Batley factfile

How to get to Batley
Batley lies just north of Dewsbury, near the M62. The nearest airport is Leeds Bradford International Airport.

Batley through the ages
The town is the centre of the "Heavy Woollen District" of West Yorkshire, an area famous for manufacturing textiles. It flourished in the 19th century with its successful "shoddy" trade, which involved recycling cloth for the production of blankets and heavy woollens. Like many towns in the area, Batley experienced an economic decline before a more recent regeneration.

Famous people from Batley
The late pop singer Robert Palmer was born in Batley, while snooker player Paul Hunter lived here until his premature death in 2006, five days short of his 28th birthday.

How Batley got its name
Some claim that the name Batley is derived from the Danish and literally means "homestead of bats". A more likely if less colourful explanation is that it was home to a prominent family by the name of Batte. The town is recorded in the Domesday Book as "Bateleia", when it had a population of just 40.

Things to see and do around Batley
Batley Baths & Recreation Centre is a beautiful Victorian building, which today houses a swimming pool, sports hall, sauna and multi-gym.

Just outside the town centre is Redbrick Mill?a converted Victorian weaving mill that has been transformed into an open-plan lifestyle shopping and design centre.

Famous landmarks in Batley
The Parish Church of All Saints was first mentioned in the Domesday Book, although the current Gothic-style building dates back to the 15th century.

Sports and leisure in Batley
Batley has a long tradition of organised cricket. Any cricket team within 18 miles of the town can enter the traditional Heavy Woollen Cup.

Arts and culture in Batley
Batley Art Gallery in the Batley Library building showcases changing exhibitions of contemporary art, craft and photography.

Wilton Park is an impressive park with an ornamental lake, woodland walk, bowling greens and floodlit tennis courts. In its grounds are a butterfly house, the Milner K Ford Observatory and Bagshaw Museum. The museum is housed in a stunning gothic mansion built by one of the original "shoddy barons", George Sheard. It displays curios from Egypt and around the world.

Entertainment in Batley
In its heyday in the 1960s and 1970s, The Batley Variety Club hosted many high-profile acts, including Louis Armstrong, Johnny Mathis, Eartha Kitt, The Bee Gees, Roy Orbison and The Hollies. It is now a nightclub called The Batley Frontier Variety Club, harking back to its original name and style.

Batley's claim to fame
Charlotte Brontë often visited Oakwell Country Park in the 19th century. The Elizabethan Manor House and surrounding gardens made such an impression on her that they became the model for Fieldhead, the home of the heroine in her novel Shirley.