New signs chart Liversedge area

Thousands of residents in the Spen Valley have Liversedge in their address, but few know where it actually starts and finishes.
Boundary: David Durrans (left) and Max Rathmell at the A638 sign.Boundary: David Durrans (left) and Max Rathmell at the A638 sign.
Boundary: David Durrans (left) and Max Rathmell at the A638 sign.

Last week, Spen Valley Civic Society celebrated the installation of signs on five main roads, marking the boundaries of Liversedge.

Civic society president David Durrans said: “We are very pleased that Kirklees Council has agreed with the Civic Society’s request for signs.

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“Long before the development of Cleckheaton and Heckmondwike, Liversedge was the most important place in the Spen Valley, a historic ‘township’ which contained two manors.”

The society’s chairman Max Rathmell thanked Kirklees Council and ward councillors for supporting the initiative as the signs were unveiled.

He said: “Liversedge was so prosperous and important that after the Norman invasion in 1066. William the Conqueror gave Liversedge to his knight Sir Ilbert de Lacey, as a reward.

“Liversedge Robert (now Roberttown and Norristhorpe) came under the rule of Robert de Liversidge and his descendants the Neville family. They resided at Liversedge Hall, which you can still see on Liversedge Hall Lane.

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“Their hounds were kept in kennels at Norristhorpe, (still called “Doggus” by locals) and their deer park for hunting was the area around Liversedge Park Farm and Ponderosa.

“Other parts of Liversedge were Liversedge Essolf, (or ‘Long Liversedge’) – now Hightown, and Little Liversedge – now Littletown.

“The Lord of the Manor at Liversedge Essolf lived in Lower Hall, which was off Halifax Road (now the site of a newsagents and Lower Hall Lane).

“All that’s left of the old village centre are two stones which were the stocks.”