Editing Dewsbury

{{short description|Market town in West Yorkshire, England}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country                  = England
| coordinates              = {{coord|53.691|-1.633|display=inline,title}}
| official_name            = Dewsbury
| metropolitan_borough     = [[Kirklees]]
| metropolitan_county      = [[West Yorkshire]]
| region                   = Yorkshire and the Humber
| constituency_westminster = [[Dewsbury and Batley (UK Parliament constituency)|Dewsbury and Batley]]
| post_town                = DEWSBURY
| postcode_district        = WF12-13
| postcode_area            = WF
| dial_code                = 01924
| os_grid_reference        = SE245225
| london_distance          = 188 mi (SE)
| static_image_name = {{multiple images
| image1 = Dewsbury Town Hall, 2018.jpg
<!--please crop me at the top and bottom-->
| image2 = Dewsbury Market Place (geograph 5686127).jpg
| image3 = Dewsbury Parish.jpg
| image4 = Markazi Masjid - junction of Pentland Street & South Street (geograph 3932877).jpg
| image5 = Lidl, Dewsbury - geograph.org.uk - 4213869.jpg
|align = center |total_width = 300|perrow=1 2
}}
| static_image_caption = Clockwise from top: Dewsbury [[Dewsbury Town Hall|Town Hall]], [[Dewsbury Minster|Minster Church]], Townscape, [[Markazi Masjid]] in [[Savile Town]] and Market Place
 | population                   = 61,035
 | population_ref           = (Wards, 2021 Census)<ref>{{cite web |title=United Kingdom: Major Cities in England - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/cities/england/?cityid=7146 |website=www.citypopulation.de |access-date=3 April 2024}}</ref>
 | parts_type               = Areas of the town
 | p1                       = [[Boothroyd, West Yorkshire|Boothroyd]]
 | p2                       = [[Chickenley]] 
 | p3                       = Crackenedge
 | p4                       = [[Dewsbury Moor]]
 | p5                       = [[Earlsheaton]]
 | p6                       = Eastborough
 | p7                       = Flatts
 | p8                       = [[Hanging Heaton]] (part)
 | p9                       = [[Overthorpe, West Yorkshire|Overthorpe]]
 | p10                      = [[Ravensthorpe, West Yorkshire|Ravensthorpe]] (part)
 | p11                      = [[Savile Town]]
 | p12                      = [[Thornhill, West Yorkshire|Thornhill]]
 | p13                      = Thornhill Edge
 | p14                      = [[Thornhill Lees]]
 | p15                      = West Town
}}

'''Dewsbury''' is a [[market town]] in the [[Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees]] in [[West Yorkshire]], England. It lies on the [[River Calder, West Yorkshire|River Calder]] and on an arm of the [[Calder and Hebble Navigation]] waterway. It is to the west of [[Wakefield]], east of [[Huddersfield]] and south of [[Leeds]]. [[Historic counties of England|Historically]] a part of the [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], after undergoing a period of major growth in the 19th century as a [[mill town]], Dewsbury went through a period of decline. Dewsbury forms part of the [[Heavy Woollen District]] of which it is the largest town. The population of the built-up area was 63,722 at the [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 Census]].

==History==

===Toponymy===
The [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 records the name as ''Deusberie'', ''Deusberia'', ''Deusbereia'', or ''Deubire'', literally "Dewi's fort", Dewi being an old Welsh name (equivalent to David) and "bury" coming from the old English word "burh", meaning fort.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Yorkshire+WR/Dewsbury|title=Key to English Place-names|website=kepn.nottingham.ac.uk}}</ref>

Other, less supported, theories exist as to the name's origin. For example, that it means "dew hill", from [[Old English]] ''dēaw'' (genitive ''dēawes''), "[[dew]]", and ''beorg'', "hill" (because Dewsbury is built on a hill). It has been suggested that ''dēaw'' refers to the town's proximity to the water of the [[River Calder, West Yorkshire|River Calder]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yorkshire-england.co.uk/Calderdale.html |title=Calderdale: Halifax to Pontefract |website=Yorkshire |access-date=5 January 2006}}</ref>

In the past other origins were proposed, such as "God's fort", from [[Welsh language|Welsh]] ''Duw'', "God". "Antiquarians supposed the name, Dewsbury, to be derived from the original planter of the village, Dui or Dew, who … had fixed his abode and fortified his "Bury". Another conjecture holds, that the original name is Dewsborough, or God's Town" (1837)<ref>{{cite news |date=1837 |title=Dewsbury |url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/WRY/Dewsbury/Dewsbury37.html|newspaper=White's History |access-date=5 January 2006}} "Antiquarians supposed the name, Dewsbury, to be derived from the original planter of the village, Dui or Dew, who … had fixed his abode and fortified his "Bury". Another conjecture holds, that the original name is Dewsborough, or God's Town" (1837).</ref>

===Early history===
In [[Anglo-Saxon]] times, Dewsbury was a centre of considerable importance. The [[ecclesiastical parish]] of Dewsbury encompassed [[Huddersfield]], [[Mirfield]] and [[Bradford]]. Ancient legend records that in 627 [[Paulinus of York|Paulinus]], the [[Archbishop of York|Bishop of York]], preached here on the banks of the River Calder. Numerous Anglian graves have been found in Dewsbury and [[Thornhill, West Yorkshire|Thornhill]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Pete |last=Piwowarski |url=http://www.huddersfield1.co.uk/huddersfield/tolson/angles_danes/anglian_abbeys.htm |title=Huddersfield One – Tolson Museum Booklets – Angles, Danes and Norse in the District of Huddersfield |publisher=Huddersfield1.co.uk |access-date=22 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130622070019/http://www.huddersfield1.co.uk/huddersfield/tolson/angles_danes/anglian_abbeys.htm |archive-date=22 June 2013}}</ref>
[[File:Dewsbury Minster.jpg|thumb|[[Dewsbury Minster]]]]
[[Dewsbury Minster]] lies near the [[River Calder, West Yorkshire|River Calder]], traditionally on the site where [[Paulinus of York|Paulinus]] preached. Some of the visible stonework in the nave is Saxon, and parts of the church also date to the 13th century. The tower houses "Black Tom", a bell which is rung each Christmas Eve, one toll for each year since Christ's birth, known as the "Devil's Knell", a tradition dating from the 15th century. The bell was given by Sir Thomas de Soothill, in penance for murdering a servant boy in a fit of rage. The tradition was commemorated on a [[Royal Mail]] postage stamp in 1986.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bdb.co.za/shackle/articles/bells.htm|title=Eric Shackle's eBook – Bells|access-date=10 September 2016}}</ref>

In the Domesday Book of 1086, Dewsbury was in Morley wapentake, but with a recorded population of only nine households it was a relatively small settlement at that time.<ref>[https://opendomesday.org/place/SE2421/dewsbury/ Open Domesday: Dewsbury]. Accessed February 2021.</ref> The Agbrigg and Morley wapentakes were administratively combined into the [[Agbrigg and Morley]] wapentake in the 13th century. When they were separated for administrative purposes in the mid-19th century, Dewsbury parish had grown to straddle the border between both wapentakes, hence being mainly in the Lower Division of the Wapentake of Agbrigg.<ref>[https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/WRY/Dewsbury/Dewsbury37 DEWSBURY: Geographical and Historical information from the year 1837.] GENUKI.org website, accessed February 2021.</ref>

Dewsbury market was established in the 14th century for local clothiers. Occurrences of the [[Bubonic plague|plague]] in 1593 and 1603 closed the market and it reopened in 1741.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dewsbury Kirklees Cousins |url=https://kirkleescousins.co.uk/places/dewsbury/|accessdate=3 May 2022}}</ref>

Throughout the [[Middle Ages]], Dewsbury retained a measure of importance in ecclesiastical terms, collecting tithes from as far away as [[Halifax, West Yorkshire|Halifax]] in the mid-14th century. [[John Wesley]] visited the area five times in the mid-18th century, and the first [[Methodist]] Society was established in 1746. Centenary Chapel on Daisy Hill commemorates the centenary of this event, and the Methodist tradition remained strong in the town.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nowthen.org/articles/singlearticle.php?targetid=755&rcode=75&bcode=26 |title=Nowthen Dewsbury: Central Methodist Church |access-date=30 December 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930001438/http://www.nowthen.org/articles/singlearticle.php?targetid=755&rcode=75&bcode=26 |archive-date=30 September 2007}}</ref>

===Industrial Revolution===
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2016}}
[[File:Dewsbury County Court.jpg|thumb|The Dewsbury County Court]]
In 1770, a short branch of the [[Calder and Hebble Navigation]] was completed, linking Dewsbury to the [[canal]] system giving access to [[Manchester]] and [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network/calder-and-hebble-navigation|title=Calder & Hebble Navigation |publisher= Canal & River Trust|access-date=9 April 2018}}</ref> By the time of the [[Industrial Revolution]], Dewsbury was a centre for the [[shoddy]] and [[Glossary of textile manufacturing#Mungo|mungo]] industries which recycled woollen items by mixing them with new [[wool]] and making heavy blankets and uniforms. The town benefited economically from the canal, its location at the heart of the [[Heavy Woollen District]], and its proximity to [[coal mines]]. The railway arrived in 1848 when [[Dewsbury railway station|Dewsbury Wellington Road]] railway station on the [[London and North Western Railway]] opened. This is the only station which remains open. 

Other stations were Dewsbury Central on the [[Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)|Great Northern Railway]] which closed in 1964 and Dewsbury Market Place on the [[Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway]] which closed in 1930. A fourth goods-only railway station was built in the early 20th century at Savile Town by the [[Midland Railway]]. In 1985 a bypass road was built on the site of Central Station and its adjacent viaduct, and nothing remains of Market Place railway station. The 19th century saw a great increase in population, rising from 4,566 in 1801 to around 30,000 by 1890.

[[File:Steam engine, Providence Mills - geograph.org.uk - 688602.jpg|thumb|250px|Steam engine, Providence Mills, Dewsbury]]
[[File:Shoddy and Mungo Mill, Dewsbury, Yorks.jpg|thumb|Machell's Shoddy and Mungo Mill in Dewsbury town centre]]
The town's rapid expansion and commitment to industrialisation resulted in social instability. In the early 19th century, Dewsbury was a centre of [[Luddite]] opposition to mechanisation in which workers retaliated against the mill owners who installed textile machinery and smashed the machines which threatened their way of life. In the 1830s, Dewsbury was a centre of [[Chartism|Chartist]] agitation. In August 1838, after a speech by Chartist leader [[Feargus O'Connor]], a mob of between five and seven thousand people besieged the Dewsbury [[Poor Law]] Guardians in the town's Royal Hotel. The mob was dispersed by troops. 

Trouble flared in 1840 when radical agitators seized control of the town, and troops were stationed to maintain order. This radical tradition left a legacy in the town's political life: its first elected [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) in 1867 was [[John Simon (MP for Dewsbury)|John Simon]], a [[Jew]]ish lawyer from [[Jamaica]] and a [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]]. The tradition of firing the "Ten o'Clock" gun dates from 1815 and was a hangover from the Luddite problems. It was fired from Wormald and Walker's Mill to reassure that all was well, and could be heard all over the area. Eventually the actual gun was replaced with a specially made firework, but the tradition was discontinued in 1983 with the closure of the mill.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.batleynews.co.uk/news/nostalgia-days-when-the-dewsbury-ten-o-clock-gun-was-fired-every-night-1-9018110|title=Nostalgia: Days when the Dewsbury ten o'clock gun was fired every night|work=Batley News|access-date=20 March 2018}}</ref> 

The mills were family businesses and continued manufacturing after the wool crisis in 1950–51, which saw Australian [[sheep husbandry|sheep farmers]] begin to charge higher prices. The recovery of the late 1960s was reversed by the [[1973 oil crisis]], and the textile industry in Dewsbury declined, with only bed manufacturing remaining a large scale employer.

===Recent history===
Significant immigration from the 1960s onwards left a huge demographic impact on the town, which continues today. Asian British and Muslims now make up roughly 45 percent of the population, and the percentage is expected to grow in the coming years.

After 2005, following negative press reports, Dewsbury was labelled a troubled town<ref>{{cite news |last=Wainwright |first=Martin |title=The name's Dewsbury |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/may/29/communities.pressandpublishing |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=29 May 2008 |access-date=4 June 2009}}</ref> and became "the town that dare not speak its name"<ref>{{cite news |last=Norfolk |first=Andrew |title=Dewsbury: Kidnap, lynching and a suicide |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4016574.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012204834/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4016574.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 October 2008 |work=The Times |location=London |date=28 May 2008 |access-date=4 June 2009}}</ref> after high-profile crimes brought it into the media spotlight. In June, a girl of 12 was charged with [[grievous bodily harm]] after attempting to hang a five-year-old boy from [[Chickenley]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Hanging case girl spared custody |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/4305188.stm |website=[[BBC News]] |date=3 October 2005 |access-date=4 June 2009}}</ref> [[Mohammad Sidique Khan]], ringleader of the group responsible for the [[7 July 2005 London bombings]], lived in Lees Holm, Dewsbury.

On 19 February 2008, [[Shannon Matthews]], a nine-year-old girl from the Moorside Estate, was reported missing. After a 24-day hunt which attracted huge media and public attention nationally, she was found hidden in a flat in the [[Batley Carr]] area on 14 March 2008. Her mother Karen Matthews, along with Michael Donovan, the uncle of her stepfather Craig Meehan, were later found guilty of abduction and false imprisonment, as part of a plot to claim the reward money for her safe return by pretending to have solved her disappearance; both were jailed for eight years.

In October 2010, the Dewsbury Revival Centre opened, in the refurbished former St Mark's Church on Halifax Road, the church attended by [[Wallace Hartley]], bandmaster of the ''[[Titanic]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dewsburygospelchurch.org.uk/drc.html|title=The Building|publisher=Dewsbury Revival Centre|access-date=10 September 2016|archive-date=23 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170123040819/http://www.dewsburygospelchurch.org.uk/drc.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In July 2014, Kirklees Council enforced a media ban covering the visit of [[Princess Anne]], who was due to deliver a speech on the importance of restorative justice. Kirklees Council later responded that the highly unusual media ban had been insisted upon by the Royal Household. [[Buckingham Palace]], however, was mystified over the ban, with a Royal spokesman stating: "This visit has been openly listed in the future engagements section on the Royal website for the last eight weeks. There are no restrictions on reporting on the event from the Royal Household."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/princess-royal-dewsbury---media-7374552|title=Princess Royal in Dewsbury – but media banned from reporting visit until she left|first=Martin|last=Shaw|date=5 July 2014|work=Huddersfield Daily Examiner|access-date=10 September 2016}}</ref>

==Governance==
Dewsbury was incorporated as a [[municipal borough]] in 1862.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp;jsessionid=D4692AD76A185BBEC973EA1EF7130B8A?u_id=10108792&c_id=10001043|title=Dewsbury MB/CB through time – Census tables with data for the Local Government District|access-date=10 September 2016}}</ref> Its first mayor was Dr George Fearnley. The [[Reform Act]] of 1868 constituted Dewsbury a [[parliamentary borough]], and Liberal candidate [[John Simon (MP for Dewsbury)|John Simon]], serjeant-at-law, was returned as the borough's first MP. The [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] [[Dewsbury Town Hall|town hall]] standing in front of the old marketplace dates from 1886 to 1889. {{Citation needed|date=June 2016}} Dewsbury's boundaries were expanded to include the [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban district]]s of Ravensthorpe, Thornhill, and Soothill Nether, and part of Soothill Upper, in 1910, and in 1913 it was elevated to [[county borough]] status. "Soothill Nether" refers to the current east end of the town, although at that time Chickenley and Chidswell were hamlets, and Earlsheaton contained the bulk of the area's population. {{Citation needed|date=August 2016}}

In 1974, responsibility for local government passed to [[Kirklees|Kirklees Metropolitan Council]], its headquarters being in [[Huddersfield]]. The population of Dewsbury has remained broadly static over the past century: the 1911 census recorded 53,351 people,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10108792&c_id=10001043|title=Dewsbury MB/CB through time – Census tables with data for the Local Government District|access-date=10 September 2016}}</ref> and the 1971 census 51,326 people, making it the fourth-least populous county borough in England (after [[Canterbury]], [[Burton upon Trent]] and [[Great Yarmouth]]).

The current [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Dewsbury and Batley (UK Parliament constituency)|Dewsbury and Batley]] is [[Iqbal Mohamed]], who has represented the constituency since the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024 general election]]. Mohamed was one of four independent candidates who won seats in heavily Muslim areas largely due to Labour's stance on the [[Gaza war]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kiran |first1=Stacey |title=Senior Labour figures admit stance on Gaza cost party seats |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/05/labour-loses-three-seats-to-pro-palestinian-candidates |access-date=18 July 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=5 July 2024}}</ref>

==Geography==
Dewsbury is situated between [[Leeds]] and [[Bradford]] {{convert|8|mi|km|0}} to the north, [[Huddersfield]] a similar distance to the south west, and Wakefield {{convert|6|mi|km|0|abbr=on}} east. Its proximity to these major urban centres, the [[M1 motorway|M1]] and [[M62 motorway|M62]] motorways and its position on the [[Huddersfield Line]], served by the [[TransPennine Express]], have contributed to its growth.
[[File:Junction of Northgate and Halifax Road, Dewsbury - geograph.org.uk - 230734.jpg|thumb|Junction of Northgate and Halifax Road]]
Dewsbury is part of the [[West Yorkshire Urban Area]], although its natural boundaries are not well-defined, with built up areas of the town running into [[Batley]], [[Heckmondwike]] and [[Ossett]].

Geologically, the town is situated on rocks of the [[Carboniferous Period]], consisting of [[coal measure]]s and [[gritstone]]s. [[Quaternary Period]] rock, [[glacial till|glacial deposits]] and [[gravel]]s exist in the [[Calder Valley]]. Coal, sandstone and gravel have been exploited commercially. [[Precipitation (meteorology)|Average rainfall]] is 100&nbsp;cm per annum.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.destination-dewsbury.co.uk/geog.htm|title=Destination Dewsbury : Geographical Data|date=20 February 2004|access-date=10 September 2016|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040220103939/http://www.destination-dewsbury.co.uk/geog.htm|archive-date=20 February 2004}}</ref>
The town is dominated by hills, notably Earlsheaton, Dewsbury Moor, Staincliffe and Thornhill. The town centre is between {{convert|130|and|180|ft|m|abbr=off}} above sea level, rising to {{convert|360|ft|m|abbr=on}} at Earlsheaton and Batley Carr, and {{convert|755|ft|m|abbr=on}} at Grange Moor. The approach from Earlsheaton through the Wakefield Road cutting, constructed in 1830 {{citation needed|date=April 2016}}, is dramatic with the view of the town centre in the Calder Valley opening up.

===Divisions and suburbs===
Dewsbury has a number of districts with different geographical and socio-economic patterns, they are, Chickenley, Crackenedge, [[Dewsbury Moor]], Earlsheaton, Eastborough, Eightlands, Flatts, [[Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury|Ravensthorpe]], [[Savile Town]], Shaw Cross, Scout Hill, [[Thornhill Lees]], Westborough, Westtown. [[Batley Carr]], [[Hanging Heaton]] and [[Staincliffe]] have areas which lie in both Dewsbury and neighbouring Batley. [[Thornhill, West Yorkshire|Thornhill]], [[Briestfield]] and [[Whitley Lower]] are part of Dewsbury [[unparished area]]. Thornhill was annexed in 1910.

{{NSEW|[[Batley]]|[[Flockton]]|[[Ossett]]||[[Heckmondwike]]||[[Mirfield]]||}}

==Demography and economy==
[[File:Dewsbury market.jpg|thumb|right|Dewsbury Market]]
The Westtown area has the large and imposing Our Lady and St. Paulinus [[Roman Catholic]] Church and its school, once run by the nuns of the area. The Irish National Club also is home to [[Dewsbury Celtic]] amateur [[rugby league]] club.
[[File:Markazi Masjid - junction of Pentland Street & South Street (geograph 3932877).jpg|thumb|Markazi Masjid, Savile Town]]
The town has a large Muslim community. [[Savile Town]] and [[Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury|Ravensthorpe]] are populated mainly by [[Muslims]] of [[British Indian|Indian]] and [[British Pakistani|Pakistani]] origin. In recent years, there has also been an immigration of Iraqi [[British Kurds|Kurds]] and [[Hungarians in the United Kingdom|Hungarians]] into the town.<ref>Hungarians referred to in these articles http://www.thepressnewspaper.co.uk/NewsDetails.asp?id=1169 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304022025/http://www.thepressnewspaper.co.uk/NewsDetails.asp?id=1169 |date=4 March 2009 }} http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/7261208.stm Kurds referred to in this article http://www.dewsburyreporter.co.uk/news?articleid=2737475</ref> Dewsbury has been accused of having a controversial Shariah arbitration court.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dewsburyreporter.co.uk/news/Muslims-accused-of-running-Islamic.2852441.jp |title=Muslims accused of running Islamic court – More Local News |work=Dewsbury Reporter |date= 1 May 2007|access-date=22 April 2013}}</ref> [[Dewsbury Moor]], Ravensthorpe and Chickenley are classed among the 10% most deprived areas in the UK.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/community/statistics/ward-profiles/wards2004/DewsburyEast.pdf#top |title=Archived copy |access-date=11 March 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080414024653/http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/community/statistics/ward-profiles/wards2004/DewsburyEast.pdf#top |archive-date=14 April 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In contrast to some British towns and cities, the east side of the town is generally more affluent. The majority of houses in the town are in the cheapest band for council tax, for house prices are amongst the lowest in the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/community/statistics/census-by-town/DewsbyCB.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=20 February 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060220071711/http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/community/statistics/census-by-town/DewsbyCB.pdf |archive-date=20 February 2006 }}</ref>
[[File:Kingsway, Dewsbury (Taken by Flickr user 15th February 2015).jpg|thumb|175px|left|Kingsway Shopping Arcade]]
The local market once consisted of 400 stalls and was one of the busiest {{citation needed|date=April 2016}} in Yorkshire and in years gone by drew large numbers of visitors to the town. Wednesdays and Saturdays are the normal market days with the popular [[flea market]] on Fridays. The town's mills were located just south of the [[River Calder, West Yorkshire|River Calder]] in the town centre. As the mills closed this area became a large [[brownfield site]]. However, many of the units have been reoccupied and the town's largest employer, [[Carlton Cards]], is based in this area.

=== Ethnic groups ===
As of 2021, Dewsbury's population was enumerated at 63,722, and its ethnic makeup was 50.8% [[White people in the United Kingdom|White]], 44.4% [[British Asians|Asian]], 2.3% [[Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category)|Mixed]], 0.8% [[Black British people|Black]], and 1.4% Other.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dewsbury (West Yorkshire, Yorkshire and the Humber, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/yorkshireandthehumber/west_yorkshire/E63000970__dewsbury/ |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=www.citypopulation.de}}</ref>

=== Religions ===
As of the 2021 census, Dewsbury's religious makeup was 46.4% [[Islam in the United Kingdom|Muslim]], 28.9% [[Christianity in the United Kingdom|Christian]], 23.7% [[Not religious|No Religion]], and the town has small [[Hinduism in the United Kingdom|Hindu]] and [[Sikhism in the United Kingdom|Sikh]] communities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dewsbury (West Yorkshire, Yorkshire and the Humber, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/yorkshireandthehumber/west_yorkshire/E63000970__dewsbury/ |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=www.citypopulation.de}}</ref>

==Transport==
[[File:Dewsbury Bus Station - geograph.org.uk - 411829.jpg|thumb|Dewsbury bus station]]
Dewsbury bus station serves the town of Dewsbury. The bus station is managed and owned by [[West Yorkshire Metro]]. The bus station was rebuilt in 1994 with a main passenger concourse and 19 bus stands. The town is served on the railway network by [[Dewsbury railway station]], with services operated by [[Northern Trains]] and [[TransPennine Express]].

==Sport==
[[File:Tetley stadium.jpg|thumb|right|[[Crown Flatt|Crown Flatt stadium]], also known as ''Tetley's Stadium'' for sponsorship purposes]]
[[Dewsbury Rams]], formerly Dewsbury R.L.F.C., play in [[rugby league]]'s [[RFL League One|Betfred League One]]. They are based at [[Crown Flatt]], on Owl Lane, towards [[Ossett]], on the site of the old Savile & Shaw Cross Colliery. Shaw Cross Sharks is an amateur Rugby League club. The club was founded in 1947 and has produced several players into the professional game, including [[Mike Stephenson]], [[Nigel Stephenson]] and [[David Ward (rugby league)|David Ward]]. They operate from Shaw Cross Club for Young People and play their home fixtures at the adjacent Paul Lee Hinchcliffe Memorial Playing Fields. 

The open age first team is the National Conference League. [[Dewsbury Celtic]] play in [[North Premier|National League 3]]; their ground is on the west side of the town, in Crow Nest Park. The club's headquarters are at the Dewsbury Irish National Club on Park Parade. Dewsbury is also the home of Dewsbury Rangers Football Club. With over 300 members from the ages of six through to the old boys' teams, it is one of the largest in the area.

==Culture==
[[File:Dewsbury Museum 2004 3.jpg|thumb|right|Dewsbury Museum, in Crow Nest Park]]
Dewsbury Museum was located within the mansion house in [[Crow Nest Park]], before it closed to the public in November 2016. Nearby attractions include the [[National Coal Mining Museum for England]], located in [[Overton, Wakefield]].

Dewsbury Town Hall contains a 700-seater concert hall and regularly hosts concerts, exhibitions, live music, cabaret evenings and weddings.

The town also has an annual event called Spirit, a street theatre show every winter which takes place in the town centre.

2018 comedy film [[Destination: Dewsbury]] was filmed and part set in the town. The production was shot in 2016 and premiered at the 2018 [[Beverly Hills Film Festival]].

==Local media==
Local news and television programmes are provided by [[BBC Yorkshire]] and [[ITV Yorkshire]]. Television signals are received from the [[Emley Moor transmitting station|Emley Moor]] TV transmitter. <ref> {{cite web|url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Emley_Moor|title=Emley Moor (Kirklees, England) Full Freeview transmitter|date=1 May 2004|website=UK Free TV|accessdate=22 September 2023}}</ref>

Dewsbury's local radio stations are [[BBC Radio Leeds]] on 92.4&nbsp;FM, [[Heart Yorkshire]] on 106.2&nbsp;FM, [[Capital Yorkshire]] on 105.6&nbsp;FM, [[Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire]] on 96.3&nbsp;FM, [[Hits Radio West Yorkshire]] on 102.5&nbsp;FM, and [[Branch FM|Branch Radio]], a community based radio station that broadcast from the town on 101.8&nbsp;FM.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.branchfm.com/|title=Christian Radio Station - Dewsbury West Yorkshire UK - Branch FM|website=www.branchfm.com|accessdate=22 September 2023}}</ref>

The [[Dewsbury Reporter]] is the town's local weekly newspaper.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/england-yorks/dewsbury-reporter/|title=Dewsbury Reporter &#124; British Newspapers Online|first=The Theme|last=Foundry|date=17 May 2014|accessdate=22 September 2023}}</ref>

==Education==
[[File:Dewsbury Baptist Church - Manor Street - geograph.org.uk - 691185.jpg|thumb|Dewsbury Baptist Church]]
[[File:Dewsbury and District Technical School of Art and Science - Halifax Road - geograph.org.uk - 707276.jpg|thumb|Dewsbury and District Technical School of Art and Science]]
Dewsbury had two [[grammar school]]s – [[Kirklees College|Wheelwright Grammar School for Boys]] and, further up the hill, [[Birkdale High School|Wheelwright Grammar School for Girls]]. The 1970s education reforms converted these two establishments to high schools and they were renamed [[Dewsbury College]] and [[Birkdale High School]]. Dewsbury College was merged with [[Huddersfield Technical College]] to become part of [[Kirklees College]] in 2008, and is now known by that name.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://creativekirklees.com/kirklees-college-1/|title=Creative Kirklees / Directory / Kirklees College / Huddersfield and Dewsbury|last=Ltd|first=Website designed by Assembly Studios and developed by Assembly Studios and Hexydec|website=creativekirklees.com|access-date=8 March 2016}}</ref> 

Birkdale High School closed in July 2011. In the 2005 School League Tables, Dewsbury's Eastborough Junior, Infants and Nursery schools were reported to have the most consistently improved results over the past four years. However, the headteacher of the school, Nicola Roth, has been highly critical of School League Tables in the UK, and has been reported to have said, "It would be better if league tables did not exist".<ref>{{cite news |title=The best and worst results |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4489858.stm |website=BBC News |date=19 December 2005 |access-date=27 March 2010}}</ref>

[[Batley]] College of [[Art and Design]], which is part of Kirklees College (Dewsbury Centre), has a strong reputation {{citation needed|date=November 2016}} for print and textile-based art work, whilst [[St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy]] is a specialist Sports College and is one of the few schools in the area with a Sixth Form.

==Notable people==
:''Due to the placement of Dewsbury and District Hospital, many notable people have been born in the town. For a fuller list, see [[:Category:People from Dewsbury]]''
The following people are or were from Dewsbury:

<!-- Alphabetical order by surname. See below for dedicated list for sportspeople. -->
*Sir [[Thomas Clifford Allbutt]] (1836–1925), physician; inventor of the [[medical thermometer]].
*[[Betty Boothroyd|Betty Boothroyd, Baroness Boothroyd]] (1929–2023), politician; first female [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|Speaker of the House of Commons]] between 1992 and 2000.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tominey |first=Camilla |title=Betty Boothroyd, first female Speaker, dies aged 93 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/02/27/betty-boothroyd-dies-93-speaker-house-commons/ |accessdate=27 February 2023 |work=The Telegraph |date=27 February 2023}}</ref>
*[[Roger Burnley]] (born 1966), businessman, CEO of Asda<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/born-and-bred-yorkshireman-gets-top-job-at-asda-1-8831804|title="Born and bred Yorkshireman" gets top job at Asda |work=The Yorkshire Post|date=30 October 2017 |access-date=3 January 2018}}</ref>
*[[Tim Fountain]] (born 1967), playwright and author.
*[[Joel Graham]] (born 1977), bassist for [[thrash metal]] band [[Evile]].
*[[Brendon Grimshaw]], (1925–2012), managing editor, the Standard, Dar es salaam, Tanzania.
*[[Robert Hardy (bassist)|Bob Hardy]] (born 1980), bassist for popular Scottish [[post-punk revival]] band, [[Franz Ferdinand (band)|Franz Ferdinand]].
*[[Philip Hinchcliffe]] (born 1944), retired television producer, screenwriter and script editor.
*[[Tom Kilburn]] (1921–2001), computer engineer; co-inventor of the first [[stored-program computer]].
*[[Betty Lockwood, Baroness Lockwood]] (1924–2019), politician and activist for women's rights.
*[[Andrew Morton (writer)|Andrew Morton]] (born 1953), writer, journalist and biographer of [[British Royal Family|royalty]] and celebrities.
*[[Hafiz Patel]] (1926–2016), Muslim religious leader who founded the [[Markazi Masjid, Dewsbury|Markazi Masjid]]
*[[Kazia Pelka]] (born 1960), actress famous for roles in soap-operas.
*[[Valentine Pelka]] (born 1956) is an English actor who has starred in film and on television
*Sir [[Owen Willans Richardson]] (1879–1959), [[physicist]], won the [[Nobel Prize in Physics]] in 1928 for his work of [[thermionic emission]].
*[[Sayeeda Warsi, Baroness Warsi]] of Dewsbury (born 1971), Conservative politician.
<!---Editors note; Please only add names of people born in the town. Do not add names who do not have a Wikipedia article, or a checkable supporting reference of notability. Unreferenced names will be removed without notice --->

===Sportspeople ===
*[[Caitlin Beevers]] (born 2001), [[rugby league]] footballer for [[Leeds Rhinos Women]].
*[[Leigh Bromby]] (born 1980), [[Association football|footballer]] for [[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]].
*[[Alistair Brownlee]] (born 1988), [[triathlete]], having won the gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics, the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
*[[George Burgess (rugby league)|George Burgess]] (born 1992), professional [[rugby league]] player for [[South Sydney Rabbitohs]] of the [[National Rugby League]] and for [[England national rugby league team|England]]
*[[Luke Burgess (rugby league)|Luke Burgess]] (born 1987), former professional rugby league footballer
*[[Sam Burgess]] (born 1988), professional [[rugby union|rugby league]] player for [[South Sydney Rabbitohs]] of the [[Aviva Premiership|National Rugby League]] and for [[England national rugby union team|England]], he is a [[List of dual-code rugby internationals|dual-code rugby international]].
*[[Tom Burgess (rugby league)|Tom Burgess]] (born 1992), professional [[rugby league]] player for [[South Sydney Rabbitohs]] of the [[National Rugby League]] and for [[England national rugby league team|England]]
*[[Francis Cummins]] (born 1976), professional [[rugby league]] coach and former player. He played for [[Leeds Rhinos]] and represented [[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]], [[England national rugby league team|England]] and [[Ireland national rugby league team|Ireland]] at international level.
*[[Matt Diskin]] (born 1982), rugby league footballer for [[Bradford Bulls|Bradford]]; his career began at the amateur [[Dewsbury Moor]] ARLFC.
*[[Andrew Gale]] (born 1983), [[cricketer]] and captain for [[Yorkshire County Cricket Club|Yorkshire]].
*[[Keith Mason (rugby league)|Keith Mason]] (born 1982), actor and former rugby league footballer. He represented [[England national rugby league team|England]] (Under-21) and [[Wales national rugby league team|Wales]] at international level.
*[[John Pitt (cricketer)|John Pitt]] (born 1939), first-class cricketer
*[[Mike Stephenson|Mike "Stevo" Stephenson]] (born 1947), [[Sky Sports]] commentator and former rugby league footballer.
*[[Tymal Mills]] (born 1992), [[cricketer]] for [[Sussex County Cricket Club|Sussex]].
*[[Gary Sykes]] (born 1984), former [[super featherweight]] boxing champion.
*[[Richard Tracey (footballer)|Richard Tracey]] (born 1979), footballer.
*[[Eddie Waring]] (1910–1986), [[rugby league]] coach, commentator and television presenter.
* [[Tommy Weston (jockey)|Tommy Weston]] (1902–1981), jockey who rode eleven English Classic winners and was Champion Jockey in 1926.

==References in popular culture==
Dewsbury is referenced in [[the Beatles]]' 1967 film ''[[Magical Mystery Tour (film)|Magical Mystery Tour]]''. A line of dialogue in the film has one of the magicians (all portrayed by the Beatles themselves) – who are keeping an eye on the whereabouts of the bus that is taking its passengers on the journey of the film's title – exclaim: "The bus is {{convert|10|mi|km|0|disp=sqbr}} north on the Dewsbury road and they're having a lovely time!"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://beatles.rain-shine.net/mmt.htm|title=Über unsere Welt|access-date=10 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929141538/http://beatles.rain-shine.net/mmt.htm|archive-date=29 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> Dewsbury is also referenced in the 1991 single "[[It's Grim Up North]]" by the [[Justified Ancients of Mu Mu]] (also known as [[the KLF]]).

The 1960 book ''[[A Kind of Loving (novel)|A Kind of Loving]]'' is set in a fictional city named "Cressley", but its description was based upon Dewsbury. The author, [[Stan Barstow]], was born in [[Horbury]] and grew up in Ossett – both of which are just to the east of Dewsbury.

More recently, the phrase "Dewsbury noir" has been used to describe the violent novels of [[David Peace]], who was born in Dewsbury but lives in neighbouring Ossett.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/feb/22/fiction-david-peace-the-damned-utd|title=Tim Adams interviews David Peace, author of The Damned Utd|date=22 February 2009|website=The Guardian}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Listed buildings in Dewsbury]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{cite EB9 |wstitle= Dewsbury |volume= VII |page=146 |short=1}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060220071711/http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/community/statistics/census-by-town/DewsbyCB.pdf Area profile and statistics]

{{West Yorkshire}}
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[[Category:Dewsbury| ]]
[[Category:Towns in West Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Market towns in West Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Unparished areas in West Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Heavy Woollen District]]
[[Category:Geography of Kirklees]]
[[Category:Former civil parishes in West Yorkshire]]