Revision 122059106 of "Benutzer:Frank Murmann/Holmfirth" on dewiki

{{infobox UK place|
|country =                 England
|latitude=                 53.570
|longitude=                -1.787
|map_type=                 West Yorkshire
|scale=                    10000
|official_name=             Holmfirth
|population =       17,970 (for Holme Valley South ward)<ref>{{cite web|title=Ward Profiles: Holme Valley South|publisher=[[Kirklees Metropolitan Council]]| month=February |year=2007| url=http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/community/statistics/ward-profiles/wards2004/HolmeValleySouth.pdf}}</ref>
|civil_parish =           [[Holme Valley]]
|metropolitan_borough=          [[Kirklees]]
|metropolitan_county=            [[West Yorkshire]]
|region=                  Yorkshire and the Humber
|constituency_westminster=      [[Colne Valley (UK Parliament constituency)|Colne Valley]]
|post_town=        HOLMFIRTH
|postcode_district =       HD9
|postcode_area=            HD   
|dial_code=      01484 
|os_grid_reference=     SE142081
}}
'''Holmfirth''' is a small town located in the [[Holme Valley]] parish, in the [[Kirklees]] district of [[West Yorkshire]], [[England]]. Centered upon the confluence of the [[River Holme]] and the [[River Ribble]], Holmfirth is three&nbsp;miles (4.8&nbsp;km) south of [[Huddersfield]], and broadly consists of stone-built cottages nestled in the [[Pennines|Pennine hills]].

The [[Peak District]] National Park around [[Holme Moss]] borders the south of the town. The Holme and Ribble feed from the Holme Styes Reservoir at Cartworth Moor, just off the road to [[Dunford Bridge]]. 

==Description==
Holmfirth (and the surrounding countryside) is the setting for the [[BBC]]'s long-running comedy ''[[Last of The Summer Wine]]''. Thousands of tourists flock to the area each year to enjoy scenery and locations familiar from the series. More recently filming of the TV [[Slaithwaite]]-based drama, [[Where the Heart Is (1997 TV series)|''Where the Heart Is'']], has also taken place in and around the area.

The former Lodge's [[supermarket]] building had been sitting empty in the heart of the town since the [[Co-op]] moved to new premises in Crown Bottom.  Lodge's was built in the 1970s by the prominent local grocery company.  It was opened by [[BBC Radio 1|Radio 1]] [[Disc Jockey|DJ]] [[Tony Blackburn]] and occupied an unusual location over the River Holme, beside the town's small bus station.  Lodge's was bought in the 1990s by [[Co-operative Retail Services]] who eventually closed the store down in 1997, after investing in a brand new £2m supermarket for the town.  Local residents, led by the Holme Valley Business Association, campaigned for its demolition.  Their campaign was featured in the 2005 [[Channel 4]] documentary, ''[[Demolition (television)|Demolition]]''.  The building is now undergoing extensive modernisation into several smaller shops, with some planned accommodation on the top floor.

A regular Farmers Market is held year round on the third Sunday in the month in the market hall and features local and organic produce.

==History==
The town originally grew up around a corn mill and bridge in the 13th century.  Three hundred years later Holmfirth expanded rapidly as the growing cloth trade grew and the production of stone and slates from the surrounding quarries increased. 

In 1850 the very first steam train pulled into Holmfirth as part of branch line built by the [[Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway]] company.
 
Holmfirth was the home of [[Bamforths]] cheeky sea-side postcards for many years - although around the time of the [[First World War]], they produced postcards of a more sober nature. The printing works, on Station Road, has now been converted into residential apartments. 

During the early 1900s Holmfirth was well known for film making. Interestingly ancient documents have the town's name spelt 'Holm Frith' which can be translated as 'Holly Wood' but less excitingly the word "Firth" is just the old English name for 'wood and woodland' so the name just means Holme woods. 

The present church dates from the 1470s. 

===Flooding===
{{main|Holmfirth Flood}}
There are a number of instances when [[flood]]ing has occurred in the Holme Valley affecting Holmfirth and other settlements in the valley. The earliest recorded one being in 1738 and the latest in 1944. The most severe flood occurred early on the morning of [[February 5]], [[1852]], when the embankment of the Bilberry [[reservoir]] collapsed causing the deaths of 81 people. Following a severe storm in 1777 the [[River Holme]] burst its banks, sweeping away people and property with the loss of three lives, and the stone church built in 1476, was swept away. A storm in 1821 again caused the river to burst its banks. The flooding on the night of [[29 May]] [[1944]] was not nationally reported and it was then overshadowed by the [[Battle of Normandy|invasion of Normandy]] the following week.

<gallery>
Image:Holmfirth_20060521(RLH).JPG|Holmfirth viewed from above Cliff Road
Image:HolmfirthCentral(RLH)2007-03-21(1Mb).jpg| View across Holmfirth to Castle Hill, Huddersfield, taken from Dunsley Bank Road
Image:Holmfirth.jpg|Holmfirth centre showing the Parish church
</gallery>

==Transport==
===Rail===
{{main|Holmfirth Branch Line}}
Holmfirth used to have its very own railway branch line off the [[Huddersfield]] to [[Sheffield]] line (commonly referred to as the [[Penistone Line]]).  This short, two-mile line branched from the mainline just south of the village [[Brockholes]]. A viaduct took the line across the valley and into [[Thongsbridge]] where a station was sited.  The line then went along the side of the valley coming to a halt just outside the town centre on Station Road. Plans did exist for the line to be extended up the valley and then tunnel under Black Hill to join the [[Sheffield]] to [[Manchester]] line near [[Woodhead]].  The line closed to passengers in 1959, with goods traffic lasting until 1965. The station building and platform still remain as a private house. Other sections of the line further down the valley have been sold off for private housing and the viaduct, crossing the valley between [[Woodlands]] and [[Brockholes]] has been demolished, though the small section spanning the A616 road, at Scar End, still remains.

===Buses===
Buses run regularly from and to Huddersfield and other places in West Yorkshire from the centre of Holmfirth. The main bus line from Holmfirth to Huddersfield are the buses 309-316 which take varying routes to get to their location. Most services are operated by [[First Calderdale & Huddersfield]].

In October 2006, First bus services were re-branded as the 'Holmfirth Connection' following the re-routing of services from the Holme Valley to call at [[Huddersfield railway station]]. Integrated ticketing was introduced which makes it possible to travel to [[Dewsbury]], [[Leeds]] or [[Manchester]] with a single ticket bought onboard the bus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wymetro.com/TicketsAndPasses/DiscountsAndOffers/FBR.htm|title=First Bus&Rail - Holmfirth Connection|publisher=|[[West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive]]}}</ref>

==Arts==
The Holmfirth Artweek is an annual event which showcases the talents of local artists, while also raising money for the [[Macmillan Cancer Support]].

Holmfirth is home to the galleries of two internationally acclaimed artists: [[Ashley Jackson]] [[Royal Society of Arts|FRSA]]<ref>[http://www.tate.org.uk/40artists40days/ashley_jackson.html Tate Online - Ashley Jackson] </ref> and [[Trevor Stubley]] [[Royal Society of Portrait Painters|RP]] [[Royal Society of British Artists|RBA]] [[Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour|RSW]] [[Royal Watercolour Society|RWS]] <ref>[http://www.therp.co.uk/pages/artists_cvs/stubley.asp?art=25 The Royal Society of Portrait Painters - Trevor Stubley] </ref>.

The Holmfirth Festival (Pennine Festival of Music and Dance) and the separate Holmfirth Festival of Folk usually take place between April and June.

The Holmfirth Choral Society hold classical choral music concerts, on a regular basis, in Holmfirth Civic Hall.

== Surrounding villages ==
Holmfirth constitutes a town of its own three&nbsp;miles south of the larger town of Huddersfield. While the town Holmfirth itself is comparatively small, it is surrounded by several [[Hamlet (place)|hamlets]] and villages. These neighbouring settlements are often collectively referred to as "Holmfirth" and include:- [[Austonley]], [[Burnlee]], [[Cartworth]], [[Cinderhills]], Cliff, [[Deanhouse]], Gully, [[Flushhouse]], [[Hade Edge]], [[Thongsbridge]] and [[Upperthong]]

Other villages and hamlets within the Holmfirth [[post town]] include:- [[Brockholes]], [[Fulstone]], [[Jackson Bridge]], [[Hepworth, West Yorkshire|Hepworth]], [[Holme, West Yorkshire|Holme]], [[Holmbridge]], [[Honley]], [[Meltham]], [[Netherthong]], [[New Mill]], [[Scholes, Holme Valley|Scholes]], [[Totties, Holmfirth|Totties]], [[Underbank]] and [[Wooldale]].

== External links ==
*[http://www.virtualhuddersfield.com/homair.htm An aerial photo of the town centre]
*{{oscoor gbx|SE141083}}
*[http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/visitorportal/wheretogo/holmfirth.asp Holmfirth Official Tourist Site]
*[http://www.holmfirth.org.uk/ Holmfirth Choral Society Website]
*[http://www.tbjcc.co.uk/ Thongsbridge Cricket Club]
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==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Holme Valley]]
[[Category:Kirklees]]
[[Category:Towns in West Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Towns and villages of the Peak District]]

[[nl:Holmfirth]]