Colne Valley

The Colne Valley is a steep sided valley on the east flank of the Pennine Hills in the English county of West Yorkshire. It takes its name from the River Colne which rises above the town of Marsden and flows eastward along the floor of the valley.

The name is generally used to describe that section of the valley of the River Colne that lies between its source and the large town of Huddersfield, which lies at the point where the River Holme joins the River Colne. Less often, the name is used to describe the whole valley of the Colne, including the section through Huddersfield and on to the confluence of the Colne with the River Calder at Cooper Bridge. Using the more common definition, the Colne Valley includes the towns and villages of Marsden, Slaithwaite, Linthwaite and Golcar.

Industry and economy

The Colne Valley played a significant role in the development of the Industrial Revolution. Most of the population had been weavers for generations, so when water-powered textile mills were built on the many streams and small rivers in the area, the area was well set to become a major producer of textiles. The River Colne and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal provided early transport links which were soon added to by road and railway links to Huddersfield and Leeds to the east and Manchester and Liverpool to the west.

Colne Valley (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 53°37′12″N 1°51′40″W / 53.620°N 1.861°W / 53.620; -1.861

Colne Valley is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Jason McCartney of the Conservative Party.

Constituency profile

In the post-war period the seat had the distinction of being one of the few Labour/Liberal marginals, changing hands between the parties on several occasions. It is now considered a three-way marginal seat and has been held by each of the three major parties in the last 40 years.

Boundaries

1885-1918: The Municipal Borough of Huddersfield, and part of the Sessional Divisions of Saddleworth and Upper Aggbrigg.

1918-1950: The Urban Districts of Farnley Tyas, Golcar, Holme, Holmfirth, Honley, Linthwaite, Marsden, Meltham, New Mill, Saddleworth, Scammonden, Slaithwaite, South Crosland, Springhead, and Thurstonland.

1950-1983: The Urban Districts of Colne Valley, Holmfirth, Kirkburton, Meltham, and Saddleworth.

1983-2010: The Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees wards of Colne Valley West, Crosland Moor, Golcar, Holme Valley North, Holme Valley South, and Lindley.

Colne

Coordinates: 53°51′19″N 2°10′32″W / 53.8554°N 2.1756°W / 53.8554; -2.1756

Colne /koʊn/ with a population of 18,806 (2011 census), is the oldest and second largest town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle, after Nelson, which lies immediately to the west. It is six miles north-east of Burnley, 25 miles east of Preston, 25 miles north of Manchester and 30 miles west of Leeds. It was the main town in the area for many centuries being the market town and having a grade A listed market cross that dates to the 15th century allowing a market to be held there. The cross was originally in the Parish Church yard, but has been relocated in Market St, the main road through the town centre.

The town should not be confused with the unrelated Colne Valley around the River Colne near Huddersfield in Yorkshire nor with the Colne Valley around Earls Colne and Colchester in Essex.

Colne occupies a strategic location close to the southern entrance to the Aire Gap, which offers the lowest crossing of the Pennine watershed. The M65 terminates west of the town and from here two main roads take traffic onwards towards the Yorkshire towns of Skipton (A56) and Keighley (A6068). Colne railway station represents the current terminus of the East Lancashire railway line, which until 1970 extended northwards towards Skipton.

Colne (disambiguation)

Colne is a town in Lancashire, England.

Colne may also refer to:

Places

Rivers

Organisations