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Coordinates: 53°37'N 1°53'W? / ?53.62, -1.88
Slaithwaite (pronounced Slathwait or Slawit but never Slaythwait; pronunciation varies) is a village in the Colne Valley laying across the River Colne and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, approximately 5 miles southwest of Huddersfield, within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England.
[edit] History
The village was part of the Earl of Dartmouth estates, a chapelry, in the parishes of Huddersfield and Almondbury, union of Huddersfield, Upper division of the wapentake of Agbrigg and included the Township of 'Lingarths' {Lingards)[1] and the Township of Slaithwaite.
In the 1848 edition of 'A Topographical Dictionary of England' Samuel Lewis (the Editor) wrote:- "the lands are in meadow and pasture, with a small portion of arable; the scenery is bold and romantic. In the quarries of the district are found vegetable fossils, especially firs and other mountain trees. The village is beautifully seated in the valley of the river Colne; the inhabitants are chiefly employed in the woollen manufacture, in the spinning of cotton and silk, and in silk-weaving" [2]
Slaithwaite Hall, located on a nearby hillside, which is now divided into Cottages, was at one time a fortified house. In the early 1800s a local spring was discovered to contain Sulphurous properties and minerals, Similar to those found in Harrogate. Sometime after 1820 a bathing facility was built, along with a gardens and pleasure ground, with some visitor cottages. A free school was founded in 1721 and rebuilt twice, first in 1744, and again in 1842.
Viaduct over Slaithwaite village
Legend has it that local smugglers caught by the excise men tried to explain their nocturnal activities as 'raking the moon from the canal' and definitely not as 'fishing out smuggled brandy'. A "Moonraker" is now the official nickname for a native of the village. Similar stories and nicknames exist for the neighbouring villages of Golcar ("Lillies"), Marsden ("Cuckoos") and Linthwaite ("Sows" or "Sairs"). The legend is also apparently known in Wiltshire and Nottingham where the locals are also known as 'Moonrakers' [3]
[edit] Economy
Recent projects have seen a major restoration of the canal. That required a full re-excavation and new lock gates. Following the emergence of the railway network they were little used and closed down then filled in during 1956. The refurbishment has revitalised the high street area and Slaithwaite is currently the only village in England with a canal running alongside its main street.
[edit] Shopping and entertainment
There are several public houses in Slaithwaite. An apocryphal story associated with 'The Shoulder of Mutton' is that in the 1800s, when tenants came to the village to pay their annual rent, The Earl of Dartmouth (the Dartmouth estate remains the major landowner of the region) would give rent dinners and that the Shoulder of Mutton was the most sought after with the tables of hot roast beef, mutton and tongue cooked together in the set pot being available there at that time. The 'Silent Woman' came to the attention of the world media on 23 September 2007 when a man walked into the pub and ordered a pint of beer a few minutes after he had murdered his son and attacked his daughter with a knife. [4]
Slaithwaite has a mixture of shops, restaurants and cafes. These include:- 'Monsoon', an Indian restaurant in the village centre, nearby is 'Endogans', a mediterranean/tapas-style restaurant, an Ice cream shop called 'Vanilla Bean' who sell home made ice cream and sorbets made from local produce and a wine-bar/restaurant called the 'Little Bridge'. A local butcher called E.Grange & Son (Master Pie Makers)[5] sell their own brand pork pies, which have won some awards, [6], home made mushy peas and hot meat sandwiches.
Various shops cater to tourists attracted by the pleasant scenery, and to the increasing gentrification of the village which stems from a variety of causes.
[edit] Transport
More modern transport is provided by the Slaithwaite railway station, which has direct trains to Leeds and Manchester. The Colne Valley defines local geography by channeling the railway line, the canal and the A62: each of which has at one time been the primary means of transport across the Pennines. The small humpbacked bridge over the canal is called 'Tim Brig' this is said to be named after a local inn keeper who used the bridge during smuggling operations with the narrowboats passing through.
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Canal lock in Slaithwaite
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[edit] Culture
Each February Slaithwaite celebrates the Moonrakers legend, which is a week long celebration that includes lantern making by local children and ends with the parade of lanterns along the canal side. The festival was not held in 2007, following crowd difficulties during the 2006 event due to excessive event visitors.It did however successfully go ahead in 2008 with some changes including a different route and a spectacular firework finale
Slaithwaite and Marsden, which is approximately two miles further south down the valley are both famed as sections of both were used to create the village called 'Skelthwaite' in the British TV show 'Where the Heart Is'.
[edit] References
(Source: Wikipedia) |