Skelmanthorpe, West Yorkshire, England
Created | Updated Oct 20, 2010
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<TABLE><TR><TD><B>Skelmanthorpe</b> is really rather lovely. There are no pictures at all of Skelmanthorpe on the web, so here are some, after someone e-mailed me and asked. That "someone" was Anne Driver-De Moore, who works for the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, when she was curious to know where her daughter had just moved to.</td><td>
<img src=http://www.mediauk.com/crid/sign.jpg width=141 height=150></td></tr></table><P>
To get your bearings, find a map of the UK, then find out where Manchester is, then draw a line pointing due East from Manchester until you're across as far as Leeds or Sheffield. And that's us. Near enough. There's a closer map <a href=http://uk8.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?place=Skelmanthorpe%2C+West+Yorkshire&db=hcgaz&scale=200000&mapclick=0&local=all&width=500&height=300&X=425000&Y=410000&zs=&ct=b6&GridE=&GridN=&scn=0>here</a>, but then where's the fun in that?<P>
<img src=http://www.mediauk.com/crid/emleymoor.jpg width=300 height=195><BR/>
<B>Emley Moor</b> television mast overlooks the village. It was built after the earlier TV mast fell down in the late 1960s. Now, it broadcasts analogue and digital TV, analogue and digital radio, and a whole lot more besides. Ironically, we get our TV via satellite, so there's little point in having it so close. But it looks nice - it's a special hollow concrete design. It's run by a company called NTL, and its correct name is "NTL Tower".<P>
<img src=http://www.mediauk.com/crid/countryside.jpg width=364 height=216><BR/>
<B>The countryside</b> around Skelmanthorpe is really very spectacular, with a lot of hills and consequently a lot of nice views. That's Skelmanthorpe there, nestling in the middle of this picture. First called "Skilmannathorpe", we used to be called "Skelmansthorpe" until a few hundred years ago, when it was realised that "Skelmansthorpe" meant something like "Town of the Liar and Murderer" and it was changed to "Skelmanthorpe". Locals know it as "Shat". According to legend, when the DeLacy family who owned much of the land wanted tough soldiers, they sought them out in Skelmanthorpe. There was no stopping these men who were known as "Shatters" (they used to shatter things), from where the word "Shat" comes.<P>
<img src=http://www.mediauk.com/crid/highstreet.jpg width=301 height=261><BR/>
<B>The high street</b> contains a few shops, notably a small local supermarket run by the Co-op which opened in 1834. (I don't think it sold frozen pizzas then, mind.) Also in the high street: a bakery, a sports shop, a video store, a few newsagents, an insurance seller and a tile shop. Food in the town is catered for by an Indian restaurant and takeaways serving nice chinese, worrying-looking (but very tasty) curry, and cheap-looking pizza - as well as quite tasty fish and chips. A nice Asian bloke called "Baz" runs the fish and chip shop, as well as one of the newsagents. You may recognise this scene, if you've a long memory and a dreadful taste in television - the sitcom <I>Oh No It's Selwyn Froggett</i> was filmed here. The one starring the same bloke as Greengrass in <I>Heartbeat</i>. Bill someone. You know.<P>
There are four pubs in the town: The Windmill (quite a long way out and we've never been in), The Three Horseshoes (used to be really rather good but seems to be full of kids these days), The Chartist (where we go, not particularly cosy but okay), and The Grove (down the other end of town but warm and cosy and does food, of sorts).<P>
<img src=http://www.mediauk.com/crid/cricket.jpg width=300 height=228><BR/>
For the Americans reading this, you'll be pleased to know that we have our own <B>cricket</b> ground, which is a nice focal point for the village in the summer. Our nearest football team is Emley, just a mile away, and no doubt there's a local rugby-league side based somewhere close, too. People hereabouts support Barnsley FC rather than Huddersfield Town.<P>
More fascinating facts: two hundred years ago, Skelmanthorpe Feast was a riotous affair with bull and bear-baiting and organised dog fights. Gee, we knew how to have a good time in those days.<P>
Handloom weaving thrived in the village during the 1800s, and many houses are still obviously weaver's cottages. (You can tell by loads of windows on the top floor, to get as much light for as long as possible). As late as 1890, there were 200 handlooms in cottages in Skelmanthorpe.<P>
<img src=http://www.mediauk.com/crid/chuff1.jpg width=200 height=146> <img src=http://www.mediauk.com/crid/chuff2.jpg width=141 height=146><BR/>
Skelmanthorpe also boasts its own steam railway, the <B>Kirklees Light Railway</b>. This very pleasant if completely pointless trip involves going through the longest rail tunnel in the UK that's not owned by Railtrack (the new name for British Rail's track people) or London Transport (who own the Underground). Incidentally, the trains only look this stupid when they put on a "Thomas the Tank Engine" weekend; normally they look quite nice.<P>
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Useful (?!) Skelmanthorpe links:<BR/>
<font size=-1>- <a href=http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/6493/index.htm>The ntl Skelmanthorpe band</a><BR/>
- <a href=http://www.emleyafc.free-online.co.uk/>Emley AFC</a>, our local soccer team<BR/></font>
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<TABLE><TR><TD><B>Skelmanthorpe</b> is really rather lovely. There are no pictures at all of Skelmanthorpe on the web, so here are some, after someone e-mailed me and asked. That "someone" was Anne Driver-De Moore, who works for the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, when she was curious to know where her daughter had just moved to.</td><td>
<img src=http://www.mediauk.com/crid/sign.jpg width=141 height=150></td></tr></table><P>
To get your bearings, find a map of the UK, then find out where Manchester is, then draw a line pointing due East from Manchester until you're across as far as Leeds or Sheffield. And that's us. Near enough. There's a closer map <a href=http://uk8.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?place=Skelmanthorpe%2C+West+Yorkshire&db=hcgaz&scale=200000&mapclick=0&local=all&width=500&height=300&X=425000&Y=410000&zs=&ct=b6&GridE=&GridN=&scn=0>here</a>, but then where's the fun in that?<P>
<img src=http://www.mediauk.com/crid/emleymoor.jpg width=300 height=195><BR/>
<B>Emley Moor</b> television mast overlooks the village. It was built after the earlier TV mast fell down in the late 1960s. Now, it broadcasts analogue and digital TV, analogue and digital radio, and a whole lot more besides. Ironically, we get our TV via satellite, so there's little point in having it so close. But it looks nice - it's a special hollow concrete design. It's run by a company called NTL, and its correct name is "NTL Tower".<P>
<img src=http://www.mediauk.com/crid/countryside.jpg width=364 height=216><BR/>
<B>The countryside</b> around Skelmanthorpe is really very spectacular, with a lot of hills and consequently a lot of nice views. That's Skelmanthorpe there, nestling in the middle of this picture. First called "Skilmannathorpe", we used to be called "Skelmansthorpe" until a few hundred years ago, when it was realised that "Skelmansthorpe" meant something like "Town of the Liar and Murderer" and it was changed to "Skelmanthorpe". Locals know it as "Shat". According to legend, when the DeLacy family who owned much of the land wanted tough soldiers, they sought them out in Skelmanthorpe. There was no stopping these men who were known as "Shatters" (they used to shatter things), from where the word "Shat" comes.<P>
<img src=http://www.mediauk.com/crid/highstreet.jpg width=301 height=261><BR/>
<B>The high street</b> contains a few shops, notably a small local supermarket run by the Co-op which opened in 1834. (I don't think it sold frozen pizzas then, mind.) Also in the high street: a bakery, a sports shop, a video store, a few newsagents, an insurance seller and a tile shop. Food in the town is catered for by an Indian restaurant and takeaways serving nice chinese, worrying-looking (but very tasty) curry, and cheap-looking pizza - as well as quite tasty fish and chips. A nice Asian bloke called "Baz" runs the fish and chip shop, as well as one of the newsagents. You may recognise this scene, if you've a long memory and a dreadful taste in television - the sitcom <I>Oh No It's Selwyn Froggett</i> was filmed here. The one starring the same bloke as Greengrass in <I>Heartbeat</i>. Bill someone. You know.<P>
There are four pubs in the town: The Windmill (quite a long way out and we've never been in), The Three Horseshoes (used to be really rather good but seems to be full of kids these days), The Chartist (where we go, not particularly cosy but okay), and The Grove (down the other end of town but warm and cosy and does food, of sorts).<P>
<img src=http://www.mediauk.com/crid/cricket.jpg width=300 height=228><BR/>
For the Americans reading this, you'll be pleased to know that we have our own <B>cricket</b> ground, which is a nice focal point for the village in the summer. Our nearest football team is Emley, just a mile away, and no doubt there's a local rugby-league side based somewhere close, too. People hereabouts support Barnsley FC rather than Huddersfield Town.<P>
More fascinating facts: two hundred years ago, Skelmanthorpe Feast was a riotous affair with bull and bear-baiting and organised dog fights. Gee, we knew how to have a good time in those days.<P>
Handloom weaving thrived in the village during the 1800s, and many houses are still obviously weaver's cottages. (You can tell by loads of windows on the top floor, to get as much light for as long as possible). As late as 1890, there were 200 handlooms in cottages in Skelmanthorpe.<P>
<img src=http://www.mediauk.com/crid/chuff1.jpg width=200 height=146> <img src=http://www.mediauk.com/crid/chuff2.jpg width=141 height=146><BR/>
Skelmanthorpe also boasts its own steam railway, the <B>Kirklees Light Railway</b>. This very pleasant if completely pointless trip involves going through the longest rail tunnel in the UK that's not owned by Railtrack (the new name for British Rail's track people) or London Transport (who own the Underground). Incidentally, the trains only look this stupid when they put on a "Thomas the Tank Engine" weekend; normally they look quite nice.<P>
<HR>
Useful (?!) Skelmanthorpe links:<BR/>
<font size=-1>- <a href=http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/6493/index.htm>The ntl Skelmanthorpe band</a><BR/>
- <a href=http://www.emleyafc.free-online.co.uk/>Emley AFC</a>, our local soccer team<BR/></font>
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