Ossett
Encyclopedia
Ossett is a market town
within the metropolitan borough
of the City of Wakefield
, in West Yorkshire
, England. It is located on junction 40 of the M1 motorway
, half-way between Dewsbury
, to the west, and Wakefield
, to the east. In the 2001 census, it was classified as part of the West Yorkshire Urban Area
. The town is roughly half-way between the west and east coasts of England.
Ossett is sometimes misspelled as "Osset". In Ellis' On Early English Pronunciation, one of the founding works of British linguistics
, the incorrect spelling is used. The British Library has an online dialect study that uses the spelling.
as "Osleset", which was in the Manor of Wakefield. The Domesday book was compiled for William the Conqueror in 1086. "Osleset" was recorded as three and a half Carucate
s which is the land needed to be ploughed by three teams of eight oxen. Woodland pasture measured "half a league long as much broad" (roughly six furlongs by six furlongs). Four villans and three bordars lived in Osleset, a villan was an upper status villager, a bordar was a lower status villager. Did the Romans colonise Ossett?
Author and local resident, Stan Barstow
said that Ossett and Horbury
were the "border country" where the north-west of the coalfield merged with the south-east of the wool towns. Local historian John Goodchild said, "The place was essentially one of small mines and small mills". The town was once a thriving centre of the "shoddy" industry; recycling woollen garments. Whilst some mill towns employed mostly females in its textile sector, Ossett's mills always had roughly equal numbers of men and women. The town's mills were generally small, but they had a reputation as high-quality producers. Whitehead's Mill used to have a float that said "We Export to the World" at the Gawthorpe May Pole parade.
During the 1970s, Woodhead Manufacturing employed 1,500 people on Church Street; the site is now under a housing estate and Woodheads exists in name only and is run from an industrial estate in Leeds.
, Ossett was accidentally bombed
on 16 September 1940. Ten High Explosive
bombs were dropped. No one was killed, save for a number of chickens and several properties were damaged. A V-1's
engine was reportedly heard to cut out, and came down at Grange Moor, to the west of the town.
. Having been founded by a local stonemason who was inspired by Harrogate
and Cheltenham
, the waters were popular with those seeking relief from certain skin diseases in the early 19th century, but it remained a small spa during this period. In the 1870s, a plan to transform Ossett into a "second Harrogate" ended in failure, and the spa closed as a result. The south-east of the town is still known as "Ossett Spa".
Ossett cum Gawthorpe was a township in the ancient parish of Dewsbury
; it became a civil parish in 1866, and was incorporated as the Municipal Borough of Ossett
in 1890. Under the Local Government Act 1972
, it became an unparished area
in the City of Wakefield
. In an earlier draft of the Act, Ossett was to be part of the Kirklees
district on the grounds that the area was originally part of Dewsbury; after an appeal by the Ossett Labour Party, it was decided Ossett would be part of the Wakefield district. There is a very small part of Ossett in Kirklees.
Ossett has changed its parliamentary constituency several times. In 1983, the town transferred from the Dewsbury seat to the Normanton
constituency. This was represented by Ed Balls
, who was formerly chief economic adviser. The seat has been continually represented by Labour
since 1885: longer than any other British constituency.
Since the 2010 election, Ossett has been part of the Wakefield seat
, held by Mary Creagh
. When Ossett was part of the Dewsbury constituency, the MP was David Ginsburg
, one of the Labour M.P.s who defected to the Social Democratic Party (UK)
. On transferring to the Normanton constituency, the MP for many years was Bill O'Brien until he entered the House of Lords
and was succeeded by Ed Balls.
As of 2011, the Ossett ward has three Conservative councillors whereas Horbury & South Ossett has one Labour, one Conservative and one Independent. There is a small area of Ossett (defined within the pre-1974 boundaries) in the Wakefield West ward, but this is mostly a business area with few residents.
, following on from a period of economic decline that lasted almost three decades.
Ossett has some of the lowest crime rates in West Yorkshire.
Ossett is home to two real ale breweries. Ossett Brewery, located in Healey and Bob's Brewing Company, formerly The Red Lion Brewery.
A red phone booth in Ossett town centre, opposite the Kingsway roundabout, is a grade II listed building.
Ossett Town Hall celebrated its centenary in June 2008. Gawthorpe, an area of north Ossett, is known for its landmark water tower
.
constructed a road from Halifax
to Wakefield, this road became a turnpike road in 1741, its route is roughly similar to the modern day Dewsbury Road. Streetside post office is a reminder of the Roman origins of the road. The M1 motorway
between Junctions 40 and 42 to the east of Ossett was opened in April 1967. The stretch from junction 38 to 40 was opened in October 1968. The Highways Agency
have plans to widen the M1 to 4 lanes between Chesterfield
and Leeds. In 2004 a bus station was opened in the town built by the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
replacing an earlier bus station constructed in the 1970s.
The railways arrived in Ossett in 1862 when the Bradford, Wakefield & Leeds Railway company opened a branch line to Flushdyke. The line was extended to Ossett in 1864 and then onto Dewsbury and Batley.
Ossett Station, located roughly where Southdale Gardens now is, was opened in 1889 by the Great Northern Railway. The line ran underneath Station Road and the bump in the road today is the only reminder of the bridge that used to exist there until its removal in the 1980s. The station closed in 1964. The town was close to four other train stations: Chickenley Heath closed in 1911, Earlsheaton in 1953, Flushdyke closed in 1941 and Horbury & Ossett
in 1970. It is now the largest town in Yorkshire and one of the largest towns in Britain without a railway station. Railway sidings and yards are still to be found at the old Horbury & Ossett Station site and Healey Mills Marshalling Yard where Queen Elizabeth II spent a night aboard the royal train during her 1977 Silver Jubilee tour.
In June 2009, the Association of Train Operating Companies
proposed Ossett, as one of seven English towns with a strong business case
for the location of a new railway station. It is likely that an unmanned station would be erected at Healey Mills.
, Ossett High School.
. Although nonconformist churches were common across of West Yorkshire, Ossett was a particular hotbed. In 1890, seventeen different churches were recorded in Ossett, excluding "spiritualist churches". Trinity Church is one of the two Church of England
churches in the town. The other is Christ Church, South Ossett. St Mary's Church on Dewsbury Road closed in 2002, and its parish was divided between Dewsbury (Chickenley) and Ossett and Gawthorpe (Gawthorpe).
St. Ignatius
Roman Catholic Church
was built in 1878. The Salvation Army
is the only Christian church in Gawthorpe. The Salvation Army building also acts as a community centre providing dinners for senior citizens & two parent & toddler groups. There is also a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
on Ventnor Way, and a spiritualist
church in the town centre.
in 2006. Ossett cricket club also play at Dimplewells. The Heavy Woollen District
has its own cricket association and its own cricket team. Residents of Ossett are eligible to play for the Heavy Woollen District team.
Ossett hosts two semi-professional football teams. Ossett Town
play at Ingfield, and are in the Northern Premier League Premier Division
. Neighbours Ossett Albion
play at Queen's Terrace, more commonly known as Dimplewells, and are in the Northern Premier League First Division
. There was an Ossett Football Club in the 1890s, they played in the original West Yorkshire League, but the oldest current club in Ossett is Ossett Common Rovers, formed in 1910 and currently playing in the modern West Yorkshire League. Other clubs in Ossett include Ossett Wanderers, Ossett United and Ossett Panthers. Little Bull FC, Ossett Two Brewers and AFC Two Brewers play in the Wakefield & District League.
The Yorkshire and the Humber
branch of the Disability Sports Federation has its headquarters on the Longlands Industrial Estate in the town.
and the Dewsbury Reporter
also report local news. The Wakefield Express
publishes an Ossett Edition, and also contains an Ossett and district section. Ossett has a free magazine The Ossett Review established in July 2005. The Ossett Civic Trust produce a quarterly newsletter Ossett Times.
Gawthorpe hosts the annual World Coal-Carrying Championships (Easter Monday) and an annual Maypole parade in May. Ossett Gala takes place in July. The turning on of the Christmas Lights is another focal point for the community, along with the Fire station's bonfire on the Friday evening nearest to the 5th November. The Ossett Beer Festival takes place annually at the Brewers' Pride pub Healey Road, Ossett over the August Bank Holiday Weekend.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
within the metropolitan borough
Metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
of the City of Wakefield
City of Wakefield
The City of Wakefield is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. Wakefield is the district's administrative centre. The district includes the "Five Towns" of Normanton, Pontefract, Featherstone, Castleford and Knottingley. Other...
, in 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. It is located on junction 40 of the M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
, half-way between Dewsbury
Dewsbury
Dewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds...
, to the west, and Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
, to the east. In the 2001 census, it was classified as part of the West Yorkshire Urban Area
West Yorkshire Urban Area
The West Yorkshire Urban Area is a term used by the Office for National Statistics to refer to a conurbation in West Yorkshire, England, based around the cities of Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield, and the large town of Huddersfield...
. The town is roughly half-way between the west and east coasts of England.
Toponymy
Ossett derives from the Anglo Saxon and is either "the fold of a man named Osla" or " a fold frequented by blackbirds".Ossett is sometimes misspelled as "Osset". In Ellis' On Early English Pronunciation, one of the founding works of British linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
, the incorrect spelling is used. The British Library has an online dialect study that uses the spelling.
Origins
Ossett appears in the 1086 Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as "Osleset", which was in the Manor of Wakefield. The Domesday book was compiled for William the Conqueror in 1086. "Osleset" was recorded as three and a half Carucate
Carucate
The carucate or ploughland was a unit of assessment for tax used in most Danelaw counties of England, and is found for example in Domesday Book. The carucate was based on the area a plough team of eight oxen could till in a single annual season...
s which is the land needed to be ploughed by three teams of eight oxen. Woodland pasture measured "half a league long as much broad" (roughly six furlongs by six furlongs). Four villans and three bordars lived in Osleset, a villan was an upper status villager, a bordar was a lower status villager. Did the Romans colonise Ossett?
Industrial revolution
Coal-mining was, up to the late 1860s, Ossett's second industry in terms of people employed and the first in terms of males employed. Coal has been mined since the 14th century. There were a large number of pits in Ossett during the 19th century. The pits included Old Roundwood, opened in 1851 mining the Gawthorpe seam. The Haigh Moor seam opened in 1860 and the Silkstone seam opened in 1893. Old Roundwood closed in 1966. Pildacre pit shut due to flooding in 1875 but remained as a source of water for Ossett. Westfield shut in the early 1900s. The Chidswell riot in 1893 was caused by striking miners trying to reach Westfield to stop other miners working. Another pit down Healey Road was also the scene of tension between police and striking miners. Low Laithes pit shut in 1926, however the seams later flooded and were responsible for the Lofthouse Colliery disaster in 1973. Greatfield shut in the 1950s and Shaw Cross, on the Ossett/Dewsbury border near the current Dewsbury Rugby stadium, closed in 1968.Author and local resident, Stan Barstow
Stan Barstow
Stanley "Stan" Barstow FRSL was an English novelist.-Biography:Barstow was born in Horbury, near Wakefield, Yorkshire. His father was a coal miner and he attended Ossett Grammar School, he then worked as a draftsman and salesman for an engineering firm...
said that Ossett and Horbury
Horbury
-Demography:In 2008 Horbury had a largely white population compared with Yorkshire and the Humber.-Population change:The population of Horbury in 2001 was 10,002-Transport:...
were the "border country" where the north-west of the coalfield merged with the south-east of the wool towns. Local historian John Goodchild said, "The place was essentially one of small mines and small mills". The town was once a thriving centre of the "shoddy" industry; recycling woollen garments. Whilst some mill towns employed mostly females in its textile sector, Ossett's mills always had roughly equal numbers of men and women. The town's mills were generally small, but they had a reputation as high-quality producers. Whitehead's Mill used to have a float that said "We Export to the World" at the Gawthorpe May Pole parade.
During the 1970s, Woodhead Manufacturing employed 1,500 people on Church Street; the site is now under a housing estate and Woodheads exists in name only and is run from an industrial estate in Leeds.
World War II
In the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Ossett was accidentally bombed
Strategic bombing during World War II
Strategic bombing during World War II is a term which refers to all aerial bombardment of a strategic nature between 1939 and 1945 involving any nations engaged in World War II...
on 16 September 1940. Ten High Explosive
Explosive material
An explosive material, also called an explosive, is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure...
bombs were dropped. No one was killed, save for a number of chickens and several properties were damaged. A V-1's
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
engine was reportedly heard to cut out, and came down at Grange Moor, to the west of the town.
Spa
Ossett was, for a brief period in the 19th century, a spa townSpa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
. Having been founded by a local stonemason who was inspired by Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
and Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, the waters were popular with those seeking relief from certain skin diseases in the early 19th century, but it remained a small spa during this period. In the 1870s, a plan to transform Ossett into a "second Harrogate" ended in failure, and the spa closed as a result. The south-east of the town is still known as "Ossett Spa".
Governance
Dewsbury
Dewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds...
; it became a civil parish in 1866, and was incorporated as the Municipal Borough of Ossett
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
in 1890. Under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, it became an unparished area
Unparished area
In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish. Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparished. Many towns and some cities in otherwise rural districts are also unparished areas and therefore no longer have a town council or city...
in the City of Wakefield
City of Wakefield
The City of Wakefield is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. Wakefield is the district's administrative centre. The district includes the "Five Towns" of Normanton, Pontefract, Featherstone, Castleford and Knottingley. Other...
. In an earlier draft of the Act, Ossett was to be part of the Kirklees
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...
district on the grounds that the area was originally part of Dewsbury; after an appeal by the Ossett Labour Party, it was decided Ossett would be part of the Wakefield district. There is a very small part of Ossett in Kirklees.
Ossett has changed its parliamentary constituency several times. In 1983, the town transferred from the Dewsbury seat to the Normanton
Normanton (UK Parliament constituency)
Normanton was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
constituency. This was represented by Ed Balls
Ed Balls
Edward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer....
, who was formerly chief economic adviser. The seat has been continually represented by Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
since 1885: longer than any other British constituency.
Since the 2010 election, Ossett has been part of the Wakefield seat
Wakefield (UK Parliament constituency)
Wakefield is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
, held by Mary Creagh
Mary Creagh
Mary Helen Creagh is a British Labour Party politician and Member of Parliament for Wakefield since 2005. She was appointed to the shadow cabinet on 7 October 2010.- Background :...
. When Ossett was part of the Dewsbury constituency, the MP was David Ginsburg
David Ginsburg
David Ginsburg was a British politician.Ginsburg was educated at University College School, Hampstead, and Balliol College, Oxford. During his time at Oxford University, he was Chair of the Oxford University Democratic Socialist Club...
, one of the Labour M.P.s who defected to the Social Democratic Party (UK)
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
. On transferring to the Normanton constituency, the MP for many years was Bill O'Brien until he entered the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
and was succeeded by Ed Balls.
As of 2011, the Ossett ward has three Conservative councillors whereas Horbury & South Ossett has one Labour, one Conservative and one Independent. There is a small area of Ossett (defined within the pre-1974 boundaries) in the Wakefield West ward, but this is mostly a business area with few residents.
Geography
Demography
At the 2001 census, the town's population was 20,988 residents plus an extra 88 in communal establishments, making a total of 21,076. As of 2007, West Yorkshire Police estimate the population at 21,284. Ossett's convenient proximity to the M1 motorway has led the old industrial town to become more affluent in recent years, attracting both industry and resident commuters to LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, following on from a period of economic decline that lasted almost three decades.
Ossett has some of the lowest crime rates in West Yorkshire.
Economy
There are four operational textile mills in the town: Ings Mill, on Dale Street, deals in recycled textiles; the Victoria mills on The Green produce carpets; Edward Clay & Son Ltd, Wesley Street manufactures felts for the mattress making and horticultural industries and Wilson Briggs & Son by the River Calder off Healey Road deals with textile mill waste and remnant processing. Other have been converted into units, some of the most prominent being Royds Mill on the Leeds Road roundabout and the large congregation of mills in the Healey area. Some mills remain derelict.Ossett is home to two real ale breweries. Ossett Brewery, located in Healey and Bob's Brewing Company, formerly The Red Lion Brewery.
Landmarks
Trinity Church was consecrated in 1865 and its spire which rises to 226 feet is a landmark that can be seen for miles around.A red phone booth in Ossett town centre, opposite the Kingsway roundabout, is a grade II listed building.
Ossett Town Hall celebrated its centenary in June 2008. Gawthorpe, an area of north Ossett, is known for its landmark water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
.
Transport
The RomansRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
constructed a road from Halifax
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
to Wakefield, this road became a turnpike road in 1741, its route is roughly similar to the modern day Dewsbury Road. Streetside post office is a reminder of the Roman origins of the road. The M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
between Junctions 40 and 42 to the east of Ossett was opened in April 1967. The stretch from junction 38 to 40 was opened in October 1968. The Highways Agency
Highways Agency
The Highways Agency is an executive agency, part of the Department for Transport in England. It has responsibility for managing the core road network in England...
have plans to widen the M1 to 4 lanes between Chesterfield
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
and Leeds. In 2004 a bus station was opened in the town built by the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
The West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive is the Passenger Transport Executive for the county of West Yorkshire, England. It is the executive arm of the West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority and was originally formed on 1 April 1974 as the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport...
replacing an earlier bus station constructed in the 1970s.
The railways arrived in Ossett in 1862 when the Bradford, Wakefield & Leeds Railway company opened a branch line to Flushdyke. The line was extended to Ossett in 1864 and then onto Dewsbury and Batley.
Ossett Station, located roughly where Southdale Gardens now is, was opened in 1889 by the Great Northern Railway. The line ran underneath Station Road and the bump in the road today is the only reminder of the bridge that used to exist there until its removal in the 1980s. The station closed in 1964. The town was close to four other train stations: Chickenley Heath closed in 1911, Earlsheaton in 1953, Flushdyke closed in 1941 and Horbury & Ossett
Horbury and Ossett railway station
Horbury and Ossett railway station formerly served the town of Horbury in West Yorkshire, England. It was located on the Manchester and Leeds Railway , which ran along the Calder valley establishing a key link between Liverpool and Manchester to the west, and Leeds, York and Hull to the east...
in 1970. It is now the largest town in Yorkshire and one of the largest towns in Britain without a railway station. Railway sidings and yards are still to be found at the old Horbury & Ossett Station site and Healey Mills Marshalling Yard where Queen Elizabeth II spent a night aboard the royal train during her 1977 Silver Jubilee tour.
In June 2009, the Association of Train Operating Companies
Association of Train Operating Companies
The Association of Train Operating Companies is a body which represents 24 train operating companies that provide passenger railway services on the privatised British railway system. It owns the National Rail brand. The Association is an unincorporated association owned by its members...
proposed Ossett, as one of seven English towns with a strong business case
Business case
A business case captures the reasoning for initiating a project or task. It is often presented in a well-structured written document, but may also sometimes come in the form of a short verbal argument or presentation. The logic of the business case is that, whenever resources such as money or...
for the location of a new railway station. It is likely that an unmanned station would be erected at Healey Mills.
Education
Ossett has eight Primary Schools; Towngate Primary School; Holy Trinity C Of E Primary School, St Ignatius's Catholic Primary School, South Parade Primary School, South Ossett Infants School, Southdale C Of E Junior School, Dimplewell Infants School and Highfield School which caters for children with learning disabilities using the buildings of North Ossett High School which closed in 1997. Ossett has one secondary schoolSecondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
, Ossett High School.
Religion
There are seven Christian churches in the town, each with their own particular identities and initiatives. Many of the leaders of these churches meet regularly to collaborate and support each other. In the 18th and 19th Centuries, the town had a reputation as a centre of religious NonconformismNonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
. Although nonconformist churches were common across of West Yorkshire, Ossett was a particular hotbed. In 1890, seventeen different churches were recorded in Ossett, excluding "spiritualist churches". Trinity Church is one of the two Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
churches in the town. The other is Christ Church, South Ossett. St Mary's Church on Dewsbury Road closed in 2002, and its parish was divided between Dewsbury (Chickenley) and Ossett and Gawthorpe (Gawthorpe).
St. Ignatius
Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish knight from a Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus and was its first Superior General. Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation...
Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
was built in 1878. The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
is the only Christian church in Gawthorpe. The Salvation Army building also acts as a community centre providing dinners for senior citizens & two parent & toddler groups. There is also a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
on Ventnor Way, and a spiritualist
Spiritualism
Spiritualism is a belief system or religion, postulating the belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living...
church in the town centre.
Sport
Ossett Rugby Union Football Club are based at Ossett Cricket club and play at Southdale playing fields, current 1st and 2nd team captains are Jack Drury and Paul Westerman respectively. Ossett Trinity, the local rugby league team, resigned from the Rugby League ConferenceRugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
in 2006. Ossett cricket club also play at Dimplewells. The Heavy Woollen District
Heavy Woollen District
The Heavy Woollen District is named because of the heavyweight cloth manufactured in an area of West Yorkshire, England. Dewsbury, Batley, Heckmondwike and Ossett are the core of the area. Liversedge, Gomersal, Gildersome, Birkenshaw, Mirfield, Cleckheaton, Morley, Tingley, East Ardsley, Birstall...
has its own cricket association and its own cricket team. Residents of Ossett are eligible to play for the Heavy Woollen District team.
Ossett hosts two semi-professional football teams. Ossett Town
Ossett Town F.C.
Ossett Town Football Club are an English football club based in Ossett, in the City of Wakefield district, West Yorkshire, playing in the Northern Premier League in the 2011-12 season.-History:...
play at Ingfield, and are in the Northern Premier League Premier Division
Northern Premier League Premier Division
The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League...
. Neighbours Ossett Albion
Ossett Albion F.C.
Ossett Albion Association Football Club are an English football team who play in the Northern Premier League Division One North. They play at Queen's Terrace in Ossett, in the City of Wakefield district, West Yorkshire , more commonly known as Dimplewells, the area of Ossett the ground is situated...
play at Queen's Terrace, more commonly known as Dimplewells, and are in the Northern Premier League First Division
Northern Premier League First Division
The Northern Premier League First Division was a football league covering the north of England. After the creation of Conference North/South in the 2004-05 season it sat at level 8 of the English football league system....
. There was an Ossett Football Club in the 1890s, they played in the original West Yorkshire League, but the oldest current club in Ossett is Ossett Common Rovers, formed in 1910 and currently playing in the modern West Yorkshire League. Other clubs in Ossett include Ossett Wanderers, Ossett United and Ossett Panthers. Little Bull FC, Ossett Two Brewers and AFC Two Brewers play in the Wakefield & District League.
The Yorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber is one of the nine regions of England and formally one of the government office regions. It covers most of the historic county of Yorkshire, along with the part of northern Lincolnshire that was, from 1974 to 1996, within the former shire county of Humberside. The...
branch of the Disability Sports Federation has its headquarters on the Longlands Industrial Estate in the town.
Culture and media
Ossett's local newspaper is the Ossett Observer, founded in 1864. The Wakefield ExpressWakefield Express
The Wakefield Express is the newspaper serving the City of Wakefield district in West Yorkshire, England. It was established in 1852 and was the subject of a centenary film produced by Lindsay Anderson in 1952...
and the Dewsbury Reporter
Dewsbury Reporter
The Dewsbury Reporter is a local weekly publication, providing news for residents of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, and surrounding areas.It is owned by Johnston Press Digital Publishing, and has sister newspapers covering Mirfield, Wakefield, Batley and Birstall....
also report local news. The Wakefield Express
Wakefield Express
The Wakefield Express is the newspaper serving the City of Wakefield district in West Yorkshire, England. It was established in 1852 and was the subject of a centenary film produced by Lindsay Anderson in 1952...
publishes an Ossett Edition, and also contains an Ossett and district section. Ossett has a free magazine The Ossett Review established in July 2005. The Ossett Civic Trust produce a quarterly newsletter Ossett Times.
Gawthorpe hosts the annual World Coal-Carrying Championships (Easter Monday) and an annual Maypole parade in May. Ossett Gala takes place in July. The turning on of the Christmas Lights is another focal point for the community, along with the Fire station's bonfire on the Friday evening nearest to the 5th November. The Ossett Beer Festival takes place annually at the Brewers' Pride pub Healey Road, Ossett over the August Bank Holiday Weekend.
- The town is mentioned in the song It's Grim Up North.
- Ossett was defined as "wheeare the' black-leead t'tram lines" in both A Yorkshireman's Dictionary by Peter Wright and The Yorkshire Dictionary by Arnold Kellett, although neither book gives any explanation for this. One interpretation is that it was mocking the town's heavy pollution when it was industrialised. Another is that Ossett people were seen as fussy and pedantic.
- From Austin MitchellAustin MitchellAustin Vernon Mitchell is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Great Grimsby since a 1977 by-election.-Education and early life:...
's Talkin' Yorkshire (page 48):
- In moments of extreme anger Ossett Fish-puddlers have been known to resent "thou" and reply "Don't thee thou me thee thou thissen and see how tha likes thee thouing" but this is rare.
- Ossett is the home of Wakefield Orchestral Wind (WOW), an orchestral wind band with a varied repertoire including popular film music, show music, big band, classical and their conductor's own arrangements. The band plays regularly at local events, such as Ossett Gala, Horbury Show and Camphill Pennine Community Summer Fair.
Notable people
- The astronomer Cyril JacksonCyril JacksonCyril Jackson was Dean of Christ Church, Oxford 1783–1809.Jackson was born in Yorkshire, and educated at Manchester Grammar School, Westminster School and the University of Oxford. In 1771 he was chosen to be sub-preceptor to the two eldest sons of King George III, but in 1776 he was dismissed,...
who now lives in South Africa, was born in Ossett, honoured the town when he named asteroidAsteroidAsteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
1244 Deira; the citation he submitted to the IAUIAUIAU may refer to:*International Astronomical Union*International American University*International American University College of Medicine*International Association of Universities*International Association of Ultrarunners...
boils down to « Ancient name of Ossett, Yorkshire ». That is something of an exaggeration: the ancient Kingdom of Deira actually encompassed (at its height) most of YorkshireYorkshireYorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
.
- Black LaceBlack Lace (band)Black Lace is a British Euro pop band, best known for novelty party records, including their biggest hit, "Agadoo". The band first came to the public eye after being selected to represent the UK in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest, in which they finished seventh with the song "Mary Ann"...
, legendary British pop-music group, notable for their 1984 single "Agadoo". - Novelist Stan BarstowStan BarstowStanley "Stan" Barstow FRSL was an English novelist.-Biography:Barstow was born in Horbury, near Wakefield, Yorkshire. His father was a coal miner and he attended Ossett Grammar School, he then worked as a draftsman and salesman for an engineering firm...
, the author of A Kind of Loving, was born in Horbury, yet has lived almost all of his life in Ossett and attended Ossett Grammar School. - Benjamin InghamBenjamin InghamBenjamin Ingham , was born and raised in the Yorkshire and Humber region of England. He earned his B.A. degree from Oxford, and was ordained at age 23. Methodist connections from Oxford led to a colonial mission in America where he developed a keen interest in the Moravian church from fellow...
(1712–72) founder of the Inghamite Methodists was born in Ossett. He was educated at Batley Grammar SchoolBatley Grammar SchoolBatley Grammar School is a co-educational school located at Carlinghow Hill in Upper Batley, West Yorkshire, England. The school was founded in 1612 by the Rev. William Lee...
and Queen's College, Oxford. He was ordained in 1735 and accompanied John and Charles WesleyCharles WesleyCharles Wesley was an English leader of the Methodist movement, son of Anglican clergyman and poet Samuel Wesley, the younger brother of Anglican clergyman John Wesley and Anglican clergyman Samuel Wesley , and father of musician Samuel Wesley, and grandfather of musician Samuel Sebastian Wesley...
as a missionary to the colony of Georgia in the USA. In 1737, after his return to Ossett, Ingham started to establish the Inghamite Methodists after being banned in 1739 from preaching in churches. By 1755 there were over eighty Inghamite congregations, mainly in YorkshireYorkshireYorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
and LancashireLancashireLancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. A vestige of Ingham's Church still survives in the Lancashire/Yorkshire border area. - Andy Madley (Football Referee) Premier League Match Official
- Bobby Madley (Football Referee) Youngest ever Premier League Match Official
- Eli Marsden Wilson, A.R.E., A.R.C.E. (1877–1965) was a successful Ossett-born artist who had seventeen pictures exhibited at the Royal AcademyRoyal AcademyThe Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
. After studying at Wakefield College of Art, he moved to the Royal College of ArtRoyal College of ArtThe Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
in London where he became a pupil of Sir Frank Short. The first picture Wilson exhibited at the R.A. in 1905 was an etching of "Ossett Market" as it was in Victorian times. There is a copy of "Ossett Market" by E.M. Wilson on display in Wakefield Art Gallery. - Software houseSoftware houseA software house is a company whose primary products are software.- Types :There are a number of different types of software houses:*Large and well-known companies such as Microsoft, SAP AG, Oracle Corporation, HP, Adobe Systems, Apple Inc...
Team17Team17Team17 Software Ltd. is a video game company best known for developing the Worms series of games , but it has made many other games, notably Superfrog and the Alien Breed series. Most of its early releases were on the Amiga home computer system and featured trademark smooth scrolling, and detailed...
are based there and their most famous game - "Worms" - contained a HellHellIn many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
level with a sign saying, "Welcome to Ossett". In the sequel Worms 2, there is the cheat code 'OSSETT', which enables the levels from the first game. - The crime novelist David PeaceDavid PeaceDavid Peace is an English author. Known for his novels GB84, The Damned Utd, and Red Riding Quartet, Peace was named one of the Best of Young British Novelists by Granta in their 2003 list...
originates from Ossett and set the first six of his books in the West RidingWest Riding of YorkshireThe West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
. In Nineteen Seventy Four, Ed Dunford, the main character, lived at 10, Wesley Street in the town. There is also an insider joke where Ed tries to make up a fake name of a solicitors' firm to a policemen, and says "Edward Clay & Son Ltd." see above, which the policeman immediately deduce as false. - Actress Helen WorthHelen WorthHelen Worth is an English actress, best known for her portrayal of the Coronation Street character Gail McIntyre- Early life :...
(Gail PlattGail PlattGail McIntyre is a long-standing fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Helen Worth, the character first appeared on screen on 12 July 1974...
on Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
) was born and brought up in Ossett. - Richard WoodRichard Wood (footballer)Richard Mark Wood is an English footballer who plays for Coventry City as a defender.-Career:Born in Ossett, West Yorkshire, Wood was a Leeds United fan and had a season ticket at Leeds, however Wood came up through the ranks at Sheffield Wednesday and started to support The Owl's instead...
- defender with Sheffield Wednesday FC. - Thomas CussonsThomas Tomlinson CussonsThomas Tomlinson Cussons born in Kingston upon Hull, England. Son of George Cussons and his wife Jane Cussons . Thomas was the Chairman of the British soap manufacturing company Cussons & Son...
(Chemist) first established the 'Cussons' personal care brand in Ossett. The initials of Thomas' eldest son John W. Cussons (1867–1922) can still be found on the wall of the original building, now the Yorkshire Bank on Station Road. Thomas' youngest son Alex T. CussonsAlexander Tom CussonsAlexander Tom Cussons . Born in Holbeck, Leeds, England to Thomas Tomlinson Cussons and his wife Elizabeth Cussons . Alexander was the Chairman of Cussons Sons & Co, maker of the brand Cussons Imperial Leather and other toiletries.-Career:Tom Cussons was apprenticed in the town of Ossett...
(1875–1951) who was apprenticed in Ossett, went on to manufacture the famous Cussons Imperial LeatherImperial LeatherImperial Leather is a brand of soaps, toiletries and healthcare products manufactured by PZ Cussons. The brand originates in Britain and is now available in a number of other countries including Australia, Denmark, Germany , Pakistan, India, Kenya, South Africa, iran and Dubai...
soap. - Barry Wood, former Yorkshire, Lancashire and England cricketer was born and brought up in Ossett.
- George Dews, played football for Middlesbrough, Plymouth Argyle and Walsall from 1946 to 1956; he also played cricket for Worcestershire.
- Edward Clay, The Borough's first Mayor was Edward Clay a rag and mungo manufacturer. (The business still remains in Wesley Street).
- The Ya-Yas, Ossett's number one beat combo.
- Broadcaster, writer and academic Elaine StorkeyElaine StorkeyElaine Storkey is an English philosopher, sociologist and theologian. She is known for her lecturing, writing and broadcasting.-Early years and education:Storkey is the eldest of three children to James and Anne Lively...
nee Lively was brought up in Ossett and was Head Girl of Ossett Grammar School in 1962 - Michael TaylorMichael Taylor (Ossett)Michael Taylor, an individual from the British town of Ossett, is notable for his alleged demonic possession. Christine Taylor, the wife of Michael Taylor, expressed to the Christian Fellowship Group, of which Michael was a part, that his relationship with the lay leader of the group, Marie...
- Matt Abbott, who is the frontman and lyricist in alternative pop act Skint & DemoralisedSkint & DemoralisedSkint & Demoralised are a UK lyric-based alternative indie/pop act, fronted by 22-year-old Matt Abbott from Wakefield, West Yorkshire and produced by MiNI dOG from Sheffield, South Yorkshire.-History:...
. - Dave Jackson, current oldest living person from Yorkshire at 106