May is the Local History and Communities Month. For events being held in other parts of the country, use this searchable database, maintained by the Historical Association.
Here is a selection of ‘hidden gems’ that you may like to visit as part of Local History Month. They’re all within the Keighley and District Area and are accessible via public transport.
- The Quaker Burial Ground, Lustre Street, West Lane. Tucked away off West Lane this small burial ground is the final resting place of a number of prominent Quakers.
- Utley Cemetery. Utley Cemetery is home to several large, Victorian era mausoleums and a number of war graves.
- Braithwaite Village. Old Braithwaite has a number of very old buildings and is well worth having a short walk through.
- Dalton Mills. Hardly a hidden gem but a fantastic example of Keighley’s industrial heritage.
- Keighley Shared Church. Open on Saturdays from 1pm to 3pm for private prayer and visits.
- Laycock Cross. Embedded into the wall opposite the entrance to the villages Primary School. Undated.
- Low Utley. There are numerous buildings in Low Utley of historical interest. Utley Manor House, for example, can be dated back to the 17th Century. Further information can be found in the Conservation Area documentation (pdf file).
- Packhorse bridge, Oldfield. The date of construction of this Packhorse bridge is unknown. The route itself was first used by tradesmen in the Middle Ages.
- Royal Arcade.
- Guard House and Barn. The buildings are dated to 1791, though a Guard House is known to have been on the site prior to this date.
- K6 Telephone Box. There aren’t many ‘old’ telephone boxes around anymore. This one, now without a phone, is located in Goose Eye. It is a listed building, maintained by Keighley Town Council.
- Ponden Corn Mill. Mid 17th Century mill.
- Milepost, Hob Cote Lane, Oakworth. An early 19th century milepost pointing to Keighley (3 miles) and Colne (9 miles).
- Aqueduct over Morton Beck. Built in the 1770′s this aqueduct takes the Leeds – Liverpool canal over Morton Beck.
- Lime Kiln near Elam Grange, Riddlesden.
- Prehistoric rock carvings. There are several rock carvings on Rombalds Moor.
- Lund park. Lund Park was gifted to Keighley Corporration in 1888 and opened as a park by Mrs Lund on 21 July 1891.
- Keighley Workshouse. Now residential properties the exterior of Keighley Workhouse is well worth taking a look at.
- Cross Roads with Lees. Apart from a number of interesting old buildings, this was the site of an attack on the Roman by members of the Brigante tribe.
- Jennets Well. Believed to have had healing powers, this well has been in existence since at least 1858, and probably much earlier than this.
- Keighley Moor Reservoir. Originally built to regulate the flow of water into North Beck, the reservoir played a vital role in ensuring that the water powered mills of Goose Eye and Keighley had a constant flow of water.
- The Roman Road. Remains of the Roman Road are visible on Ilkley Moor.
- Keighley Library. Apart from housing our archives and a host of useful books and documents about the town, it is worth paying a visit simply to take in the architecture of the building.
- ‘Postmans Walk’ A stroll up / down ‘Postmans Walk’ provides an opportunity to see the remains of cellars of homes that had been part of Westgate.
- Oxenhope. There are a number of early 19th century mills in Oxenhope.
- Royal Ordnance Factory no. 11 (Steeton Dump) and World War 2 Pillboxes. in 2009, KDLHS obtained Grade Two Listed status for the three defensive pillboxes connected to the Royal Ordnance Factory, the main buildings are now used by Damart.
- Holden Park in Oakworth. Beautiful and extensive Victorian grottoes created by French craftsmen, with mosaic floor entrances created by Italian craftsmen, for Sir Isaac Holden Bart.
- Haworth Main Street and Bronte Parsonage. Popular tourist location with an original cobbled street and Victorian shop fronts and public houses.