nick Toczek (born 1950): A poet and writer.
Michael Wharton (1913–2006): A Daily Telegraph columnist.
Leo Walmsley (1892–1966): A writer.