Queensbury, Yorkshire

Queensbury
Yorkshire West Riding
Queensbury and the lod Black Dyke Mills
Location
Grid reference:	SE105311
Location:	53°46’6"N, 1°50’43"W
Data
Population:	8,718  (2001)
Post town:	Bradford
Postcode:	BD13
Dialling code:	01274
Local Government
Council:	Bradford
Parliamentary constituency:	Bradford South

Queensbury is a village in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Perched on a high vantage point above Clayton and Thornton and overlooking the City of Bradford, Queensbury is one of the highest parishes in Yorkshire, with fine views beyond the conurbation to the hills of Brontë Country and the Yorkshire Dales to the north and northwest. It had a population of 8,718 recorded in 2001.

Queensbury was originally known as Queenshead. That name was derived from a local pub (still existing) which was popular with travellers on the pack horse route from Halifax to Bradford.

Queensbury itself is most famous as being the home of Black Dyke Mills, and the Black Dyke Band.

Black Dyke Mills

Black Dyke Mills was built from 1835 onwards by John Foster as a wool spinning and weaving mill specialising in worsted and mohair fabric, and by 1851 dominated the town. . John Foster & Son, the owners of Black Dyke Mills, were responsible for the construction of many of the buildings in and around Queensbury, each being for the benefit of the employees, be it housing/accommodation shops and leisure facilities. In 1891 the company erected the Victoria Hall in Queensbury for the benefit of its workers and the local community - it had a concert hall, with gallery to seat 650 people, library, billiard room and many other facilities. It also sponsored the internationally famous Black Dyke Mills Band.

The mill has now been converted into individual business units. The company now manufactures elsewhere in the area.

Transport

Three rail lines once converged on Queensbury, one from Halifax, one from Keighley and one from Bradford, known as the Queensbury Lines, all belonging to the Great Northern Railway (later the LNER). They met at Queensbury station, which famously consisted of continuous platforms on all three sides of a triangular junction, an uncommon layout in Britain (the only other example was Ambergate, on the Midland Railway in Derbyshire).

A short distance from the station on the Halifax line was Queensbury Tunnel, 2,541 yards in length (the longest on the Great Northern system after Ponsbourne Tunnel in Hertfordshire), while close by on the Bradford line was Clayton Tunnel at 1,057 yards. All these lines were closed to passengers in May 1955.

The main Bradford to Halifax road A647 road runs through the village as well as the A644 road. These roads intersect at the Albert Memorial.

Pictures

• 
  Black Dyke Mills
• 
  Sunset over Queensbury

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Queensbury, Yorkshire)

• Queensbury railway station
• Black Dyke Mill Band
• John Fosters/Black Dyke Mills History
• Queensbury School
• Queensbury Juniors ARFLC