Mirfield
Coordinates: 53°40′51″N 1°41′20″W / 53.6807°N 1.6888°W
| Mirfield | |
 Mirfield
Mirfield shown within West Yorkshire |
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| Population | 18,621 (2001) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SE205205 |
| Civil parish | Mirfield |
| Metropolitan borough | Kirklees |
| Metropolitan county | West Yorkshire |
| Region | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MIRFIELD |
| Postcode district | WF14 |
| Dialling code | 01924 |
| Police | West Yorkshire |
| Fire | West Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament | Dewsbury |
Mirfield is a small town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is located on the A644 road between Brighouse and Dewsbury. In the 2001 census it was recorded as having a total resident population of 18,621.[1]
The town is served by Mirfield railway station.
Governance
From 1894 to 1974, Mirfield was an urban district in the West Riding of Yorkshire until it was merged into the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees. In 1988 a parish council was formed, one of five in Kirklees, the others being:- Denby Dale, Meltham, Kirkburton and Holme Valley. As a parish council an additional tax precept to the Kirklees MBC tax is levied on the towns residents. It is made up of 16 councillors who serve for a fixed four-year term, and represent wards within the parish.[2] The members elect a town mayor, who serves for a fixed one-year term.
List of Town Council Mayors
Brian Nicholson, 1988 Mavis Boothroyd Colin Fretwell Malcolm Brown Mick Harrison Hugh Bowden Harry Fearnley Michael Hutchinson Martyn Bolt James Taylor Kath Taylor Keith Sibbald
- Bob Bennett: 2007-2008
- David Pinder: 2009-2010
- Janet Hirst: 2010-2011
- Patricia Sutcliffe: 2011–2012
- David Pinder: 2012–Present
Local elections
In addition to the town council Mirfield is represented by three councillors on Kirklees Metropolitan Council, and the local Mirfield Area Committee
| Party | Date | Candidate | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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2000 | Beverley Warby | 2,300 | 55.7 |
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2002 | Martyn Bolt | 2,147 | 52.9 |
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2003 | Kathleen Taylor | 1,802 | 39.8 |
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2004 | Beverley Warby | 2,947 | - |
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2004 | Martyn Bolt | 3,661 | - |
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2004 | Kathleen Taylor | 3,166 | - |
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2008 | Martyn Bolt | 3,400 | - |
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2010 | Vivien Lees-Hamilton | 5,908 | - |
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2011 | Kathleen Taylor | 3,561 | - |
In May 2005 Mirfield became the first Fairtrade Town in Kirklees and only the fourth in West Yorkshire.
Culture
Mirfield Show is an annual agricultural event held on the third Sunday in August at Mirfield showground. It is organised and run by the Mirfield Agricultural Society (MAS) as a non-profit making event for the families of Mirfield and district.[4]
Local residents introduced the Mirfield Food & Craft Fayre in April 2012,[5] scheduled to be run the last Saturday of each month and "help raise the profile of Mirfield, be a benefit to local traders, businesses, organisations and charities, and add more destination events to the Yorkshire calendar".[6]
Education
There are two secondary schools in Mirfield: Mirfield Free Grammar and Sixth Form and Castle Hall School. Primary schools include Battyeford,[7]Crossley Fields, Old Bank and Hopton and Crowlees Junior and Infant School, all of which were assessed by Ofsted as 'Grade 1 - Outstanding' in the March 2007 inspection.[8]
Landmarks
The 13th century St Mary's Church was rebuilt in 1826 but proved too small for the growing population, and was regarded as too mean for the growing district. A new church, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, was built a few yards to the northwest, on the site of Castle Hall, a mansion which was home to the families of Mirfields (sometimes spelled Mirfin), Hetons and Beaumonts.[9] At Scott's suggestion, the tower of the earlier church, which retains some medieval work, was retained.
The College of the Resurrection was where Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, lectured from 1975 for two years and where Archbishop Trevor Huddleston spent his last days.
During the 18th century, a canal was constructed through the town linking the River Calder with other rivers in the area. The canal is part of the Calder and Hebble Navigation. Its construction resulted in many industries in Mirfield, such as the textiles and boat yards. The canal is still in use for recreational users.
Mirfield is the base of the Safe Anchor Trust, a charity founded in 1995 to provide canal boat trips for vulnerable and special needs people.[10] In 2012, Princess Anne commissioned a new boat for the Trust.[11]
Notable people
- Debbie Lindley, TV Weather presenter[12]
- Richard Reed, co-founder of Innocent Drinks[13]
- Brian Robinson, cyclist the first Briton ever to win a stage of the Tour de France
- Mary Snell-Hornby, translation scholar.
- Sir Patrick Stewart, actor, notable for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation
Location
↑Jump back a section
Twin town
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St Mary's Church, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott
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The tower of the 1826 church
References
- ^ Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : Kirklees retrieved 2009-09-03
- ^ Kirklees MBC Website - Mirfield
- ^ Kirklees Website
- ^ Show aims to attract youngsters (20 June 2008)
- ^ Kirklees Council Website
- ^ Summer of fun events planned for Mirfield
- ^ Battyeford CE Primary School
- ^ "Crowlees Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School", Ofsted, 27 March 2007
- ^ Mirfield, GENUKI
- ^ "Safe Anchor Trust: About us".
- ^ "Princess Anne to visit Mirfield". Dewsbury Reporter.
- ^ Baldwin, Andrew (4 October 2003). "Mirfield angry at special `honour'". The Huddersfield Examiner. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
- ^ "Kids meet a real smoothie operator". Kids meet a real smoothie operator. Mirfield Reporter. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
External links
- Mirfield Town Council homepage
- Mirfield Show
- Mirfield Food & Craft Fayre
- Mirfield in Pictures
- Mirfield to Low Moor railway line
- Kirklees Council Website, Mirfield Information page
- The Mirfield Reporter Newspaper
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