![\"Huddersfield](\"http:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/Huddersfield-300x172.jpg\")
Image: Electric Egg\/Shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n
Anyway, join us for Let\u2019s see what historic Huddersfield has to offer, the Five Minutes Spare<\/a> way!<\/p>\n Huddersfield was first occupied by humans in Neolithic times. It is thought that the nearby fort at Almondbury (Castle Hill) was first occupied around 2100 BC. The earliest recorded human settlers to come here were the Brigantes, in 1 BC. Later, Anglo-Saxons and even Normans would inhabit lands here eventually. The Romans would have arrived around the 40 BC mark \u2013 or shortly after, as they worked their way north from the south-east coast.<\/p>\n A Roman road would have run through this area on its way to the fort at Slack. It would have stood right where Outland Golf Club now is! There\u2019s a great reconstruction of it overlaid with the land, here<\/a>. The Romans built things in wood very quickly and could throw up a fort in a week or two using their soldiers. They used these forts by strategically placing them throughout occupied lands in order to control the masses.<\/p>\n Anyway, they would have been gone by 100 AD or thereabouts. They never made it through the whole of the UK \u2013 but they certainly conquered most of it. When they left the area an Anglian settlement moved into the Hillhouse area \u2013 or so historians<\/a> suspect.<\/p>\n After the Angles and the Saxons had effectively mingled with the population, the Vikings came. There\u2019s no recorded evidence of a settlement in the area but alas, Huddersfield sits at the point where two rivers meet. They were probably raided quite hard. If we were metal detectorists<\/a> we would be checking the area out thoroughly for buried treasure.<\/p>\n Anyway. Once the Vikings failed to conquer anything and went home with all our treasure, Huddersfield fell into the hands of the Normans. Just before this and built by persons unknown, someone turned the fort at Castle Hill into a stone fort. It still survives today and has been rebuilt and evolved so many times everyone seems to have forgotten. What we do know is that by the time the Normans came they ordered the Domesday Survey \u2013 and Huddersfield was in it, and already sizable.<\/p>\n When the Normans came here and won the battle (circa 1066) they changed everything. What lands previously belonged to the king were split between the conquerors as part of Pontefract. The land was granted to Ilbert de Laci as a reward and remained in his family for about three hundred years. The interesting part is always what is mentioned in the Domesday Survey<\/a>, though.<\/p>\n There are no people recorded as living in Huddersfield. There are two reasons for this. Either it had so large a population that there was no recording kept, or it was abandoned. We do know that there were 8 ploughlands and 1.1 leagues of woodland. We are tempted to err on the side of Huddersfield having a large population because plough teams would have been needed to till this land. Also, the land made 5 whole pounds annually for the lord in 1066. This points towards tenants, workers, or (probably) slaves. In addition, we know that Huddersfield has been a market town since Anglo-Saxon times.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Around this time Huddersfield became part of the hundred of Agbrigg<\/a>. The Hundreds were groups of settlements overseen by set Lords, each of which could easier rule and report back to their king. They were the Norman equivalent of the well-placed Roman fort. Domesday was also the first time the current name \u2018Huddersfield\u2019 was recorded. It was spelt Oderesfelt, which literally means the fields belonging to Oder\/Huder. At the turn of 1000 AD, the lands were in possession of King Stephen, who had a constant battle with the Scots, and with English traitors, to keep the throne.<\/p>\n After 1322 the Norman di Laci family lost possession of the manor to the crown. It was bought again in 1599 by the Ramsdens, who owned it right up until the 1920s. When they talk about \u2018old money\u2019 it is these families they talk about. Everyone else made money weaving, it seems, right up until that railway line arrived in the 1840s\u2026<\/p>\n In 1349, or around that time, the Bubonic Plague reached Yorkshire. It spread up and down the county with alarming speed and decimated populations of all settlements. Worse, it would return again and again bringing new waves of disease. Throughout England, there are stories of it wiping out entire settlements to the extent that there weren\u2019t enough people left to bury the dead. There don\u2019t seem to be any specific records from this time that are Huddersfield specific. The forecast for Yorkshire in general, however, did not look good. Anyway lets lighen things up briefly with a few bits of trivia.<\/p>\n Huddersfield is one of Britain’s more ancient towns meaning it has more than its fair share of interesting facts. Some of our favourites include…<\/p>\n See! Huddersfield is full of fun and interesting little nuggets. now we have lightened things up a little, let’s explore how it got to be the 11th<\/sup> largest town in England, just don\u2019t tell the locals. They will swear it\u2019s the biggest.<\/p>\n The seeds of Huddersfield’s growth were sown in 1776 with the advent of the Cloth Hall, which laid the foundation for the towns moves into the realms of textiles powerhouse; something aided further by the construction of The\u00a0Huddersfield Broad Canal by Sir John Ramsden which ironically was also completed the same year. This gave the town access to the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway, and thus trade began to flourish. By 1811 the Huddersfield Narrow Canal was open and with it came further growth.\u00a0However, this path to growth didn’t run smoothly as you will see.<\/p>\n You will have heard the term \u201cLuddite\u201d the word was used to describe those that didn\u2019t want industrial change? Well, they were alive and kicking in early 19th Century Yorkshire and prior to this, the town had a large population of workers that created woven wool for extra income. The factories took this away and the hoes and pitchforks were soon being brandished.\u00a0 In 1812 a mill owner who was known to be a particularly cruel master was murdered in the town and soon strikes and disorder were rife.<\/p>\n Soon the army was positioned near the town in a barracks built specifically for uprisings and strikes. However, all this strife was not in vain as it meant that the northern industrial regions largely escaped the rigours of the Poor Laws Act of 1834. Yorkshire as a whole benefitted from the efforts of Richard Oastler, who campaigned tirelessly for factory reform and on the back of this the lives of the textile factory workers improved drastically and along with it general commerce.<\/p>\n What really made this town thrive was the arrival of the railway. It wound up through here and connected London to the Peak District. Unfortunately, this didn\u2019t sit well with the locals. As mills began to utilise waterpower and set up factory-like mass production \u2013 the locals rebelled. Huddersfield was a notable centre of resistance to the industrial revolution\u2026 a story not shared by many around the country.<\/p>\n By the 1900s, Huddersfield had gas, street lighting, libraries and everything else needed for a successful town. 1889 had seen the introduction of the \u2018Miss Sunderland\u2019 competition, in 1836 a choir formed\u2026 in the 1900s several sporting personalities were formed here as a result of the provision of leisure facilities all those years before.<\/p>\n In 1920, the town bought itself from the Ramsden family. This should give you some indication of how successful it was, even as WW1 drew to a close. During WW2 the town took a vital role in engineering and manufacturing. The establishment of the military in the area stood the town in good engineering and developing stead when the war hit. In fact, some of the miniature submarines used by the British army were built here. They made a major contribution to the war effort, proving that just because you are a socialist town, doesn\u2019t mean you turn your back when your country needs you.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For the moment, let\u2019s talk famous faces. We already know Patrick Stewart and former Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson came from Huddersfield\u2026 but we\u2019re certain there are a few more than that!<\/p>\n So how many more famous people come from this idyllic large town? Here are some of the names you might know best:<\/p>\n Added up, you have sports personalities, music producers, radio presenters, politicians, famous party leaders, and even Hollywood actors out of Huddersfield. That\u2019s a pretty impressive list of people for one town[i]<\/a>. There are whole cities who have made less contribution to the British art scene. Keep it up, that\u2019s all we have to say.<\/p>\n Huddersfield is chock-full of sights to see and things to do. Here is an amalgamation of all our best bits of the town. Try to see as many of them as you can, while you are there.<\/p>\n One of the favoured attractions in Huddersfield is the Kirklees Light Railway<\/a>, which stops in the city. It goes up and down Yorkshire on a lovely scenic trail, and lets you ride a genuine steam train\u2026 this experience is something you don\u2019t\u2019 get very often and is one the kids will remember forever. As well as the ride you get to know a lot about the history of locomotives.<\/p>\n However, outdoor attractions are definitely not thin on the ground here in Huddersfield. Beaumont Park<\/a> is a municipal park just south of the town centre. It contains the railway viaduct which is what makes it so popular. It has some special views of the River Holme, a series of waterfalls, and even a boating area. Of course, it\u2019s England so there\u2019s also a tearoom.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t want a river valley park then check out Greenhead Park,<\/a> opened in 1884! This place has a distinctly Victorian feel to it, right down to the layout of the flower beds. There\u2019s a pond, a caf\u00e9, swing sets, tennis courts\u2026 it\u2019s really lovely and the locals prefer it because it\u2019s a bit quieter.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t by-pass Castle Hill<\/a> while you are in town. The tower that stands on it was built in 1899 as part of the Queen\u2019s Jubilee celebrations. The hilltop dominates the Kirklees skyline for miles around so you really can\u2019t miss it. The view is very much worth the climb. It has been a noted defensible location since the about 2100 BC.<\/p>\n Since there are a variety of canals in the area, it would make sense that Huddersfield has its very own visitor centre for such things. In fact, the centre supports the Standedge Tunnel<\/a>. This is Britain\u2019s longest, deepest, scariest, darkest canal tunnel and you\u2019re supposed to wear a hard hat if you go in there. Looks fun.<\/p>\n Of course, you can visit the railway station itself if you want a landmark fit for royalty. If trains don\u2019t grab you, however, have a look at the architecture of Huddersfield Town Hall<\/a>. It\u2019s a well-known events venue so you might catch an expo here.<\/p>\n You really do have your pick of museums here. Probably because of all the protesting back in the Luddite times. Visit the Tolson Museum<\/a> for extensive collections of fine art. They have their own galleries that come highly recommended. If you want to learn about how the Colne Valley thrived after all those protests, then visit the Colne Valley Museum<\/a>. This place has some functioning 1850\u2019s replica rooms to let you get a glimpse back through time. If you want exclusive access to arts with minimal museum input, then you want the Huddersfield Art Gallery<\/a>. Where art history is all the museum-input you might come across.<\/p>\n Finally, you can pop into the University \u2013 the largest employer in town \u2013 and poke your nose into the archives. This service is referred to as the Heritage Quay<\/a>, and if you have ancestry in the area, want to know more about the plague, or figure your great, great, great, great grandfather had a part to play in all that rioting? This is where you go to find that out.<\/p>\n Sport is big in Yorkshire and Huddersfield has played its part in putting both Football and Rugby firmly on the map and both still play a big part in the town’s identity with both Rugby League & Union on offer. Despite its rugby heritage, we will start with football as that is where the town has historically had the most success.<\/p>\n Image: Michael715\/Shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n Huddersfield Town or the “Terriers” are the towns football club and they do fairly well for themselves. Again, visit their website<\/a> to book a stadium tour or buy tickets to the next game. It seems like Huddersfield are really big into their sports. We don\u2019t blame them. There have been a few medallists from the area\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The George Hotel Grade II listed and home of Rugby League. Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club (HRUFC<\/a> ) are unofficially the towns oldest sporting club having begun plating with the oval ball back in 1869.\u00a0 They enjoyed some early success winning the Yorkshire Challenge Cup (YCC) final in 1890 beating Wakefield. The split of the rugby codes in 1895 led to the team disappearing for 14 years only for them to be re-born in 1909 as the Huddersfield Old Boys.<\/p>\n They recaptured that early success with a stunning against the odds win in the 2011 YCC, which made up for the disappointment of two previous finals losses in 1932 & 1970.\u00a0 In 2019-20 they competed in the English RU North 1 East Division (tier Six) and play their home games at the 2000 capacity Laund Hill Sports Park.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are so many things to do in Huddersfield town that we couldn\u2019t fit them all in with the detail we would have liked to. Here are another few things we would want to see if we were visiting:<\/p>\n Whatever you do in Huddersfield, try to remember to have fun!<\/p>\n If you want to treat your family to a fully immersive, American-diner experience, then head to PAX Burger<\/a>. It regularly scores more than 4.5 stars in reviews and it is something a little bit different. If you want a classic setting for a date then try the Bionic Chef<\/a>, it combines fine foods with contemporary British cuisine. What\u2019s not to enjoy except the bill?<\/p>\n When it comes to wine over dine, try Revolution<\/a> on Cross Church Street. They are a bar with a distinctive variety of Gin cocktails. Infusion Cocktail bar<\/a> is open in the site of what used to be Voda Bar and carries a great reputation as a good place for a night out. If you are looking for somewhere to dance all night try Eden Nightclub<\/a> for inspiration. You can even hire local firm Jumping Jacks<\/a> if you want to throw your own party.<\/p>\n There\u2019s something for everyone in this not-quite-a-city. Go explore, enjoy yourself, and report back if you are able. We are sure there will be some Huddersfield beauties that we have missed.<\/p>\n Image: SevenMaps\/Shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n Now that we have covered everything else, you maybe want to know how to get there. It\u2019s not the easiest place to reach from London & the South or from Scotland for that matter,but as you will now be aware, the effort is well worth it!<\/p>\n If you follow the M1 north out of London, then head west when you hit Wakefield, you will come to Huddersfield. It sits on the M62.<\/p>\n Huddersfield Train station<\/a> is on the Northern line. It\u2019s also a Grade I listed building for those that love trains.<\/p>\n Your nearest airport is Leeds Bradford International<\/a>. It\u2019s around 25 miles away so pretty close.<\/p>\n Alas, you are not on the coast. However, the Vikings did it by sailing up the rivers and so could you. The River Colne or the River Holme will take you to Huddersfield if you follow them in the right direction for long enough.<\/p>\n If you reluctantly enjoyed our tourist guide to Huddersfield then you will be delighted to know that we have about a hundred more of them\u2026 not all on Huddersfield, though. Head on over to the travel section of Five Minutes Spare<\/a> and have a look for yourself. We have something for everyone. See if you can spot your hometown.<\/p>\nPre-History, Huddersfield, and the Roman Conquest<\/h2>\n
The Vikings Pay A Visit<\/h3>\n
Huddersfield After the Normans<\/h2>\n
Things That Not a lot of people Know About The Town…<\/h2>\n
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The Industrial Revolution<\/h2>\n
Its a Train<\/h3>\n
Famous People from Huddersfield<\/h2>\n
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Huddersfield Attractions<\/h2>\n
Outdoor and Recreational Spaces<\/h3>\n
Landmarks and Historic Attractions<\/h3>\n
Museums and Art Galleries<\/h3>\n
Football and Rugby<\/h2>\n
![\"Huddersfield](\"http:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/09\/shutterstock_1661529463-300x144.jpg\")
![\"George](\"http:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/George-Hotel-300x256.jpg\")
Image: Philip Openshaw\/Shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\nOther Notable Attractions<\/h2>\n
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Where to Eat, Drink and Party in Huddersfield?<\/h2>\n
Getting to Huddersfield<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/Huddersfield-map-300x168.jpg\")
By Road<\/h3>\n
By Rail<\/h3>\n
By Air<\/h3>\n
By Sea<\/h3>\n
Got Five Minutes?<\/h2>\n