Coordinates: 53°35′01″N 1°42′41″W / 53.58354°N 1.71146°W / 53.58354; -1.71146
Shepley is a village in the civil parish of Kirkburton, in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England, and in the Diocese of Wakefield. It lies 8 miles (13 km) south south east of Huddersfield and 6 miles (9.7 km) north west of Penistone.
In the 2011 census the population of Shepley and Birdsedge was 2,851.
Historically the name 'Shepley' has been interpreted as 'a clearing or meadow where sheep are kept', the meaning being derived from the Anglo-Saxon language. However, Shepley is also situated on one of several local leys comprising Crossley, Longley, Shepley, Shelley, Emley, East Midgley, Coxley, Stanley, Scholey, Methley and Astley. The ley idea was introduced by antiquarian Alfred Watkins in his book 'The Old Straight Track' in 1925. He suggested that the ancient British used high points and hill tops as sighting points to help them navigate in a straight line and that 'ley' or 'leigh' place names actually mean "a grassy track across country". He perceived that many later Roman roads followed these straight ancient tracks. Some people also associate leys with the occult.