Almondbury

Almondbury and Castle HillNorthgate, AlmondburyAlmondbury 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 second anglican church being built for the village. 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 the parish church, All Hallows, in the village centre about a mile away.

Almondbury war memorial and All Hallows ChurchAll 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.

Wormald's Hall, Westgate, AlmondburyOther 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.

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.

Westgate, AlmondburyPolice 'tardis', Northgate, AlmondburyFormer Rose & Crown pub, now a Co-opOne of the schools in Almondbury can trace its history back to beginnings as a chantry school in 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, in Northgate. The police box is similar to that made famous and named the tardis by the BBC TV series Dr Who.

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

Northgate, 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 moved to Farfield Road in 2019. The library replaced the village's historic original library in Stocks Walk, which was a Carnegie building, one of the libraries funded around the country 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.

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

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

King James's School website

Hill View Academy, for 3 to 11-year-olds, is in Fernside Avenue.

Hill View Academy 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

Places to visit

Castle Hill

Castle Hill Victoria Tower, Castle HillCastle Hill with its Victoria Tower is Huddersfield's most prominent landmark and offers stunning views in all directions from the paths around the hilltop. The hill is thought to have been occupied as long as 5,000 years ago in the Neolithic period while its earliest defensive earthworks were created in the early Iron Age around 2,700 years ago. The Victoria Tower was opened in 1899 commemorating the diamond jubilee year of Queen Victoria two years earlier. For a small fee its internal steps can be climbed on selected dates.

Find out more on our Castle Hill page.

Local government

Civil parish council

Almondbury is in an unparished area, which prior to 1974 was in the Huddersfield County Borough.

Metropolitan district council

Almondbury is in the Almondbury ward of Kirklees Council.

Kirklees Council website

Travel

Bus services

341 Monday to Saturday

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

Timetable at

Metro Timetables at

South Pennine Community Transport

342 Monday to Saturday daytime. Route includes circular section at Almondbury.

342 at AlmondburyHuddersfield Bus station - Aspley - Almondbury 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 at

Metro Timetables at

First Bus

372

372 at AlmondburyAlmondbury Northgate, Southfield Road, Aldonley, Fernside Avenue - Waterloo - Dalton Wakefield Road - Moldgreen - Aspley - Huddersfield Bus station

Timetable at

Metro Timetables at

First Bus

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

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