Latest news with #Slaithwaite
BBC News
16-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Apartments plan for former Slaithwaite Methodist church
A former church could be turned into seven new homes under plans submitted to Kirklees Methodist church on Carr Lane in Slaithwaite closed down last year and developers have applied to demolish part of it to create six apartments and a chapel was built between 1870 and 1871, with an extension to create a Sunday school added in the to plans submitted by Noord Developments Ltd, the scheme would secure the future of "a significant heritage asset within Slaithwaite town centre". The building is not listed, but it does sit within the Slaithwaite Conservation Area, according to the Local Democracy Reporting the plans, the first floor of the main chapel would be lowered and an extra floor inserted rear extension, which was added to the building later, would be developer said there would be "minimal interventions", but existing windows would be replaced, stairs taken out and replaced, and pews, raised platforms and the organ removed from the first its application to be considered by Kirklees Council, the developer said: "The proposals to convert the church to residential use will secure the long-term future of the building."The proposed area of demolition to enable the scheme is considered to have a primarily neutral, or less than substantial, heritage impact and will allow for seven new homes to be located at the heart of Slaithwaite."The council is expected to make a decision on the planning application by 1 August. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
18-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Slaithwaite marks a century of change for one parade of shops
The 100th anniversary of a parade of shops which local residents have described as "iconic" is being celebrated by telling the tale of each business over the past eight shops on Carr Lane in Slaithwaite - which is known by people in the area as "Slawit" - have remained a constant presence as long as people can have always been in the background as Slaithwaite has transitioned from a traditional West Yorkshire mill village to what is now a popular home for young days, the high street parade contains an estate agents, jewellers and newsagents, as well as "hipster" cafes and a co-working space - but these are just the latest businesses to ply their trade in the century-old is the story of who and what occupied - and occupies - those eight shops over the past 100 years that organisers of the Slawit SHOP! project hope to focus on in the coming aim to explore the parade's story, set up an archive and celebrate its centenary with a special artist Sky Burton-Smith, who is helping co-ordinate the project, says the grocer's shop on the Carr Lane parade was actually the inspiration for the Slawit SHOP! explains that Green Valley Grocers – in the centre of the parade – is the one store that has been selling the same sort of thing for a whole century."Out of all of the eight shops, Green Valley Grocers deserves the extra birthday candle on the cake," Ms Burton-Smith says."It's never been anything else. So that sparked the idea for this project." Angela Dews, who works at the grocer's, says it has been well-established for a very long time - the shop's roots going as far back as when the parade was built."We're a community cooperative, but before that it had only been in the hands of five families over 100 years," she says. "Initially, it was the Walker family, The Dacre family were the ones who maintained it through three generations, and then the shop was run as The Artichoke for a while."In 2009, we took it on - selling exactly the same things as the previous generations."Inside the grocer's, Dennis is doing his daily shopping. He says Slaithwaite's high street - and the parade of eight shops on Carr Lane - is a testament to how the village is "thriving"."We moved into Slaithwaite about eight years ago, so we come into the village every day to shop."I think a high street like this is absolutely vital. It's very much the heart of the community. If it wasn't for places like this, the whole area would really suffer." Next door, in what was once a butchers, is now Culture – a "hipster" cafe that sells coffee, homemade pastries and venue is Alex Litu's second venture in Slaithwaite, which he opened two years ago and which fits naturally alongside the yoga studio and brunch restaurant he also runs."It was definitely something missing from the village," he says."We're small hipster, indie. Everyone's really friendly and we know everyone's name. We know what the dogs are called, we know if they've got a new t-shirt."I've been in Slaithwaite for 10 years. I met my wife in the States. We used to work on cruise ships and then we moved here."Slaithwaite adopted me and we love it."Inside is barista Connor Taylor, who, as well as making coffee, also runs a blacksmithing business called Taylor Forged Alex being his boss in the cafe, Connor has taken on Alex as an apprentice at the forge."My grandfather used to be a welder, and seeing Connor and hearing what he was doing made me curious," says Alex."So I went to the workshop and it's connecting me with my youth."Connor says while blacksmithing might be seen as a dying trade, it's the sort of craft that fits nicely into Slaithwaite."It's a beautiful place for heritage," he says."Obviously, it's a mill village. We've still got people who make fabric textiles. But it's good to bring a bit of variety." Next door to the cafe is Colne Valley Motor Parts, which has been selling motor accessories on the parade for 50 years. In the 50 years before that, the premises were occupied by a hairdresser and a drapery Cottrell, who runs the present-day shop - and whose partner makes and sells hats - says: "I've had this shop for eight years and whatever you can think of, people have asked me for it."I purchased the shop off the previous owner who retired. He was a bit of an institution in the village, was Ray."I'm a Slaithwaiter born and bred," says Mr Cottrell."It's changed a lot, especially since they opened the canal back up again. It's made a big difference. It's a lot nicer."The parade of shops on Carr Lane remains in the shadow of a mill which opened in 1887 and produced wool the mill runs the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, once the transportation hub of the village, which even contained a 1925, John Jagger took advantage of the busy area and built the parade of shops. But then, in the 1950s, the canal was filled at the grocer's, Ms Dews explains: "It was a major transportation route on the canals, but when the railway was built it took over."Fast-forward to 1999 and it was decided they were going to re-establish the canal and they dug it out."There was a lot of difference of opinion in the village about whether it would be a good thing to open up the canal."But when you look at it on a day like this - beautiful sunshine, lots of people out - it's a lovely thing to have." The final shop on the parade is Vanilla Bean, a cafe, bar and restaurant that has been running for eight the past 100 years, the same premises have been home to a clothing store, a bridal boutique and even a crumpet it is owned by Matthew Castle and his wife Charlie. Mr Castle explains that he left a career as an executive chef in hotels to set up the family says the street has thrived since the Covid lockdowns, with working from home allowing people to do more weekday shopping."In Covid, people realised what was on their doorstep," he says."People aren't going over to Leeds, Manchester - they stay local now. A lot of the businesses are thriving since Covid."Ms Burton-Smith agrees that the past five years have seen accelerated change for Slaithwaite - and she hopes that will be reflected in the Slawit SHOP! project."Flexible working has had a massive positive impact on our high street," she says."You see people now in the daytime who you wouldn't have seen at that time."Ms Burton-Smith says the aim of the project is not just to archive the history of the parade – although the research will be added to the West Yorkshire Archive Service in Huddersfield – but to connect the shops to residents and one another."This project is helping people communicate and connect them to a common cause," she says."Hopefully, at the end, this community of shops will have this special connection through the project and that will last." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Slaithwaite Moonraking Festival celebrates 40th anniversary
A festival which celebrates an age-old tradition of bootlegging on Yorkshire's canals is marking its 40th Moonraking Festival features a series of events inspired by tales of moonrakers – locals who smuggled alcohol in boats on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal in the 19th event was founded in 1985, and takes place every two years, but was put on hiatus between 2017-2023 due to funding issues, and then the pandemic.A week of activities culminates with a spectacular night-time parade featuring handmade paper lanterns, during which locals re-enact the moonrakers' story. In the 19th Century a series of licensing laws were introduced to control the sale and production of alcohol – especially spirits - which led to the smuggling on the canal."They smuggled it in because it was very heavily taxed in those days, and beyond the reach of ordinary people," says Kath Shackleton, one of the organisers of the Slaithwaite Festival."Back in the 1800s, we think around the time of the Napoleonic Wars, booze was hard to come by in West Yorkshire - and locals who wanted their hooch had to resort to imaginative ways of getting hold of it, and the moonrakers hid their booze in the explained how the smugglers came to be known as moonrakers."One night it was a very clear night - in the middle of the winter - and there was a bright, shining moon, and as the constabulary came by asking them what they were doing, they saw the reflection of the moon in the water and they told them that they were 'raking out' the moon."The constabulary bid them on their way and after they had gone they [the smugglers] celebrated with a good party!" Slaithwaite's creative spirit is celebrated across the festival week, with ceilidhs and art workshops, as well as the final parade which begins at 17:30 GMT on the week before the parade – which falls in half term – families create lanterns from willow branches and tissue paper which become part of the evening from Carr Lane, on the canal, a giant illuminated moon is floated along on a with rakes attempt to pull it onto the bank - 'moonraking' - before other participants, dressed as gnomes with long beards. land the moon using a lifted out, the gnomes carry the moon around the streets, leading a procession of lanterns to the top of the town. They are joined by street performers, entertainers, poets and musicians. Today the festival is funded by Kirklees Council, the National Lottery and local Shackleton said it provides a lovely opportunity to bring the young and old in the community together, describing how the parade creates "a stunning view across the village, and the lanterns all snake down the hill" in the centre of bootlegging is thankfully no longer necessary, with alcohol much easier to come by in the West Yorkshire town. Manchester brewery, JW Lees, has even named one of its craft beers, Moonraker Strong Ale, after the to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
