West Yorkshire

From Free net encyclopedia

West Yorkshire
Image:EnglandWestYorkshire.png
Geography
Status:	Ceremonial and Metropolitan county (no county council)
Origin:	1974
Region:	Yorkshire and the Humber
Area: - Total	Ranked 29th 2,029 km²
ONS code:	2F
NUTS 2:	UKE4
Demographics
Population: - Total (2004 est.) - Density	Ranked 4th 2,108,000 1,039 / km²
Ethnicity:	88.6% White 8.7% S.Asian
Politics
Image:West Yorks-coa.png Members of Parliament
Ed Balls, John Battle, Hilary Benn, Colin Burgon, Colin Challen, Yvette Cooper, Mary Creagh, Ann Cryer, Philip Davies, Fabian Hamilton, Shahid Malik, Christine McCafferty, Kali Mountford, George Mudie, Greg Mulholland, Linda Riordan, Terry Rooney, Barry Sheerman, Marsha Singh, Gerry Sutcliffe, Jon Trickett, Paul Truswell, Mike Wood
Districts
Image:EnglandWestYorkshireNumbered.png Leeds Wakefield Kirklees Calderdale Bradford

West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in England, corresponding roughly to the core of the West Riding of the traditional county of Yorkshire. It borders on Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Derbyshire, North Yorkshire and South Yorkshire.

It is composed of the districts of Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, and Wakefield. It was formed in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972. Its county council was abolished in 1986 making its metropolitan boroughs de facto unitary authorities, although the county still exists in law and ceremonially. In Parliament, all but two of West Yorkshire's M.P.s are Labour. At local level, the councils are generally divided, apart from the Wakefield district, which has long been one the safest Labour councils in the country. The Wakefield district's industrial heritage of coal-mining tends to set it apart from the rest of the county somewhat.

Although the county council was abolished, some local services are still run jointly on a county-wide basis, such as emergency services (West Yorkshire Police) and public transport (West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive). There are currently plans for a tram system in West Yorkshire, but those for a Leeds Supertram were rejected by the government in 2005.

1 Towns and villages
2 Places of interest
3 See also

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Towns and villages

Ackworth
Baildon, Bailiff Bridge, Batley, Beeston, Bingley, Birkby, Boston Spa, Bradford, Brighouse
Castleford, Cleckheaton, Copley, Cragg Vale, Cullingworth
Denby Dale, Dewsbury
Elland, Emley, Esholt
Fairburn Ings, Fitzwilliam
Garforth, Golcar, Gomersal, Greetland, Guiseley
Halifax, Harewood, Hartshead, Hartshead Moor,Haworth, Hebden Bridge, Heckmondwike, Hemsworth, Heptonstall, Holmfirth, Honley, Horbury, Huddersfield
Ilkley
Keighley, Kirkburton, Kirkstall
Ledsham, Ledston, Leeds, Linthwaite
Marsden, Meltham, Mirfield, Morley, Mytholmroyd
New Mill, Newmillerdam, New Farnley, Nostell
Oakworth, Ossett, Oxenhope, Otley, Oulton
Pontefract, Pudsey
Queensbury
Rastrick, Riddlesden, Ripponden, Rothwell
Saltaire, Sandal, Scammonden Scarcroft, Scholes, Shelley, Shibden, Shipley, Silsden, Slaithwaite, Sowerby Bridge, Stanbury
Temple Newsam, Thornbury, Thornton, Thornhill, Todmorden, Tong
Wakefield, Walton, West Bretton, Wetherby, Whitkirk, Wilsden,
Yeadon

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Places of interest

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Historic environment

Harewood House
Cliffe Hall, also known as Cliffe Castle
Esholt Hall
Firsby Hall
Kirklees Hall
Ledston Hall
Linthwaite Hall
Linton Hall
Lotherton Hall
Kershaw House
East Riddlesden Hall
Oulton Hall
Sandal Castle
Shelley Hall
Shibden Hall
Tong Hall
Bretton Hall
Kirkstall Abbey, Kirklees Priory, Nostell Priory, Pontefract Priory
Wetherby Castle
Scarcroft Water Mill
Roman Lagentium (Castleford)
Saltaire, a model village
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway

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Museums

Bronte Parsonage Museum, Haworth
Royal Armouries museum, Leeds
Colne Valley Museum
Pennine Farm Museum, Ripponden
Pontefract Museum
West Yorkshire Folk Museum, Shibden
National Mining Museum for England (Netherton)
National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, Bradford
Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton

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Natural environment

Emley Moor, site of the tallest self-supporting structure in the UK (a TV mast)
Walton Hall, West Yorkshire, home of naturalist Charles Waterton and the world's first nature reserve
RSPB Fairburn Ings - wetland centre for birds
Seckar Woods LNR, a Local Nature Reserve
New Swillington Ings Nature Reserve

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