About

Starting and finishing outside the Town Hall, this guided walk introduces you to Cleckheaton's buildings that have witnessed its development from a rural village to a smoky Victorian mill town, and back to a pleasant residential centre. At its heart is the distinguished town hall. Opened in 1892 as the civic building for the new parliamentary constituency of "Spen Valley", half of its cost was funded by local people. Described as Queen Anne style, it was designed to be light and attractive, with a large hall, a balcony and a stage big enough for an orchestra. Its architects were the famous Bradford firm whose buildings include Saltaire village, Bradford Wool Exchange, and Bradford Town Hall. Their design for Cleckheaton included a clock tower with a fox on top if its weather vane. Millowner Elymas Wadsworth was instrumental in the building's creation and his family paid for the clock and its bells, which chime the hour and every quarter. The town hall hosted all the social, political, musical ,theatrical and cultural activities in Cleckheaton and was listed Grade 2 in 1980 for its architectural and historical interest. In 2023 Kirklees Council closed the building due to need for repairs and decided in December 2024 not to re-open it unless a community group could take it over and run it in a financially viable way. The walk is led by members of that community group, and of Spen Valley Civic Society.

Parking is available next to the meeting point. The walk will be on pavements on fairly level ground. The Obediah Brooke pub opposite the meeting point offers refreshments and toilets.

If it is wet, please bring appropriate clothing for an outdoor walk.