Scammonden including Deanhead
The area, which is surrounded by Pennine moorland, has been occupied for many centuries, and includes the site of the mediaeval village of Styhill.
The area became a community of farms and houses spread over a wide area across both sides of the Deanhead Clough valley and in the valley floor. By the 1870s there were 190 houses spread across the area, which had its own post office and cotton spinning and woollen mills. Rural lanes and paths bridged the Clough in a number of places.
Scammonden was a 'township' or Local Board District which also included part of the community of Pole Moor, including its Baptist Chapel.
The creation of the Scammonden Water reservoir and building of the M62 motorway in the 1960s substantially altered the landscape of the area. The few isolated farms and houses on the valley floor and small disused mills were cleared by the creation of the new dam and flooding of the valley for the new reservoir, which dissected the Scammonden area as a whole.
High above the western side of the reservoir, Scammonden's church at Dean Head is still there. St Bartholemew's celebrated 400 years in 2015, receiving a visit from the Archbishop of York, The Most Rev Dr John Sentamu, for the anniversary. The present church building dates from 1865. Next to the church was the church school, which closed shortly after completion of the reservoir and became a private residence.
There are still farms and scattered houses in the area, now roughly defined by the triangle formed by the A640 New Hey Road, B6114 Saddleworth Road and M62, which surround both Scammonden Water and the earlier smaller Deanhead Reservoir a little further up the valley.
The M62 motorway, crossing the Scammonden dam, opened to traffic in December 1970 and was officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on October 14, 1971, when she unveiled a plaque at the Scammonden Water valve tower.
The motorway construction work also involed the creation of a cutting at Scammonden which was spanned by a bridge to carry what is now the B6114 road, previously the A6025, between Barkisland and Buckstones. The bridge is 200 metres long with a span of 120 metres and 37 metres above the motorway. The concrete arch bridge was claimed to have the world's longest span in a non-suspension bridge when it was built between 1967 and 1970.
The reservoir is used by Scammonden Water Sailing Club, based in what was once Scammonden's vicarage.
Today there are attractive walks around the reservoir, which despite the noise of traffic on the nearby motorway is an area of immense natural beauty. To get the full extent of the views, the paths around the reservoir are possibly best enjoyed in the winter and early spring before newly-planted woodland in the area springs into leaf.
The Lower Royal George, in New Hey Road, is now the only survivor of several distinctive pubs which existed in the Scammonden area. A little further up the road, the Royal George Inn was established in 1457. That became the Upper Royal George and was renamed the Jack O'Mitre in the 1980, but has now been converted to a dog hotel. Higher on the moors, Nont Sarah's existed as a pub for many years, but is now converted to a luxury holiday apartment as Chateau 1803. The area also had a Brown Cow Inn at Saddleworth Road near to the Scammonden Bridge, but that too is no longer a pub.
Around Scammonden
The Lower Royal George is in New Hey Road.
The Lower Royal George serves food.
Scammonden Water Sailing Club is at The Old Vicarage, off Sledge Gate.
Local government
Civil parish council
There is no civil parish council for the Colne Valley area.Metropolitan district council
Scammonden is in the Colne Valley ward of Kirklees Council. 
Kirklees Council
Kirklees Council
Travel
Bus services
900 Monday to Saturday (Infrequent service)
See also 901, 902
Timetable at
Metro
Road travel
Scammonden is near the A640 New Hey Road about two miles from Other places near Scammonden: