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Halifax

Town in West Yorkshire, northern England, on the River Calder, 13 km/8 mi northwest of Huddersfield; population (2001) 83,600. Important in the woollen cloth trade since medieval times, the town produces textiles, carpets, and clothing; other industries include engineering and the manufacture of confectionery (Nestlé). It is the headquarters of the Halifax plc (formerly Halifax Building Society).

Features

The restored Piece Hall, built in 1779 as a cloth market; the Calderdale Industrial Museum; the Perpendicular Gothic St John's Church; All Souls' (1857-59), designed by Gilbert Scott; the town hall (1859-62), designed by Charles Barry, architect of the Houses of Parliament; part of the original Halifax gibbet (a predecessor of the guillotine), used to behead cloth stealers (1541-1650), is preserved.

History There is evidence that the cloth trade was established here in the late 13th century; local records for that period refer to ‘websters’ (weavers), ‘walkers’ (fullers), and ‘litsters’ (dyers). In the 15th century the parish of Halifax produced more cloth than any other place in Yorkshire. The street named Woolshops was once the site of the woolstaplers' (dealers) warehouses. The local weavers began making worsteds in the mid 18th century, the area expanded, and associated industries developed. The rapid increase in the town's population from 12,000 to 34,000 between 1801 and 1851 resulted in overcrowding and poor living conditions. With the arrival of the railways, Bradford became the chief textile-marketing centre for the area.

Architectural features Piece Hall has 315 rooms and a colonnaded courtyard, and is now used for shops and a market. St John's Church is the third to have been built on the site; of the first church, built by the Cluniac monks of Lewes in about 1120, some Norman fragments survive; three of the windows of the second church (dating from about 1290) remain; the foundations of the present building were probably laid in about 1450. Borough Market is an attractive Victorian building.

Museums and galleries Shibden Hall, in Shibden Park, is a timbered mansion dating partly from the 15th century; it houses a museum containing 17th-century furniture, a collection of manuscripts relating to the district, early printed books, and court rolls. The Bankfield Museum (opened in 1887) contains art, textiles, archaeology, and natural history collections. Eureka is a museum of technology designed for children.

Parks Open spaces include Shroggs Park, overlooking Wheatley Valley; Saville Park (formerly Skircoat Moor), with Albert Promenade overlooking Copley Valley; the People's Park; West Vale Park (with Clare House); Shibden Hall and Park; Akroyd Park; Belle Vue Park; and Manor Heath.

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