Clayton West
Encyclopedia
Clayton West is a village in Kirklees
, West Yorkshire
, England
. It had a population of 2,648 (2001 census). and 2,704 in 2008. It is 9 miles (14.5 km) south east of Huddersfield
and 7 miles (11.3 km) north west of Barnsley
.
It is in the parish of Clayton West and High Hoyland. An attractive stone-built village, there is also a little light industry and a number of new housing developments.
Facilities in the village include a post office, a village store, four pubs and one school called Kayes First School.
It also has a Scout Group which offers access to a number of outdoor activities including archery, target shooting, kayaking and much more.
Clayton West is located between the villages of High Hoyland
, Scissett
and Skelmanthorpe
.
The river that runs though the village is called the River Dearne
and was part of the 2007 United Kingdom floods
.
The village coal mine (pit), "Park Mill", closed in 1989, having been somewhat bypassed by the events of the strike.
The village used to have a train station on a branch of the Penistone Line
. However the station along with Skelmanthorpe was closed in 1983. The Kirklees Light Railway
now operates trains from the former station.
Clayton West is the home town of up-and-coming young rugby star, Andy Forsyth
, who plays for Leicester Tigers
and has represented England
at Under 18 and Under 16 level.
Clayton West was occasionally used as a location for Britain's longest running comedy series Last of the Summer Wine
, in which one of the village's four pubs, "The Shoulder of Mutton" in Church Lane, features prominently.
Alas the village lost its post office in 2010.
Clayton West was the scene of a murder described by the police as a "brutal execution style murder" on 8th September 2009.
Kirklees
The Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 401,000 and includes the settlements of Batley, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Denby Dale, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Kirkburton, Marsden, Meltham, Mirfield and Slaithwaite...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It had a population of 2,648 (2001 census). and 2,704 in 2008. It is 9 miles (14.5 km) south east of Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
and 7 miles (11.3 km) north west of Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
.
It is in the parish of Clayton West and High Hoyland. An attractive stone-built village, there is also a little light industry and a number of new housing developments.
Facilities in the village include a post office, a village store, four pubs and one school called Kayes First School.
It also has a Scout Group which offers access to a number of outdoor activities including archery, target shooting, kayaking and much more.
Clayton West is located between the villages of High Hoyland
High Hoyland
High Hoyland is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with West Yorkshire. It lies to the west of Kexbrough, and is located at approximately , at an elevation of around 200 metres above sea level...
, Scissett
Scissett
Scissett is a village in West Yorkshire, England. It is 14 km south east of Huddersfield and 16 km north west of Barnsley. According to the 2001 census, the village had a population of 1,324...
and Skelmanthorpe
Skelmanthorpe
Skelmanthorpe is a village in West Yorkshire, England with a population of 4,198 according to the 2001 census. It is part of the parish of Denby Dale in the Kirklees borough....
.
The river that runs though the village is called the River Dearne
River Dearne
The River Dearne is a river in South Yorkshire, England. It flows roughly east for more than , from its source just inside West Yorkshire, through Denby Dale, Clayton West, Darton, Barnsley, Darfield, Wath upon Dearne, Bolton on Dearne, Adwick upon Dearne and Mexborough to its confluence with the...
and was part of the 2007 United Kingdom floods
2007 United Kingdom floods
The 2007 United Kingdom floods were a series of destructive floods that occurred in various areas across the country during the summer of 2007. The most severe floods occurred across Northern Ireland on 12 June; East Yorkshire and The Midlands on 15 June; Yorkshire, The Midlands, Gloucestershire,...
.
The village coal mine (pit), "Park Mill", closed in 1989, having been somewhat bypassed by the events of the strike.
The village used to have a train station on a branch of the Penistone Line
Penistone Line
The Penistone Line is operated by Northern Rail in the West Yorkshire Metro/ Travel South Yorkshire area of northern England. It connects Huddersfield and Sheffield via Penistone and Barnsley, serving many rural communities...
. However the station along with Skelmanthorpe was closed in 1983. The Kirklees Light Railway
Kirklees Light Railway
The Kirklees Light Railway is a long gauge minimum gauge railway in Kirklees metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire first opened in October 1991...
now operates trains from the former station.
Clayton West is the home town of up-and-coming young rugby star, Andy Forsyth
Andy Forsyth
Andrew Forsyth is a young English rugby-union player, from Clayton West, Huddersfield, United Kingdom. He plays as both a centre and fullback. He has represented England at both U16 and U18 level and is currently playing for Leicester Tigers as part of their rugby academy squad...
, who plays for Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
and has represented England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at Under 18 and Under 16 level.
Clayton West was occasionally used as a location for Britain's longest running comedy series Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine is a British sitcom written by Roy Clarke that was broadcast on BBC One. Last of the Summer Wine premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse on 4 January 1973 and the first series of episodes followed on 12 November 1973. From 1983 to 2010, Alan J. W. Bell produced and...
, in which one of the village's four pubs, "The Shoulder of Mutton" in Church Lane, features prominently.
Alas the village lost its post office in 2010.
Clayton West was the scene of a murder described by the police as a "brutal execution style murder" on 8th September 2009.