The capital of Airedale and mills

Monday, 17 August 2009 09:38

Keighley, a mill town, is reinventing itself

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal skirts the industrial town of Keighley (pronounced "keeth-lee"). It was a town that led the industrial revolution and was once a boom town as a result of the wool and cotton industries. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries it was grimy, full of smoke belching chimneys and machine factories.

There were mills and mill workers, mill owners and factory owners, and between 1800 and 1850 it is said that the population grew from 6,000 to 60,000. By 1878 there were 70 cotton mills in Keighley, three of them owned and run by women - they were emancipated up here!

The River Aire runs through the town, more or less parallel to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. We caught a 662 bus from East Riddlesden, just near Granby Swing bridge. The bus took us into Keighley, past the railway station, a new Asda, Sainsbury's, Iceland and Aldi (all the food stores one could want!) and into the bus station by the new Airedale shopping centre.

The town centre has a number of Victorian and Edwardian buildings that might be missed by the casual eye! The town centre association has produced a leaflet "See Keighley in 45 minutes". We picked one up to "do" this whistle stop tour before attending the Parish Church of St Andrews, known as the Shared Church (see below for why).

Cavendish Street is lined with Edwardian apartments and shops

The long glass canopy was donated by the local mill magnate Prince Smith.

The Volunteers Arms is a tiny pub that wins prizes in the Keighley in bloom competition

The Keighley Library opened in 1904 and was the first Public Library in the UK to be funded by philanthropist Sir Andrew Carnegie.

Recently refurbished Library frontage

Just along from the library is the old Temperance Hall (1896) - it is now a pub!

Town Hall square is full of the flowers for the competition and is the site of the war memorial

This Victorian building (1893) was the home of the School Board

Opposite is the modern bus station which was rebuilt in 2002, adjoining the Airedale Centre

In 1882 Keighley became a Municipal Borough and this was built as the Council building. The Town Hall is still in use by the Town Council and Bradford District Council.

Town Hall

There was a Farmers market in progress at the Market Cross in front of the church. The buildings around are some of the oldest in the town.

18th Century buildings and Market

At this point we went into the church for the morning service - a combined Methodist and Anglican service. The Vicar presided and the Methodist Minister sermonised! They take it in turns as the church is now shared by the two denominations.

The 45 minute tour continues and brings the tourist to a Victorian shopping street found below Royal Arcade. Further on is one of the few remaining Town Centre textile mills producing knitting wool.

Low Mill which opened in 1780 is undergoing restoration. It was Yorkshire's first water powered water mill, spinning cotton. It was this mill that kick-started the industrial revolution in Keighley. Once it is finished I would love to come back to see it.

When we came out of church we stopped in the Farmers market to buy lunch - a Yorkshire pork pie with black pudding and red onion marmalade - it was really yummy! We also bought a "Fat Rascal" another Yorkshire delicacy, basically a large flat scone with fruit in, another yummy food in our tummy!

So if you are on the L and L and need some groceries, moor at east Riddlesden, catch the shuttle bus and see Keighley in 45 minutes before you shop!