Rothwell, West Yorkshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rothwell is a town in the south east of the metropolitan borough of Leeds in West Yorkshire, situated between Oulton to the east, Belle Isle to the west, Woodlesford to the north east and Robin Hood to the south west. Swillington, Methley and Kippax are located near Rothwell. Rothwell has a population of around 22,000 and has benefited from recent improvements in the transport infrastructure, most notably the nearby A1/M1 link road.
Rothwell stands on the River Dolphin (also known as Oulton Beck), and is mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book ("Rodewelle"). It has a long history and was once the site of a royal hunting lodge (at Rothwell Castle, off Wood Lane). The parish church (Church Street) is dedicated to Holy Trinity and is on the site of an Anglo Saxon predecessor. The current church was built in the medieval period. There is some debate as to whether or not the church benefits from Chancel Repair Liability.
The town was granted the rights of a market town in the 15th century and a twice yearly fair. The tradition of a fair is maintained by the annual Carnival which is organised by the Rothwell Entertainments Committee. The Carnival takes place in early July in Springhead Park.
Rothwell Temperance Band is a Championship section brass band founded in Rothwell in 1881. Although they do not rehearse in Rothwell itself, they have strong connections with the town and hold many concerts for the local community.
Famous persons from Rothwell include the scientist Joseph Priestley. His name is still associated with Rothwell, in the name of the local Joseph Priestley College.
Rothwell has a long history of coal mining. It was a site of early mining, using a system known as Bell Pits. Coal mining has been carried out in the area for over 600 years, though coal production stopped on 9th December 1983. There were many local pits including the Fanny, the Rose, and Rothwell Water Haigh. In 1995, Leeds City Council and Leeds Groundwork formed a partnership which, together with local residents and community groups, transformed the former colliery into a 50 hectare country park.
Rothwell was constituted an urban district in the West Riding of Yorkshire under the Local Government Act 1894. In 1937 it was expanded by taking in the Methley urban district and Hunslet Rural District.[1]
It was incorporated into Leeds metropolitan district, West Yorkshire by the Local Government Act 1972. Its inclusion in the Leeds district as opposed to the Wakefield metropolitan district was controversial: originally planned for the Leeds district, it was added to the Wakefield district at the request of residents, but then moved to the Leeds district by the House of Lords. [2]
Rothwell has a vibrant town centre, including high street chains Boots, Greggs, Morrisons, a Computer Centre and the largest Working Men's Club in the country. Since late 2007, the town centre is undergoing a virtual complete redevelopment, which has already involved the erection of a large parade of shops at the rear of Jail Yard and Commercial Street, opened in February 2008, to replace the majority of those from the old precinct, which is soon to be demolished. The new parade contains stores including Betfred, Co-Operative Travel and Jack Fultons Foods. Around half a dozen shops on Commercial Street have been fully redeveloped and will be occupied soon, most notably the former Coach and Horses pub, which will become shops and flats. The heart of the development will be a new Morrisons superstore, expected to be completed by early 2009, with its entrance where Ray's Discount currently stands. Housed inside Morrisons will be an indoor arcade, to be sited between Boots and the Hare and Hounds pub, which will be a first for the town.
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[edit] Notable and Former Residents
- Mark Bell - musician of LFO fame, worked with Björk.
- John Blenkinsop - inventor of the rack railway system (buried in the grounds of Holy Trinity Church).
- Jason Golden - Wakefield Trinity rugby league player.
- Martin Kelner - journalist, author, and radio presenter.
- Lord Newby of Rothwell - Liberal Democrat & member of the House of Lords.
- Paul Loughran - actor who portrayed Emmerdale character Butch Dingle.
- Joseph Priestley - scientist.
- Garry Schofield - rugby league player.
- Alan Smith - footballer.
- Jamie Thackray - Hull FC rugby player.
- The Pigeon Detectives - local band.
- Jane Tomlinson CBE - charity fundraiser, who raised over £1.5m whilst suffering from terminal cancer.
[edit] Places Of Interest
- Rothwell Town Centre
- Oulton Hall Golf Course
- Rothwell Sports Centre
- Rothwell Working Mans Club
- Rothwell Castle Remains
- Springhead Park
- Rothwell Holy Trinity Church
[edit] References
- ^ A vision of Britain through time. Relationships / Unit history of Rothwell. Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates, House of Lords, 16 October 1972, columns 1603–1614
[edit] External links
- Rothwell Country Park
- Rothwell Community webpage
- LS26.org.uk - area website
- The Rothwell Forum
- The ancient parish of Rothwell atGENUKI
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