MENTION the Brontes and people think of Haworth, but other areas of West Yorkshire also have an association with the famous literary family.

Spen Valley has many connections with the Brontes, with at least nine locations in North Kirklees having a historical link to them.

Says Erica Amende, secretary of Spen Valley Civic Society (SVCS): “The story begins when Patrick Bronte came to St Peter’s Church at Hartshead in July 1810 as the new curate. He lodged at nearby Thornbush Farm and on marrying in December 1812 moved to 426 Halifax Road, Hightown.

“Charlotte’s connection to Spen Valley began when she attended Roe Head School - now Hollybank School - and met her lifelong friends Mary Taylor, of The Red House, Gomersal, and Ellen Nussey, of The Rydings, Birstall, now offices for the PPG paint factory.

“Her headmistress Miss Wooler lived at 52 Lower Lane, Gomersal. Charlotte had many happy times visiting her school friends’ houses. She used them all in her novels: The Rydings became Thornfield in Jane Eyre, where the mad Mrs Rochester perished on the castellated roof during a fire. The Red House became Briarmains in Shirley.”

Erica adds: “Sadly, the Bronte-Spen Valley connections have foundered since Kirklees Council closed The Red House as a museum,” (the museum closed in 2016 following severe cuts to its funding). “The civic society hopes to install a plaque on the building celebrating Mary Taylor and her friendship with Charlotte Bronte.”

Spen Valley Civic Society was formed in1973, shortly before the creation of new metropolitan councils. “It was spearheaded by councillors and aldermen from the soon-to-be-extinct Spenborough and Heckmondwike boroughs who feared that Spen Valley might be left out by the new Kirklees Council ruled from Huddersfield,” explains Erica, who stresses the importance of local history. “Local history is now on the curriculum, at least in primary schools. But for many adults, the only history they encountered at school was British national history, which was very biased towards wars, laws and kings.

“The history of ordinary people‘s lives in our own area didn’t feature at all. So it’s fascinating to discover what was going on in the Spen Valley several hundred years ago. It’s important because once you learn about local history, you can make more sense of buildings, water courses, roadways and features that you see in the landscape around you.”

The society is very proud of Spen Valley’s industrial heritage.

“Before the 1800s families worked together to rear livestock, shear sheep, and spin and weave pieces of cloth, which they took to market at Halifax Piece Hall or Leeds White Cloth Hall,” says Erica. “When the industrial revolution began, Heckmondwike specialised in blanket-making.

“Cleckheaton and Scholes were pioneers of engineering associated with textiles, hence we were central in the development of machines which carded (combed) wool, making all the fibres lie parallel so that the wool could be spun.

“If you’d looked down the Spen Valley in 1880, you’d have seen hundreds of large stone mills with chimneys sending smoke into the air.”

The mechanisation of many manual jobs saw a fight-back from Luddites - Spen Valley is home to the only statue in the world relating to them.

The year 2012 marked the 200th anniversary of an attack on Cartwright’s mill at Rawfolds, when Luddites tried unsuccessfully to destroy the new machinery that was taking away their jobs and livelihoods.

The Luddites met at The Shears pub in Halifax Road to plot their campaign against mill owners, and on 12 April, 1812, a band of 150 Luddites carried out an attack using hammers and axes.

SVCS took on a derelict plot on the corner of Halifax Rd and Knowler Hill, Liversedge, and created Sparrow Park, commissioning a sculpture on the site, of a cropper in defiant pose, with a small child tugging at his leather apron.

The croppers used hand-held shears to trim the nap from cloth, but a machine could do the work of four men. “We wanted to show that Luddites weren’t just guerilla terrorists - most were men with families to support. Losing your job meant no food in those days,” says Erica.

“We put together information about the Luddites, about what it was like being a child in 1812 and about Liversedge. Pupils from High Bank School in Hightown did lovely artwork, and we commissioned two information boards plus a life-size replica of the heavy shears used by croppers.”

Funding for the park was obtained from the Veolia Environmental Trust, with the work carried out by society members during evenings and weekends, in all weathers.

Spen Valley Area Committee paid for the statue, made by Pete Rogers and Alex Hallowes of Xceptional Designs.

Two circular walks make up a Luddite Trail which has proved popular with both local people and visitors.

Plaques have been installed at The Shears inn and the site of Jackson’s Cropping Shop on Halifax Road, Hightown; and also at The Star Inn at Roberttown. There are also information boards at Cartwright Street, Rawfolds - near the new Spen Valley Leisure Centre - and at Hartshead, near the church, explaining Luddite events of 1812.

*To find out more about SVCS visit spenvalleycivicsociety.org.uk