 | The town of Brighouse is located in Calderdale in West Yorkshire. It sits on the River Calder, just four miles from Halifax in the Pennines.
A Roman route from Wakefield to Manchester is said to have passed through the town and there was a river crossing known as Snake Hill Ford which went across the River Calder. Records show that there was a wooden structure known as Rastrick Bridge dating back to 1275. This was replaced by a timber bridge and later, in 1558, by a stone one.
Power from the river was used for the flour milling industry and textile mills. In 1757 work was started by the engineer John Smeaton on the building on the Calder and Hebble Navigation in the town.
Today many of the town's mills are modern loft-style apartments and many of the people who live here commute to Leeds and Manchester. The town's location close to the M62 makes this town a prime place to live for commuters.
There is much of interest in the Brighouse area. Make sure you visit The Smith Art Gallery. It is located at the library building and features numerous paintings from Victorian times. You can also see the work of local artists on show here.
The town is famous for its music. Brighouse is home to Britpop band Embrace: famous for the song World at Your Feet: the official England anthem in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Brighouse is, of course, also home to the well known Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band which was established in 1881. In 1946 the band won the National Brass Band contest at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In 1968 the band won the inaugural Brass Band World Championship. The band also famously recorded The Floral Dance in 1977: reaching number two in the UK charts. Terry Wogan later released his own version of this song, inspired by the band.
A not-to-be-missed event in the town is the annual Brighouse Charity Gala, which is staged on the last Saturday in June each year. It features a procession which travels from the Crosslee works, Hipperholme, through Brighouse town centre, and to Wellholme Park. The event finishes later in the day with a duck race in Clifton Beck.
Famous people from the town include the inventor and television presenter Wilf Lunn. |
