Honley
CountryEngland
Static image nameHonley centre 0307.jpg
Coordinates53.6027°N 1.7921°W
Population5,897
Civil parishHolme Valley
Metropolitan boroughKirklees
Metropolitan countyWest Yorkshire
RegionYorkshire and the Humber
Constituency westminsterColne Valley
Post townHOLMFIRTH
Postcode districtHD9
Postcode areaHD
Dial code01484
Os grid referenceSE137118
London distance160 mi
London directionSSE

Honley is a village in the Holme Valley civil parish in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is situated near to Holmfirth and Huddersfield, and on the banks of the River Holme. According to the 2011 Census it had a population of 6,474, a growth of 577 from the 2001 Census.

The name Honley possibly derives from the Old English Hanalēah meaning either 'cock wood or clearing', or 'Hana's wood or clearing'. Alternatively, the first element could be derived from the Old English hān meaning 'stone', specifically a whetstone.[1]

Community

The annual Honley Agricultural Show[2] takes place on the second Saturday of June. The show has used farmland between Honley and Meltham, and more recently farmland in Farnley Tyas. Honley has both female and male voice choirs. There is also a village hall which holds regular events, workshops, meetings and markets all year round.[3]

There are three schools in the village. Honley Infant and Nursery School for ages 3–7, Honley Junior School for ages 7–11 and Honley High School which after abolishing its sixth form college is now for ages 11–16.[4]

Transport

Honley railway station opened on 1 July 1850, on the Penistone Line. It connects the village to Huddersfield and Sheffield with an hourly service.

There are regular bus services to Huddersfield, Holmfirth and Meltham. Most bus services are operated by the First West Yorkshire and Team Pennine

Church

The parish church is St Mary's, a Grade II listed mostly Victorian church, constructed in 1843 by Robert Dennis Chantrell, with later additions in 1888 and 1909.[5] The church was built on the remains of an earlier church, known as 'Old Peg' built in 1759. It is surrounded by a burial ground containing inscribed tombstones[6] with remnants of a set of village stocks. Though an earlier building was possibly constructed in 1503.[7]

Sport

Honley F.C. fields junior teams at under-6 level to under-17 levels. The teams play in the Huddersfield Junior Football League,[8] and play competitive seven-a-side matches from under-7s to under-10s and eleven-a-side matches from under-11s to under-17s.[9] An adult side with three teams plays in the Huddersfield and District Association Football League. The 'A' team is in the second division, the 'B' team in reserve division one, and the 'C' team in reserve division three.[10]

Honley also has teams in the Huddersfield Cricket League.

On 6 July 2014, Stage 2 of the 2014 Tour de France from York to Sheffield, passed through the village.[11]

Governance

Honley was a township and chapelry in the parish of Almondbury,[12] In 1866 Honley became a separate civil parish, in 1894 Honley became an urban district, on 1 April 1938 when the parish and urban district were abolished and merged with Holmfirth.[13][14] In 1931 the parish had a population of 4611.[15]

Notable people

References

  1. ^ "Key to English Place-names". kepn.nottingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  2. ^ "Honley Show Society Ltd / Honley Show, West Yorkshire". Honleyshow.co.uk. 12 June 2010. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  3. ^ Marlow, Abigail. "Honley Village Hall set to be transferred to community". www.examinerlive.co.uk/. Yorkshire Live.
  4. ^ Tuck, Steven (June 2009). "Kirklees Council". Government of the United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  5. ^
  6. ^ Honley cemetery inscriptions Archived 8 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "St Mary's Church guide". Archived 14 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  8. ^ Huddersfield RCD Junior Football League
  9. ^ "Honley Junior Football club". Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  10. ^ "Holding Page". www.hdafl.org.uk. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  11. ^ "Tour de France Stage 1". Archived from the original on 25 July 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  12. ^ "History of Honley, in Kirklees and West Riding". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  13. ^ "Relationships and changes Honley Ch/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  14. ^ "Honley Urban District (UD) through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  15. ^ "Population statistics Honley Ch/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  16. ^
  17. ^ Glover, Chloe (30 August 2014). "Saxon's Biff Byford: He's sold 15 million albums, influenced Metallica and toured the world – but did you know he was from Huddersfield?". Huddersfield Examiner. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  18. ^ Huddersfield Chronicle Tuesday 20 January 1885, page 3
  19. ^ Huddersfield Examiner Saturday 15 October 1938, page 11
  20. ^ Howell, David (1983). British workers and the Independent Labour Party, 1888–1906. Manchester: Manchester University Press. p. 309. ISBN 0-7190-1791-2.
  21. ^ Atkinson, Neil (25 June 2014). "New tributes to Honley's brave war heroes". Huddersfield Examiner. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  22. ^ Bellamy, Alison (8 December 2018). "Jewel of the Valley". The Yorkshire Post. p. 13. ISSN 0963-1496
  23. ^ "Lifestyle, Denis Kilcommons about David Bintley". Huddersfield Examiner. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  24. ^ "Huddersfield Town 3 Leeds United 2: Stead bags Terriers winner". The Yorkshire Post. 26 October 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2018.