Ossett
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Ossett [pronounced "Oss-it"] is a market town in the county of West Yorkshire, England on junction 40 of the M1 motorway. It is located half-way between Dewsbury, to the west, and the city of Wakefield, to the east. The township was formed as "Ossett-cum-Gawthorpe" in 1866 and became just "Ossett" in 1890. Prior to 1866, the area had been admistered as part of Dewsbury.
History
The South African astronomer Cyril V. Jackson, who was born in Ossett, honoured the town when he named asteroid 1244 Deira; the citation he submitted to the IAU boils down to « Ancient name of Ossett, Yorkshire ». That is something of an exaggeration: the ancient Kingdom of Deira actually encompassed (at its height) most of modern Yorkshire.Industry
Stan Barstow said that Ossett and Horbury were the "border country" where the north-west of the coalfield merged with the south-east of the wool towns.The town was once a thriving centre of the "shoddy" industry; i.e. the recycling of woollen garments. This particular focus meant that mills employed as many men as women in Ossett, in contrast to the usual female-dominated mills of Yorkshire. The town's mills were generally small.
Coal-mining was never as intense around Ossett as in the surrounding area. The main pits were "Old Roundwood", which closed in 1966, and "Savile & Shawcross", on the Ossett/Dewsbury border, which closed in 1968.
At the time of the UK miners' strike (1984-1985), the nearest pits were "Denby Grange" and "Bullcliffe Woods" - both being about 3 miles to the south. The latter was one of the pits threatened with closure and one of the few concessions won was the merger of the latter with the former; the combined pit finally closed in 1991. The town's badge features images of both mills and collieries.
Transport
The town once had three train stations: Flushdyke closed in 1941, Ossett in 1964 and Ossett & Horbury in 1970. It is now one of the largest towns in Britain without a train station. The slight 'bump' on Station Road is the only remainder of Ossett Station. Railway sidings and yards are still to be found at the old Ossett & Horbury Station site, heading towards Huddersfield and Horbury Bridge. Queen Elizabeth II spent a night aboard the royal train there during her 1977 Silver Jubilee tour.In 2005 a brand new bus station was opened in the town built by the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
Tourism
Ossett was for some years a spa town. The spa has now long since closed but part of the town is still known as "Ossett Spa".Facts and Figures
The town has a current population of approximately 32,000 to 37,000 people, although precise figures are always seemingly hard to come by. Ossett's convenient proximity to the M1 motorway has led Ossett to become more affluent in recent years, attracting both industry and resident commuters to Leeds, following on from a period of economic decline that lasted almost three decades. The town now serves as the best example of gentrification in this part of Yorkshire.
House prices increased from around £50,000 in 1998 to around £130,000 in 2003 - one of the largest increases in the country. This rise was noted at the time as being in line with price rises in West London and Cheshire. In contrast, "The Yorkshire Dictionary" defines Ossett as once being known as "wheeare the' black-leead t'tram lines", at a time when the town was seen as being dirty and having a very different reputation from what it has today.
The [Ossett accent] has a very thick rhythm to it and can be found online as part of the [English Accents and Dialects] collection.
Ossett has many Primary Schools: however it now has only one High School, Ossett School.
Ossett is the home of the Wakefield Wind Orchestra.
Ossett is currently famous for its fish and chips.
Ossett is home to two real ale breweries. Ossett Brewery, located at The Brewer's Pride pub in Healey is best known for Ossett Pale Gold; The Red Lion Brewery, at The Red Lion on Dewsbury Road is best known for its unusual Chardonnale. Both are available across the North of England and the breweries also produce several other beers.
Events
The area of Gawthorpe in the north - which was originally a separate village, but has become a suburb of the town - is known for its striking 'water tower' and also hosts the annual [World Coal-Carrying Championships] and an annual 'Maypole' parade. The Ossett Beer Festival takes place annually in the Brewers' Pride pub.
Politics
Politically, Ossett is part of the Normanton constituency, which is represented by Ed Balls, who was formerly chief economic adviser. The seat has been continually represented by Labour since 1885: longer than any other British constituency. In local elections, Ossett tends to be keenly contested between Labour and the LibDems. The British National Party reached a high of 18.5% in 2003. About a quarter of the town is included in the "Horbury and South Ossett" ward.Publications
Ossett's local paper is the Ossett Observer, which was founded in 1864. The Wakefield Express and the Dewsbury Reporter are also regularly stocked in local newsagents. The Wakefield Express also contains an Ossett and district section.Sport
Despite being smaller than nearby Wakefield, Ossett hosts two semi-professional football teams, to Wakefield's one. Ossett Town play at Ingfield across from the bus station, and are in the Unibond Premier Division. Neighbours Ossett Albion make their home at Queen's Terrace, more commonly known as Dimplewells, and are one league below Town, in the Unibond First Division.Famous Ossetters
The novelist Stan Barstow, the author of A Kind of Loving, was born at Ossett. Benjamin Ingham, one of the founders of Methodism also came from the town, as did the South African astronomer Cyril V. Jackson. Team17 are based here and their most famous game - "Worms" - contained a Hell level with a sign saying, "Welcome to Ossett". (This has given the impression that the town is an unpleasant area. It is, in fact, more affluent than other towns in West Yorkshire, such as nearby Dewsbury.) The crime novelist David Peace originates from Ossett and has set many of his books around West and South Yorkshire, but never in the town itself; he now lives in Japan.See also
South OssettReferences
- "Bygone Ossett" - Norman Ellis, Rickaro Books, November 2003, ISBN 0954643909
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