Almondbury and Castle Hill

Almondbury

Map view

Almondbury is a village district of Huddersfield two miles south-east of the town centre.

Almondbury has a fascinating history as it was once a more important centre than Huddersfield. It was granted a market charter in 1294 and its parish once extended as far as Marsden and Meltham and beyond Holmfirth.

Although the parish is smaller today, Almondbury village itself has grown substantially with the building of new housing and schools in the mid to late 20th century, including social housing such as the estate built at Fernside. This also led to a new church being built. St Michael and St Helen's Church opened in 1955 for the newly-built estate. It also replaced one closed at nearby Fenay Bridge and supplemented All Hallows Church in the village centre about a mile away.

Northgate, Almondbury Historic buildings remain in Almondbury. Wormald's Hall in Westgate was built in the 16th century. Its 1631 date stone reflects a stone frontage added to the ground floor about 100 years after it was first built. The building is today used by the Almondbury Conservative Club.

All Hallows Church is a grade I listed building with a chancel dating from the 13th century, although much of the church is the result of renovations of the late 15th and early 16th century. In 1990 an interconnecting parish hall with lounge was added.

About a mile to the south west of Almondbury is Castle Hill, an ancient monument including the earthwork remains of a hill fort dating from at least the early iron age and of a motte and bailey castle of the 12th century. The Victoria Tower has stood at the top of the hill for more than 100 years.

Police 'tardis', Northgate, Almondbury Wormald's Hall and war memorial, Almondbury One of the schools in Almondbury can trace its history back to beginnings as a chantry school 1547. King James's School owes its name to a royal charter granted in 1608. The school in St Helen's Gate is today an academy catering for 11 to 16-year-olds.

A smaller but notable historic feature of Almondbury is its 'tardis', the old police box, such as that made famous and named by the BBC TV series Dr Who, stands in Northgate.

The landscape around Almondbury varies from adjoining other districts of Huddersfield, including Dalton and Waterloo, to the north to a more rural and agricultural landscape to the west and south on the approaches to Castle Hill and around the valley of Rushfield Dike.

Around Almondbury

While there are local shops in various places around Almondbury, the village centre is along Northgate, with some shops around the corner at the end of the village in Westgate.

There is a pharmacy in Northgate, Almondbury.

Almondbury has a Post Office branch at Town End.

The Woolpack and The Radcliffe Arms are in Westgate, Almondbury.

Almondbury has a selection of cafes and restaurants.

Almondbury Library is in Stocks Walk. The library is in a historic Carnegie building, one of the libraries funded by Scottish-born philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who made great wealth in the USA through investments and the building of the Carnegie Steel Company in Pittsburgh, USA. An Almondbury Library Friends Association was created to secure a future for the library as Kirklees Council made major cuts to its library service.

Almondbury Library Friends Association social media page

Fernside Park is at the corner of Southfield Road and Hurst Knowle.

Almondbury Community School and Fernside

King James's School, an academy for 11 to 16-year-olds is in St Helen's Gate.

King James's School website

Almondbury Community School, for 3 to 16-year-olds, is in Fernside Avenue.

Almondbury Community School website

All Hallows CE (VA) Primary School is in Longcroft.

All Hallows CE (VA) Primary School website

All Hallows Church is at the corner of Northgate and Westgate, Almondbury. St Michael and St Helen's Church is in Fleminghouse Lane, Almondbury.

Almondbury with Farnley Tyas parish website

Almondbury Methodist Church is in Westgate, Almondbury. The church also runs The Wesley Centre for the community, which is situated between the church and Stocks Walk.

Almondbury Methodist Church website

Almondbury is in the Almondbury ward of Kirklees Council, the metropolitan district council.

Kirklees council website

There is no civil parish council for this area, which prior to 1974 was in the Huddersfield County Borough.

Travel

Bus services

317 Monday to Saturday, morning and early afternoon,

Almondbury - Castle Hill at Ashes Lane / High Lane - Hall Bower High Lane - Newsome Jackroyd Lane, Church Lane - Lockwood Bridge Street, Swan Lane, Lockwood station Penistone line - Crosland Moor - Milnsbridge - Paddock Longwood Road - Quarmby - Huddersfield Royal Infirmary - Lindley

Timetable at

Metro Timetables (.pdf format) at

Stotts Coach Travel

341

Huddersfield Bus station - Aspley - Almondbury Bank - Almondbury - Castle Hill at Ashes Lane - Farnley Tyas - Thurstonland - Stocksmoor Station Penistone line

A service running only between Almondbury and Huddersfield via Somerset Road operates as 342.
Timetable at

Metro Timetables at

CT Plus

342 Monday to Saturday daytime

Huddersfield Bus station - Aspley - Almondbury Circular - via Somerset Road, Southfield Road, De Lacy Avenue, Fernside Avenue, Aldonley, Hurst Knowle, Southfield Road, Ings Road, Dartmouth Avenue, Fenay Lane, Northgate, Somerset Road - Aspley - Huddersfield Bus station

Timetable for First services at

Metro and for CT Plus journey at

Metro
Service information at

First Timetables at

CT Plus

372

Almondbury Northgate, Southfield Road, Aldonley, Fernside Avenue - Waterloo - Dalton Wakefield Road - Moldgreen - Aspley - Huddersfield Westgate - Marsh - Huddersfield Royal Infirmary - Lindley

Timetable at

Metro Service information at

First

Drive time to nearest A&E hospitals:

15 min Huddersfield Royal Infirmary
30 min Dewsbury and District Hospital ~
32 min Barnsley Hospital
34 min Calderdale Royal Hospital, Halifax
34 min Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield
43 min Tameside Hospital, Ashton-under-Lyne
46 min Royal Oldham Hospital
55 min Bradford Royal Infirmary
51 min Northern General Hospital, Sheffield
62 min Leeds General Infirmary

Random point in time survey (Almondbury: Mon Jan 25, 2016, 08.02). Times may considerably vary according to traffic, particularly at peak commuter hours, and trans-Pennine weather conditions. PLEASE ALWAYS CHECK CURRENT TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. See different results in eg. Bradley, Denby Dale, Honley, Holme, Holmfirth, Kirkburton, Marsden, Meltham, New Mill, Slaithwaite. Note: ~ While A&E exists at Dewsbury and District Hospital it is planned to be downgraded starting autumn 2016 to spring 2017 such that if you attend the A&E department at Dewsbury but you need to be admitted for specialist treatment then you will be transferred to Pinderfields.

Also in Huddersfield.guide

Home Villages Castle Hill

Other places near Almondbury: Aspley Dalton Fenay Bridge Longley Lowerhouses Moldgreen Newsome Waterloo