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{{Short description|Market town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, England}} |
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'''Morley''' is a town in the [[county]] of [[West Yorkshire]], [[England]], in the [[City of Leeds|Metropolitan Borough of Leeds]] and is situated five miles south-west of [[Leeds]] city centre. A population of 47,579 was recorded by the 2001 census<ref name="census">{{cite web |
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{{More citations needed|date=November 2008}} |
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| year = 2001 |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}} |
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| url = http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/west_yorkshire_urban_area.asp |
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{{Use British English|date=February 2017}} |
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| title = Census 2001 |
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{{Infobox UK place |
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| work = National Statistics |
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| country = England |
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}}</ref>; this included [[West Ardsley|West]] and [[East Ardsley]], although these areas are not governed by Morley Town Council, and many locals view them as separate. By the census definition, Morley is larger than [[Pontefract]], [[Castleford]], [[Batley]] or [[Keighley]], although it still has the reputation as a small town. |
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| official_name = Morley |
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| pushpin_map = United Kingdom Leeds |
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| coordinates = {{coord|53.749166|-1.602263|display=inline,title}} |
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| population = 44,440 |
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| population_ref = (Including Adwalton. 2011) |
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| civil_parish = Morley |
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| metropolitan_borough = [[City of Leeds]] |
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| metropolitan_county = [[West Yorkshire]] |
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| region = Yorkshire and the Humber |
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| constituency_westminster = [[Morley and Outwood (UK Parliament constituency)|Morley and Outwood]] |
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| post_town = LEEDS |
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| postcode_area = LS |
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| postcode_district = LS27 |
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| dial_code = 0113 |
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| os_grid_reference = SE265275 |
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| static_image_name = Dawson Hill, Morley - east end (geograph 7153606).jpg |
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| static_image_caption = Dawson Hill |
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| london_distance = |
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}} |
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'''Morley''' is a [[market town]] and a [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] within the [[City of Leeds]] [[metropolitan borough]], in [[West Yorkshire]], England. Morley is the largest town in the borough after Leeds itself. Morley forms part of the [[Heavy Woollen District]]. |
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Morley, like [[Rome]], is built on seven hills: Scatcherd Hill, Dawson Hill, Daisy Hill, Chapel Hill, Hunger Hill, Troy Hill and Banks Hill. |
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It lies approximately {{convert|5|mi|km|0}} south-west of [[Leeds city centre]]. It was built on seven hills: Scatcherd Hill, Dawson Hill, Daisy Hill, Chapel Hill, Hunger Hill, Troy Hill and Banks Hill. In 2011, the town and civil parish had populations of 44,440 and 27,738 respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ukcensusdata.com/leeds08000035#sthash.WeVYauds5rjt8HmR.dpbs|title=- UK Census Data 2011|publisher=Good Stuff IT Services|access-date=28 February 2017}}{{dl|date=November 2022}}</ref> |
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The town is split between the [[Morley North (ward)|Morley North]] and [[Morley South (ward)|Morley South]] [[electoral ward|wards]] (containing the town centre) of [[Leeds City Council]], both making up the western half of the [[Morley and Outwood (UK Parliament constituency)|Morley and Outwood]] [[UK Parliament constituencies|parliamentary constituency]]. |
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==History== |
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Morley was mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]] in 1086 as ''Morelege'', ''Morelei'' and ''Moreleia''. Morley means "open ground by a moor", from [[Old English language|Old English]] ''mōr'' "[[moorland|moor]], clearing, pasture" + ''lēah'' "open ground, clearing". It gave its name to ''Morelei Wapentac'', a [[wapentake]] which probably met at [[Tingley]].<ref>[[Victor Watts]] (ed.), ''The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names, Based on the Collections of the English Place-Name Society'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004), s.v. ''MORLEY WYorks''.</ref> |
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[[Howley Hall]] was built during the 1580s by Sir John Savile, a member of the great Yorkshire landowners, the Savile family. The house was besieged during the [[English Civil War]] in 1643 before the [[Battle of Adwalton Moor]] but appears to have sustained no serious damage. It continued to be occupied during the 17th century but fell into disrepair. The hall was demolished in 1730 but ruins exist including the cellars of its great hall.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1016323|desc=Howley Hall; a 16th century country house and gardens|access-date=19 October 2021}}</ref> |
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The town became famous for its textile industry, notably the cloth, [[shoddy]], which was worn by both sides in the [[American Civil War]]. |
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On 7 October 1872, 34 people were killed in an explosion at the Morley Main Colliery.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nmrs.org.uk/mines-map/accidents-disasters/yorkshire/morley-main-colleriey-explosion-leeds-1872/ | title=Morley Main Colleriey Explosion – Leeds – 1872 }}</ref> |
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==Governance== |
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[[File:Morley Map.jpg|thumb|left|Street map of Morley]] |
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Morley = turmoil |
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Historically, Morley was the centre of one of two divisions of the [[wapentake]] of [[Agbrigg and Morley]]. Morley became a [[Municipal Borough]] in 1889 and under the [[Local Government Act 1972]], was incorporated into the [[City of Leeds]] [[metropolitan borough|Metropolitan District]]. Morley is represented on [[Leeds City Council]] by three wards (namely [[Morley North (ward)|Morley North]], [[Morley South (ward)|Morley South]] and [[Ardsley and Robin Hood (ward)|Ardsley and Robin Hood]]) each with three councillors. At the 2010 general election, Morley and Outwood was won by Ed Balls of the Labour Party, who had been MP for Normanton since 2005, and served as Labour's [[Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer]] from 2011 until 2015. Balls narrowly lost the seat at the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]] to [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[Andrea Jenkyns]]. In the 2024 General Election, Mark Sewards won a majority and ousted Andrea Jenkyns from the MP position after the constituency boundaries were redrawn to change Morley and Outwood to Leeds South West and Morley. |
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A [[town council]] was established in 2000, though it does not cover [[Drighlington]], [[Gildersome]], [[Tingley]] and [[East Ardsley|East]] and [[West Ardsley]] – areas formerly part of the [[municipal borough]]. |
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Famous people from Morley |
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no body |
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Following a review of parliamentary representation in West Yorkshire, the [[Morley and Rothwell (UK Parliament constituency)|Morley and Rothwell]] parliamentary constituency was abolished at the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010 election]] and replaced by the [[Morley and Outwood (UK Parliament constituency)|Morley and Outwood]] constituency. |
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==Sport in Morley== |
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[[Morley R.F.C.]] was founded in [[1878]] and was a member of the [[Northern Union]]. When the Northern Union clubs broke away from the RFU to form what is now [[rugby league]], the Morley representatives missed the train to [[Huddersfield]] as they were still in the pub. The club's heyday was in the [[1970s]] where they won the Yorkshire Cup on five occasions. Some of this glory was recaptured in April [[2005]] when the club won the Powergen Intermediate Cup at [[Twickenham]]. |
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The town's [[coat of arms]] featured the symbolic principal industries of the municipal borough: [[textile manufacturing]], [[coal mining]] and [[quarry]]ing. |
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The town also has a [[cricket]] club (whose team plays in the Bradford League), along with a [[football (soccer)|football]] club (Morley Town) and [[Rugby league]] club (Morley Borough). |
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==Geography== |
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{{Geographic Location |
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|title = '''Neighbouring areas''' |
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|Northwest = [[Bradford]] |
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|North = [[Armley]] |
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|Northeast = [[Churwell]], [[Leeds city centre]] |
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|West = [[Drighlington]] |
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|Centre = Morley |
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|East = [[Rothwell, West Yorkshire|Rothwell]] |
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|Southwest = [[Batley]] |
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|South = [[Dewsbury]] |
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|Southeast = [[Wakefield]] |
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}} |
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==Present== |
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[[File:TownHall-Morley-West Yorkshire-2.jpg|thumb|[[Morley Town Hall]], completed in 1895]] |
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[[File:Queen Street, Morley.jpg|thumb|right|Queen Street]] |
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[[File:Morley Market.jpg|thumb|Morley Indoor Market]] |
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[[File:St Andrew's Church - St Andrew's Avenue - geograph.org.uk - 668915.jpg|thumb|St Andrew's Church]] |
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[[Morley Town Hall]] is sometimes used for music recordings. Television programmes, ''[[Heartbeat (UK TV series)|Heartbeat]]'' and ''[[Emmerdale]]'' have used its disused magistrates court and a [[cobblestone]]d street to one side. It hosts [[concert]]s by local schools and performances by the Morley Amateur Operatic Society, whose [[pantomime]]s have taken place at the Alexandra Hall for many years. |
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[[St Mary in the Wood Church, Morley|St Mary in the Wood Church]] is located to the north of the town centre on Troy Road and Commercial Street. The church has been closed since the late 20th Century and survived until 2010. When a fire broke out and burnt the whole church interior. The site is now overgrown and abandoned although the impressive spire can be seen from the town centre. The congregation still meet at the chapel on Commercial Street. |
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Morley annually holds one of the largest St George's Day parades in the country and has been named "the most patriotic town in England".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7351194.stm|title=England's most patriotic town?|work=BBC News |publisher=BBC|access-date=28 February 2017}}</ref> |
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Morley Market has been a feature since the town was formed. The market building has a large trading hall split up into units housing, [[butchers]], fashion shops and a [[café]]. Supermarkets in Morley include Morrisons, Home Bargains and B & M in the town centre, a 24-hour Asda superstore and an Aldi Supermarket on the outside of the town centre. |
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Scatcherd Park in the centre of Morley, by the Morley Leisure Centre, has a large playing field, a skate park, children's park, bowling green and memorial gardens, including the town's [[Morley War Memorial, Scatcherd Park|war memorial]]. Events are held on the adjoining field in the summer months. |
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On 21 February 2010, a statue of [[Ernie Wise]] was erected outside Morley Post Office to divided opinion<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/8549577.stm |title=Ernie Wise statue divides opinion in Morley |work=[[BBC News]] |date=4 March 2010 |access-date=28 February 2017}}</ref> and unveiled by his widow, Doreen.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.morleyobserver.co.uk/news/Ernie-Wise-statue-to-be.6089263.jp |title=Ernie Wise statue to be put in place this weekend|newspaper=Morley Observer |date=19 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.morleyobserver.co.uk/news/Heart-to-heart-with-Ernie.6136195.jp|title=Heart to heart with Ernie Wise's widow, Doreen.|newspaper=Morley Observer |access-date=28 February 2017}}</ref> Wise had performed in the old nearby cinema, just around from the Post Office, which is now a [[Wetherspoons]]. |
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On 25 June 2012, the [[Olympic Torch]] paused at [[the Morley Academy]] on its tour of Britain ahead of the [[London 2012|London Olympic Games 2012]]. |
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==Transport== |
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[[Morley railway station]] is half a mile (800 m) from the town centre on the [[Huddersfield Line]]. There is a service seven days a week to and from [[Leeds railway station|Leeds]], but on Sundays, the service is less frequent. |
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Buses go to Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield and other West Yorkshire towns from bus stops near the Town Hall. |
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The [[M621 motorway]] runs to the west of the town and the [[M62 motorway]] to the south. Junctions 27 and 28 of the M62 are closest to Morley. |
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==Education== |
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There are numerous primary schools in Morley including Morley Newlands Academy, Churwell Primary, Seven Hills Primary School, Morley Victoria Primary School, Asquith Primary, Fountain Primary and St Francis Catholic Primary School. It also has an independent preparatory school; Queenswood School. |
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Three secondary schools serve pupils from Morley: [[The Morley Academy]] (formerly Morley High and Morley Grammar), [[Bruntcliffe Academy]] and [[Woodkirk Academy]] (formerly Woodkirk High and technically in [[West Ardsley]], but has a large proportion of students from Morley due to its catchment area). |
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==Media== |
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Local news and television programmes are provided by [[BBC Yorkshire]] and [[ITV Yorkshire]]. Television signals are received from the [[Emley Moor transmitting station|Emley Moor]] TV transmitter. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Emley_Moor|title=Emley Moor (Kirklees, England) Full Freeview transmitter|date=1 May 2004|website=UK Free TV|accessdate=12 April 2024}}</ref> Local radio stations are [[BBC Radio Leeds]], [[Heart Yorkshire]], [[Capital Yorkshire]], [[Greatest Hits Radio West Yorkshire]], and [[Pulse 1]]. The town is served by the local newspaper, ''Morley Observer & Advertiser''. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/england-yorks/morley-observer-advertiser/|title=Morley Observer & Advertiser|date=31 December 2013|website=British Papers|accessdate=12 April 2024}}</ref> |
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==Sport== |
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[[Morley R.F.C.]] was founded in 1878. When the Northern Union clubs broke away from the RFU to form the [[rugby league]], the Morley representatives missed the train to [[Huddersfield]] due to being in the pub. The club's heyday was in the 1970s when it won the Yorkshire Cup on five occasions. In April 2005 the club won the Powergen Intermediate Cup at [[Twickenham]]. |
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Morley CC [[cricket]] club plays in the Bradford League, Morley Town AFC (currently of Yorkshire FA Premier Division) and Morley Amateur FC are the towns [[football (soccer)|football]] club and Morley Borough play rugby league. |
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Morley Leisure Centre<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.leeds.gov.uk/sports/Pages/Morley-leisure-centre.aspx | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130227092611/http://www.leeds.gov.uk/sports/Pages/Morley-leisure-centre.aspx | archive-date=27 February 2013 | title=Morley Leisure Centre }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/8591593.stm |title=Pictures show new leisure centre in Morley |work=[[BBC News]] |date=28 March 2010 |access-date=28 February 2017}}</ref> is newly built after undergoing a £33 million joint project with Armley Leisure Centre completed 22 June 2010 boasting a main 25-metre swimming pool, 10-metre learner pool, 150-station Bodyline gym, numerous sports halls, a dance studio and a cafe. |
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Independent Wrestling company Dynamic Pro Wrestling (DPW) is based in Morley and put on shows at Ackroyd Street Working Mens Club and around West Yorkshire until its closure in 2011. |
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Morley was the home of seven times World Cycling Champion [[Beryl Burton]]. |
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Scatcherd Park Bowling club compete in 9 leagues |
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==Filmography== |
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Morley is a setting for [[David Peace]]'s ''Red Riding Quartet'' novel and [[Red Riding|2009 television series]] which explore West Yorkshire police corruption during the 1970s, and 1980s. ''Emmerdale'' often use Morley for filming court and wedding scenes in the town hall. |
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==Twin towns== |
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* {{flagicon|GER}} [[Siegen]], Germany, since 1966 continuation of partnership with amalgamated [[City of Leeds]] as of 1974 |
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==Notable people== |
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Natives of the town refer to themselves as Morleians. Notable Morleians include: |
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<!---♦♦♦ Editors note; Please only add names of people born in the town. Do not add names who do not have a Wikipedia article, or a checkable supporting reference of notability. Unreferenced names will be removed without notice ♦♦♦---> |
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<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦---> |
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*[[H. H. Asquith]], British [[Prime Minister]] |
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*[[Brian Bedford]], actor, nominated for 7 Tony Awards, Disney's voice of Robin Hood, veteran Shakespearian actor |
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*[[Beverley Callard]], actress<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-35935937|title=Coronation Street's Beverley Callard 'taking time off'|date=31 March 2016|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|access-date=15 August 2020}}</ref> |
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*[[Mark Crook]], professional footballer |
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*[[Helen Fielding]], author of ''[[Bridget Jones's Diary (novel)|Bridget Jones's Diary]]'' |
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<!-- *[[Joseph Harrop]], mayor --> |
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*[[Jonathan Howson]], professional footballer |
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*[[Joe Seddon]], technology entrepreneur and founder of Zero Gravity |
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*[[Ben Kaye]], Batley Bulldogs Rugby League Player |
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*[[Aaron Murphy]], [[Huddersfield Giants]] player |
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*[[Jack Popplewell]], playwright, composer<ref>{{cite book|last1=Barraclough|first1= R.|last2= Reekie|first2= D.|title=Morley Entertainers|year=2003|publisher=Zodiac Publishing, London, UK}}</ref> |
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*[[Titus Salt]], the creator of [[Saltaire]] |
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*[[Alice Cliff Scatcherd]], pioneer for women's rights and philanthropist who donated Scatcherd Park to the town.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.urbexforums.co.uk/showthread.php/4753-Mausoleum-Scatcherd-Family-St.-Marys-Leeds-July-09|title=Mausoleum – Scatcherd Family, St. Marys, Leeds – July 09|date=7 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007021235/http://www.urbexforums.co.uk/showthread.php/4753-Mausoleum-Scatcherd-Family-St.-Marys-Leeds-July-09|archive-date=7 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eIzLissZmscC&q=Alice%20Scatcherd&pg=PA619|title=The Women's Suffrage Movement: A Reference Guide, 1866–1928|first=Elizabeth|last=Crawford|date=1 January 2001|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9780415239264|access-date=28 February 2017|via=Google Books}}</ref> Scatcherd is buried in St Mary in the Wood [[churchyard]], Morley. |
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*[[Nick Scruton]], professional rugby league player |
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*[[Lee Smith (rugby league)|Lee Smith]], [[Leeds Rhinos|Leeds RLFC]] player |
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*[[Stevie Ward]], [[Leeds Rhinos]] player |
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*[[John R. Womersley]], [[mathematician]] and [[computer scientist]] |
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==See also== |
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*[[Listed buildings in Morley, West Yorkshire]] |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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{{commons category}} |
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{{EB1911 Poster|Morley}} |
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180901050018/https://beyondchurch.org.uk/ Beyond Church at St Peter's Morley] – Morley Parish Church |
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* [http://www.morley.gov.uk/ Morley Town Council] |
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050426225550/http://www.arch.wyjs.org.uk/advsrv/ConsMor.htm West Yorkshire Archaeology Service] |
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* {{cite web | url = http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/WRY/Batley/index.html | title = The Ancient Parish of Batley | publisher = [[GENUKI]] | access-date=29 October 2007}} Morley was in this parish |
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* [http://www.morleyarchives.org.uk/ Morley Community Archives] |
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* http://www.mmtrust.org.uk/mausolea/view/220/Scatcherd_Mausoleum Scatcherd Mausoleum |
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* http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/e2d61b0c-a8ea-418a-ab9c-55f3033b2055 Scatcherd Collection, Morley Library |
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{{NSEW|[[Churwell]]|[[Tingley]]|[[Middleton, West Yorkshire|Middleton]]|[[Birstall, West Yorkshire|Birstall]]|||||}} |
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{{West Yorkshire}} |
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{{authority control}} |
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[[Category:Morley, West Yorkshire| ]] |
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[[Category:City of Leeds]] |
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[[Category:Market towns in West Yorkshire]] |
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[[Category:Heavy Woollen District]] |
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[[Category:Civil parishes in West Yorkshire]] |
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[[Category:Towns in West Yorkshire]] |
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this articlebyadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Morley, West Yorkshire" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Morley | |
|---|---|
 Dawson Hill | |
  Morley Show map of Leeds  Morley Location within West Yorkshire Show map of West Yorkshire | |
| Population | 44,440 (Including Adwalton. 2011) |
| OS grid reference | SE265275 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LEEDS |
| Postcode district | LS27 |
| Dialling code | 0113 |
| Police | West Yorkshire |
| Fire | West Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| UK Parliament | |
| |
Morley is a market town and a civil parish within the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, in West Yorkshire, England. Morley is the largest town in the borough after Leeds itself. Morley forms part of the Heavy Woollen District.
It lies approximately 5 miles (8 km) south-west of Leeds city centre. It was built on seven hills: Scatcherd Hill, Dawson Hill, Daisy Hill, Chapel Hill, Hunger Hill, Troy Hill and Banks Hill. In 2011, the town and civil parish had populations of 44,440 and 27,738 respectively.[1]
The town is split between the Morley North and Morley South wards (containing the town centre) of Leeds City Council, both making up the western half of the Morley and Outwood parliamentary constituency.
Morley was mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 as Morelege, Morelei and Moreleia. Morley means "open ground by a moor", from Old English mōr "moor, clearing, pasture" + lēah "open ground, clearing". It gave its name to Morelei Wapentac, a wapentake which probably met at Tingley.[2]
Howley Hall was built during the 1580s by Sir John Savile, a member of the great Yorkshire landowners, the Savile family. The house was besieged during the English Civil War in 1643 before the Battle of Adwalton Moor but appears to have sustained no serious damage. It continued to be occupied during the 17th century but fell into disrepair. The hall was demolished in 1730 but ruins exist including the cellars of its great hall.[3]
The town became famous for its textile industry, notably the cloth, shoddy, which was worn by both sides in the American Civil War.
On 7 October 1872, 34 people were killed in an explosion at the Morley Main Colliery.[4]
Historically, Morley was the centre of one of two divisions of the wapentakeofAgbrigg and Morley. Morley became a Municipal Borough in 1889 and under the Local Government Act 1972, was incorporated into the City of Leeds Metropolitan District. Morley is represented on Leeds City Council by three wards (namely Morley North, Morley South and Ardsley and Robin Hood) each with three councillors. At the 2010 general election, Morley and Outwood was won by Ed Balls of the Labour Party, who had been MP for Normanton since 2005, and served as Labour's Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2011 until 2015. Balls narrowly lost the seat at the 2015 general electiontoConservative Andrea Jenkyns. In the 2024 General Election, Mark Sewards won a majority and ousted Andrea Jenkyns from the MP position after the constituency boundaries were redrawn to change Morley and Outwood to Leeds South West and Morley.
Atown council was established in 2000, though it does not cover Drighlington, Gildersome, Tingley and East and West Ardsley – areas formerly part of the municipal borough.
Following a review of parliamentary representation in West Yorkshire, the Morley and Rothwell parliamentary constituency was abolished at the 2010 election and replaced by the Morley and Outwood constituency.
The town's coat of arms featured the symbolic principal industries of the municipal borough: textile manufacturing, coal mining and quarrying.
Neighbouring areas
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Morley Town Hall is sometimes used for music recordings. Television programmes, Heartbeat and Emmerdale have used its disused magistrates court and a cobblestoned street to one side. It hosts concerts by local schools and performances by the Morley Amateur Operatic Society, whose pantomimes have taken place at the Alexandra Hall for many years.
St Mary in the Wood Church is located to the north of the town centre on Troy Road and Commercial Street. The church has been closed since the late 20th Century and survived until 2010. When a fire broke out and burnt the whole church interior. The site is now overgrown and abandoned although the impressive spire can be seen from the town centre. The congregation still meet at the chapel on Commercial Street.
Morley annually holds one of the largest St George's Day parades in the country and has been named "the most patriotic town in England".[5]
Morley Market has been a feature since the town was formed. The market building has a large trading hall split up into units housing, butchers, fashion shops and a café. Supermarkets in Morley include Morrisons, Home Bargains and B & M in the town centre, a 24-hour Asda superstore and an Aldi Supermarket on the outside of the town centre.
Scatcherd Park in the centre of Morley, by the Morley Leisure Centre, has a large playing field, a skate park, children's park, bowling green and memorial gardens, including the town's war memorial. Events are held on the adjoining field in the summer months.
On 21 February 2010, a statue of Ernie Wise was erected outside Morley Post Office to divided opinion[6] and unveiled by his widow, Doreen.[7][8] Wise had performed in the old nearby cinema, just around from the Post Office, which is now a Wetherspoons.
On 25 June 2012, the Olympic Torch paused at the Morley Academy on its tour of Britain ahead of the London Olympic Games 2012.
Morley railway station is half a mile (800 m) from the town centre on the Huddersfield Line. There is a service seven days a week to and from Leeds, but on Sundays, the service is less frequent.
Buses go to Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield and other West Yorkshire towns from bus stops near the Town Hall.
The M621 motorway runs to the west of the town and the M62 motorway to the south. Junctions 27 and 28 of the M62 are closest to Morley.
There are numerous primary schools in Morley including Morley Newlands Academy, Churwell Primary, Seven Hills Primary School, Morley Victoria Primary School, Asquith Primary, Fountain Primary and St Francis Catholic Primary School. It also has an independent preparatory school; Queenswood School.
Three secondary schools serve pupils from Morley: The Morley Academy (formerly Morley High and Morley Grammar), Bruntcliffe Academy and Woodkirk Academy (formerly Woodkirk High and technically in West Ardsley, but has a large proportion of students from Morley due to its catchment area).
Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC Yorkshire and ITV Yorkshire. Television signals are received from the Emley Moor TV transmitter. [9] Local radio stations are BBC Radio Leeds, Heart Yorkshire, Capital Yorkshire, Greatest Hits Radio West Yorkshire, and Pulse 1. The town is served by the local newspaper, Morley Observer & Advertiser. [10]
Morley R.F.C. was founded in 1878. When the Northern Union clubs broke away from the RFU to form the rugby league, the Morley representatives missed the train to Huddersfield due to being in the pub. The club's heyday was in the 1970s when it won the Yorkshire Cup on five occasions. In April 2005 the club won the Powergen Intermediate Cup at Twickenham.
Morley CC cricket club plays in the Bradford League, Morley Town AFC (currently of Yorkshire FA Premier Division) and Morley Amateur FC are the towns football club and Morley Borough play rugby league.
Morley Leisure Centre[11][12] is newly built after undergoing a £33 million joint project with Armley Leisure Centre completed 22 June 2010 boasting a main 25-metre swimming pool, 10-metre learner pool, 150-station Bodyline gym, numerous sports halls, a dance studio and a cafe.
Independent Wrestling company Dynamic Pro Wrestling (DPW) is based in Morley and put on shows at Ackroyd Street Working Mens Club and around West Yorkshire until its closure in 2011.
Morley was the home of seven times World Cycling Champion Beryl Burton.
Scatcherd Park Bowling club compete in 9 leagues
Morley is a setting for David Peace's Red Riding Quartet novel and 2009 television series which explore West Yorkshire police corruption during the 1970s, and 1980s. Emmerdale often use Morley for filming court and wedding scenes in the town hall.
Siegen, Germany, since 1966 continuation of partnership with amalgamated City of Leeds as of 1974Natives of the town refer to themselves as Morleians. Notable Morleians include:
Places adjacent to Morley, West Yorkshire
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