Keighley is a township and parish in West Yorkshire which is just to the north west of Bradford. You will find it near the misty Keighley Moors, named after the town, which is named after the founding family from a long time ago.. Henry de Keighley was a Lancashire knight who first received permission to hold a market here. Let’s take a dip into the history, fun trivia, and best bits about Keighley to tickle your staycation tastebuds.
What is Keighley Famous For?
Keighley is home to a Steam and Heritage train track. The five mile stretch allows the public to experience the magical world of steam trains in the misty valleys of Yorkshire. It was a large textile town in the industrial and pre-industrial periods, where it made heavy fabrics capable of keeping the horrible weather out.
Early History of Keighley
Like most of Yorkshire, Keighley is as old as the hills it sits on. Human activity in this area dates back as far as the Iron Age and potentially beyond. Several hoards, Iron Age weaponry and burials have all been found nearby. When the Iron-Age residents died away, the area formed part of the Brigantes’ amalgamation of tribes. When the Romans arrived in the UK, they either conquered or merged with the tribes.
The only mention of Romans we could find in Keighley is of the store in the town centre. The town also has a strong Roman Catholic population. If you head to Uncra Farm you can see the location of the lost fort. The Romans had a fort described as around the same area as Uncra Farm.
The name of the town derives from “Cyhha’s farm/clearing.” Perhaps this dates back to that Roman period, and Cyhha owned the land?
The Medieval Era
Anyway, during the 1300s the town received its first charter, granted by Edward I. The charter allowed a local knight, Henry de Keighley, to hold a weekly market in town. By 1379 the Wapentake recorded 109 people, 47 couples and 15 singles. Before even then, the town showed up in the Domesday Survey of 1086, too. It was in the hundred of Kraven. A Hundred was a way the Norman Lords divided the country up to make it easier to control. During the time of the Domesday Survey, the land was marked as a wasteland owned by the King. The town’s name was Chichleai in the survey.
The town remained the centre of a manor house and not much else. It ticked along slowly for a few hundred years up until East Riddleston Hall was built in 1642. The hall is now the property of the National Trust.
Keighley was attacked by Royalists who approached from Skipton during the English Civil War in 1645. The soldiers seized 100 prisoners, stole 60 horses, and were beaten back by Colonel Lambert, another of the Parliamentarian soldiers.
Fun Trivia About Keighley in Yorkshire
During every one of our classic tourist guides to British locations, you will find a section devoted to the fun facts we find out about that town. We got the scoop on Keighley and gathered the fun facts together as we went. Here is what you need to know before you go:
- Keighley sits at the confluence of the River Aire and the River Worth.
- It was the first British town to become twinned with one in Europe. It twinned with Poix-du-Nord in 1920 but had an earlier 1905 arrangement with Suresnes and Puteaux.
- Keighley is in Bronte country, which means at least one person has written romantically about it.
- There are three catholic churches in town, which seems slightly excessive.
- Cliffe Castle was encouraging people and children to love spiders. The year was 2020. Story over.
The Industrial Era
There were three workhouses in the Keighley area in 1777. There was space for forty in Keighley itself, just southwest of town. There was a forty-person workhouse in Bingley and another in Haworth housing only 28 people. In 1837 the Keighley Poor Law Union was formed. There was frantic opposition to the new laws in this area of the country. The town was the centre of a large protest against the poor law’s demands for one central workhouse. Instead, the town leaders issued ‘the dole’ when there was high unemployment in the area. There was a cottage in Haworth in 1851 recorded as a vagrant’s office. There was also an absolute scandal in 1857.
The local papers advertised for a new master and mistress of the workhouse in 1851. John and Barbara Sagar took on the role. After six years of hard work, Mrs Sagar died. Her symptoms were consistent with arsenic poisoning. The husband was known to have locked her in the workhouse mortuary and also handcuffed her to the bedstead for mistreating children in the workhouse prior to that. The couple had 9 children, none of whom were alive, and the master once worked as a druggist. His physician told the court he was certain the arsenic found in the wife’s organs had not come from poisoning but from the ointment she used and the case was dropped.
In 1715 John Drake founded a grammar school in the town. Tonson’s school opened in the following year. Sir Richard Arkwright introduced cotton spinning in the town in 1780. He opened the first cotton mill here and suffered during the American Civil War when the cotton dried up. The cotton which fuelled the industrial revolution in Britain came from the Americas where it was harvested by slaves.
In the 19th century, the town truly came to life. The population was 5,745 in 1801 and hit 30,813 by 1891. Keighley Parish church had to be rebuilt. Piped water arrived in town in 1816. Gas lighting lit the streets by 1824 and the poor law union was formed in 1837. St Anne’s Roman Catholic Church opened in 1840 then in 1848 the parish church was rebuilt a second time. The new workhouse opened in 1858 and then the grammar school was rebuilt on Skipton Road. The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway opened in 1867. In 1869 a Mechanic’s Institute and school of science and art opened. The Keighley Cougars were founded in 1876 and have been going strong ever since.
There was a stagecoach station here from 1753 and the town was a turnpike for a long time. There is a grave in the local cemetery where Christopher Ingham lies. HE fought in most of the battles of the Napoleonic Wars and might even be the inspiration behind “Sharpe.” He died in 1866.
Modern Keighley
In 1901 the population was over 41 thousand people. The central library opened in 1904, encouraging further education among the people. It was the first Carnegie library in England. The Keighley Picture House opened in 1913 and is one of Britain’s oldest cinemas. A second catholic church opened in 1934 and a third opened in 1939. Of course, the men of Keighley fought in both great wars.
One other great story comes from the days of the Hindenburg Zeppelin. The Zeppelin passed over the town in 1936. While it passed, the priest in the sky tossed out a parcel to be delivered to the graveside of his brother, who had died as a prisoner of war in Skipton. The package contained carnations, a jet cross, and a letter explaining the will of the priest. Luckily for him, two small boys found the parcel and pestered their parents to carry out his wishes. They eventually found his brother not in Skipton but in Morton Cemetery, 2 miles east of town.
Keighley Athletic FC was formed in the 1960s and the population was over 55 thousand by 1971. The Borough was abolished in 1972 and the town joined the City of Bradford district. It became its own town council in 2002 and got a bus station by the town centre in that same year.
modern Keighley is a relaxed commuter town which sees countless visitors from the city over the weekends and in the summer months. It’s a nice town with a good bit of history behind it. Just like all the best old English towns, it still has its original pub. That’s not to be sniffed at in a world full of new builds.
Famous People from Keighley
The town of Keighley has a surprising number of famous people in it, some of whom you may even meet on the streets. Here are famous faces you could spot in that shopping centre rush to get cheap bread in the evening:
- Ricky Wilson regularly hangs out here. He is the lead singer of the Kaiser Chiefs.
- Terrorvision, the band responsible for that awful ‘Tequila’ song, came from here.
- Tony Blair’s old spin doctor Alistair Campbell lives here.
- Chewbacca stayed here for a few years.
- The weather presenter Paul Hudson came from Keighley.
- Captain Tom Moore, God rest his soul, was a Keighley man. Remember during the pandemic when he walked around his garden in his stroller to raise money for the NHS? Bless him.
- English actress Molly Sugden, from “Are you being served?” was a Keighley gal.
So you can see that there are a fair number of Keighley stars out there. You might even meet one at the golf club if you are lucky enough.
Best Attractions in Keighley
Looking for somewhere in Yorkshire to visit for the day? Take a daytrip to see these amazing attractions, or book a large town break and stay at the Dalesgate or the King’s Head Hotels. However, you visit, sponsor local tourism, and see as many of the local attractions as you can.
Historic Sites
Both historic site and local landmark, tourists flock to Keighley every Summer to take a ride on the local historic steam railway. The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway has been lovingly restored by the locals over the years. It runs on a five mile loop which runs both heritage steam and diesel trains for train lovers.
Landmarks
East Riddleston Hall, built in the 17th century, is owned by the National Trust for England. This gorgeous historic building was erected by a local clothier, who made his living in the boosted wool trade of earlier in the century. Nowadays the gorgeous building sits on the edge of its own pond, in its own estate, where you can spend days just exploring the land. There is a café, onsite parking, and even a little gift shop to enjoy. They have superb gardens in the spring and summer months.
Another local landmark is Victoria Hall. This is a venue, rather than a country home. You can come here to see shows, catch bands, and even attend wedding receptions. The local schools use this venue for proms. It also doubles as the local theatre should you want to run a show.
Head uphill to the Lund Tower, perched on top of Wainmann’s Pinnacle. The joint set of attractions makes for a steep and brisque walk uphill. The tower is on top of the viewpoint. The tower is described as an observation deck, which may or may not mean it was where people of old came to look out for approaching enemies. It seems a bit of a hard climb but enemies were serious back then.
Outdoor Attractions
Head out of town to Keighley Tarn. This lovely spot has a pond, wildlife, and a dozen or so bird varieties for you to spot. This is one of the accessible planned countryside spaces to help connect the community to the natural countryside it sits in. There are 6 acres here, enough to get a nice walk and feed some ducks. Remember, they prefer uncooked peas to bread.
A little odd perhaps, but for the walkers among you check out the Top Withens road. Apparently, this winding old country cart road crosses paths with the Wuthering Heights pub, which is a friendly stopping point with great views.
Cultural Attractions
Keighley is home to the Cliffe Castle Museum. Originally the home of a millionaire textile company owner in the Industrial Revolution, this museum now hosts various exhibits including artworks, artefacts, and old items from the town. The museum has a permanent exhibit regarding the wool textile industry. It once belonged to Henry Isaac Butterfield, one of the biggest names in exported textiles. The museum has some lovely gardens with luxurious lawns to let the kids loose on.
The Cliffe isn’t the only museum in town, either. Remember – this is Bronte country! And that means there is a Bronte Parsonage Museum, too. Set in the Haworth area, they have plenty of Bronte exhibits including a gift shop. This place is run by the Bronte Society, a group of people who care about literature and about the sister’s lasting legacy. Go along and pay them a visit. You are guaranteed to learn a thing or two about the era and books.
And as if that were not enough, Keighley also plays home to the Vintage Carriages Trust Museum of Rail Travel. Keighley’s answer to a transport museum, this location has old train car carriages saved from destruction after they were retired. Train spotters will love this location, it is perched on the edge of the railway. This is a charity and they do great work in preserving the parts of the railway that people find most important. Give freely while you are there.
Sports and Teams
The local rugby league team are nicknamed the Cougars. This both goes down well and does not go down well. The Cougars had ‘Cougermania’ in the 1990s and still seem to be going strong. They won the national rugby football league one club of the year award in 2012 when they showed up in rainbow strips in support of LGBTQIA+ rights.
Apart from the Cougars, Keighley has a football team called Keighley Town. There is a lesser team to known as FC Keighley United. Keighley Town’s first team are in the Bradford Sunday Alliance Football League.
There are an uncomfortable number of cricket clubs nearby. Choose from the Long Lee Cricket Club in the east, the Ingrow Cricket Club to the south, the Keighley Cricket Club is to the north of town, and then there is the Airdeale Cricket Club further to the east.
And after all that running around, take a few holes at the Keighley Golf Club and get ready to face Monday morning all over again.
Recreation
If you are looking for a lovely walk and an exploration into the beauty of the area, then you need to head for the Bronte Waterfall. This outstanding area offers a gorgeous walk and some fantastic falls. You can get a free pamphlet about the area here, as well as enjoy the area for picnics, walks, and even a splash in summer.
Let’s take this opportunity to add a fourth museum because the people of Keighley love a good bus. The Keighley Bus Museum is run by volunteers dedicated to the preservation of these awesome two-tone, two-storey buses. The kids love this place and it is not far from the train station. Since it is another voluntary organisation please do leave them a donation if you visit.
Shopping and Retail
The main shopping centre in town is the Airedale in Keighley. You will find it in the town centre. Shops to look out for include Wuthering arts, Oh La La, the Werxzovart Studio, The Haworth Artisan Market, and while in Haworth visit the chocolate place, too.
Where to Eat and Drink in Keighley?
Discover Keighley has already assembled this list for us. Amici is the local Italian, est. 2008 and beloved. The Balti House is equally as impressive though far less Italian. It can seat 300 so you are usually sure of a table. The oldest inn in town is The Lord Rodney, which serves Great British Pub Grub in the evenings. They cite the Orient restaurant as the best Chinese restaurant in town and recommend pubbing and clubbing in the three-in-one venue that is the K2. This triple threat includes Jack & Danny’s live music bar, The Infinity Bar for the livelier, and the Blast nightclub for the real ravers.
Other Nearby Yorkshire Attractions To Visit
We have loads of travel guides for towns and cities dotted all over Yorkshire. If you are in the area for a fortnight’s holiday, here are Yorkshire’s finest towns to get out and explore:
- Tour Dewsbury, the largest market town in West Yorkshire.
- See Castleford’s
- Visit Batley, home to Fox’s Biscuits and their many culinary delights.
- See the gorgeous Hebden Bridge in the Calder Valley.
- Take a trip to Halifax, home of Quality Street.
- Or follow the trail to the home of the Rugby League in Huddersfield.
There are a ton of great places to end up when you visit West Yorkshire. You still have the north, south, and east to go.
How to Get to Keighley?
As well as telling you all the good bits you ought to visit in this part of Yorkshire, we even help you get there. We also give some of the worst directions on the internet so… good luck.
By Road
Head north out of Bradford on the A650.
By Rail
Keighley Train Station is on the Northern Line.
By Air
Your nearest airport is Leeds Bradford.
By Sea
Keighley has no sea. We understand they are working on it.
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