About Burley in Wharfedale
Burley in Wharfedale is a village and civil parish in West Yorkshire, England, in the Wharfedale valley. In 2011, it had a population of 7,041. The village is on the A65 road, 11 miles (18 km) north-west from Leeds, 8 miles (13 km) north from Bradford, 3 miles (5 km) from Ilkley and 2 miles (3 km) from Otley. The hamlet of Burley Woodhead at the foot of Burley Moor is 1 mile (1.6 km) to the south-west.
Burley in Wharfedale was originally a small agricultural community with likely Roman and Anglo-Saxon roots. Burley developed in the late 18th and 19th centuries into an industrial village with many residents employed at Greenholme Mills, cotton mills powered from a goit fed from the River Wharfe. The cotton mill no longer operates and has recently been converted to flats, but the goit is now utilised to provide hydroelectric power, and a weir remains.
The development of industrial and commercial centres in the nearby cities of Leeds and Bradford, combined with rail and bus links, caused major changes to the village in the early 20th century. Council housing was built in the 1920s and 1950s, as the village became a dormitory settlement for the two cities. With developments in the second half of the 20th century, Burley became a prosperous but socially diverse village. The village has a high percentage of elderly and retired people, and young families attracted by job opportunities, local schools, and new housing developments.
Burley was formerly a township and chapelry in the parish of Otley, from 1866 Burley in Wharfedale was a civil parish in its own right, on 1 April 1937 the parish was abolished and merged with Ilkley. In 1931 the parish had a population of 3961.
On 1 April 2006, following a petition to the local authority and permission from the Parliament, Burley became a separate parish again under the name “Burley in Wharfedale”. Burley in Wharfedale’s population is 7,041 (2011 Census) with Menston, Burley is part of Wharfedale ward in the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford.
The village contains a range of local businesses. Burley in Wharfedale’s public buildings include the Queens Hall, originally built as a lecture hall for mill workers.
Recent work by community groups has resulted in developments including a new nature reserve, and the village green which contains a central water feature.