Editing Oxenhope

{{Short description|Village in West Yorkshire, England}}
{{distinguish|Oxenholme}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2019}}

{{Infobox UK place
| country                  = England
| coordinates              = {{coord|53.812|-1.952|display=inline,title}}
| official_name            = Oxenhope
| population               = 2,626
| population_ref           = ([[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]])<ref name="2011 census"/>
| civil_parish             = Oxenhope
| metropolitan_borough     = [[City of Bradford]]
| metropolitan_county      = [[West Yorkshire]]
| region                   = Yorkshire and the Humber
| constituency_westminster = [[Keighley (UK Parliament constituency)|Keighley]]
| post_town                = KEIGHLEY
| postcode_district        = BD22
| postcode_area            = BD
| dial_code                = 01535
| os_grid_reference        = SE032351
| static_image_name        = Oxenhope070805.jpg
| static_image_caption     = Oxenhope, West Yorkshire
}}

'''Oxenhope''' is a village and [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] near [[Keighley]] in the [[City of Bradford|metropolitan borough of Bradford]], [[West Yorkshire]], England. It was [[Historic counties of England|historically]] part of the [[West Riding of Yorkshire]]. The population was 2,476 at the time of the 2001 census<ref name="ONS">{{NOMIS2001 |id=00CX005 |title=Oxenhope Parish |access-date=18 May 2019}}</ref> which had increased to 2,626 at the 2011 Census.<ref name="2011 census">{{NOMIS2011|id=E04000161|title=Civil Parish population 2011|access-date=6 March 2019}}</ref> [[Oxenhope railway station]] is the terminus for the [[Keighley and Worth Valley Railway]] [[heritage railway]].

==History==
Oxenhope's name derives from the Old English ''hop'' which means [[valley head]], so Oxenhope literally means ''Oxen Valley Head''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Oxenhope; Assessment of Conservation Areas |url=https://www.bradford.gov.uk/media/2454/oxenhopeconservationareaassessment.pdf |website=bradford.gov.uk |access-date=10 April 2019 |page=7 |date=2004}}</ref> The industrialisation of the village came about through  the cloth and wool trade and by 1850, Oxenhope was host to over 20 mills.

Leeming Reservoir was constructed between 1872 and 1873 to supply the many mills in the area. Its construction necessitated the closure and demolition of at least two mills and their associated houses.

The modern village of Oxenhope encompasses what were originally the separate settlements of '''Uppertown''', '''Lowertown''', '''Leeming''' and '''Horkinstone'''. The historic hamlets of '''Marsh''' and '''Shaw''' are also included in the village. The area became known as Oxenhope when the Railway Company named the station serving the area opened the line from Keighley in 1867. Until then, the name Oxenhope referred to a small settlement between the hamlet of Marsh and Haworth.

The street pattern of Oxenhope was much altered when the railway arrived. It had originally been intended that the railway would terminate at Haworth; however the owners of Lowertown Mill in Oxenhope persuaded the railway company to extend the line. It was found impracticable to take the railway as far as Lowertown because of the gradients that would have been required. As a compromise, the railway built a road from its station to Lowertown, appropriately named Station Road. The bridge by which this road crosses Leeming Water is of the same construction as many of the railway's bridges.

==Culture==
The village hosts a number of annual events including a village show, a beer festival (organised by [[Keighley and Worth Valley Railway]]) and a music festival at a village pub.

Each summer the village holds an annual Straw Race. The race was inaugurated in 1976<ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.keighleynews.co.uk/news/11337759.Oxenhope_Straw_Race_hailed_a_success/|title = Oxenhope Straw Race hailed a success|work=Keighley News |date=13 July 2014 |accessdate=21 October 2015}}</ref> and since then has raised £300,000 for charity from its participants via sponsorship.<ref>{{cite web |title=About {{!}} The Oxenhope Straw Race |url=https://oxenhopestrawrace.com/ |access-date=20 August 2023 |website=oxenhopestrawrace.com}}</ref> Competitors are required to carry a {{convert|20|kg|adj=on}} bale of straw {{convert|2+1/2|mi|km}} between five [[public houses]] in the Oxenhope area (including the Waggon and Horses, The Bay Horse and The Lamb<ref>{{cite web |title=The Lamb Inn |url=https://www.lamb-oxenhope.co.uk/ |access-date=20 August 2023 |website=www.lamb-oxenhope.co.uk}}</ref>) and drink a beer in each pub. The last stretch to the Dog & Gun Pub is {{convert|1+1/2|mi|km}} uphill, past Leeming Reservoir.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rules & Regulations {{!}} The Oxenhope Straw Race |url=https://oxenhopestrawrace.com/rules/ |access-date=20 August 2023 |website=oxenhopestrawrace.com/rules/}}</ref> Many of the competitors wear fancy dress.

On 6 July 2014, Stage 2 of the [[2014 Tour de France, Stage 1 to Stage 11|2014 Tour de France]] from [[York]] to [[Sheffield]], passed through the village.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2014/us/stage-2.html|title = Tour de France Stage 1|access-date = 15 July 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140725103415/http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2014/us/stage-2.html|archive-date = 25 July 2014|url-status = dead}}</ref> The subsequent [[Tour de Yorkshire]] cycling event has also passed through the village in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

==Transport==
[[Image:227113 20f9b0cdThePlatformOxenhopeRailwayStationTerminusOfTheKeighley&WorthValleyRailway(NigelHomer)Aug2006.jpg|thumb|Oxenhope railway station platform, 2006]]

===Road===
The A6033 is the main road through the village. It leaves the [[A629 road|A629]] at [[Cross Roads, West Yorkshire|Cross Roads]] and stays quite high up on the east side of the valley, bypassing the village of [[Haworth]] and eventually descending into Oxenhope, before going south-east over Oxenhope Moor to [[Hebden Bridge]].

===Bus===
Transdev bus services operate to Oxenhope and beyond on an hourly basis from Keighley via Haworth. Some routes travel via Oxenhope Moor to Hebden Bridge.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.keighleybus.co.uk/cmsUploads/route/files/500664665July2015.pdf|title = Transdev Keighley & district route 500}}</ref>

In 1920 five people died when a [[charabanc]] on its way to a [[knur and spell]] match in [[Colne]] overturned near St Mary's Church. This became known as the Oxenhope Charabanc Disaster.<ref>{{cite web|url =https://keighleyhistory.org.uk/2022/10/30/fatal-crash-in-1920/| title = Oxenhope Charabanc Disaster, Keighley History |accessdate=3 January 2025}}</ref>

===Rail===
Oxenhope is the terminus of the [[Keighley and Worth Valley Railway]]. This route was closed by [[British Rail]] in 1962; then reopened by a group of volunteers 1968.<ref>{{cite web|title = History {{!}} KWVR – Keighley & Worth Valley Railway|url = http://kwvr.co.uk/trains-and-the-railway/history/|website = KWVR – Keighley & Worth Valley Railway|access-date = 21 October 2015}}</ref> Trains are often steam hauled and run as a heritage rather than a commuter railway.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://kwvr.co.uk/events/month/|title = Worth Valley Railway Timetable}}</ref>

== Religious sites ==
There are two Methodist churches in Oxenhope; one in the village and one in Marsh hamlet north-west of Oxenhope. Both of these churches are in the Airedale Methodist Circuit.<ref>{{cite web|title = Welcome to the Airedale Circuit {{!}} Airedale Circuit|url = http://www.airedalemethodists.org/|website = www.airedalemethodists.org|access-date = 22 October 2015}}</ref> There used to be a Baptist church on Moorside Lane (Hawksbridge Baptist Church) but its congregation dwindled and in 2012 it was put up for sale. The buildings were sold and were featured on [[Channel 4|Channel 4's]] ''[[The Restoration Man]]'' TV show in early 2016.<ref>{{cite web|title = Oxenhope's former Hawksbridge Baptist Chapel to feature in Restoration Man TV show|url = http://www.keighleynews.co.uk/news/news_keighley/13379324.Oxenhope_s_former_Hawksbridge_Baptist_Chapel_to_feature_in_Restoration_Man_TV_show/|website = Keighley News|access-date = 22 October 2015}}</ref>

The [[Church of England]] 19th-century parish church of St Mary the Virgin is on Hebden Bridge Road and has some interesting glass by the [[William Morris]] company. The church was founded by the Rev. Joseph Brett Grant at the behest of [[Patrick Brontë]]. Grant worked to fund the building of the church and a National School;<ref>{{cite book |last1=Alexander |first1=Christine |last2=Smith |first2=Margaret |title=The Oxford Companion to the Brontës: Anniversary edition |date=12 April 2018 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-255171-9 |page=419 |url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=wHpVDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT419 |language=en}}</ref> [[Charlotte Brontë]] records that he wore out 80 pairs of shoes in his quest to do so. The foundation stones of the church were laid down in 1849.<ref>{{cite web|title = Oxenhope, West Yorkshire – St. Mary the Virgin – History|url = http://www.thesunflowertrust.org.uk/OxenhopeVillage/stmarys/smtv-history.htm|website = www.thesunflowertrust.org.uk|access-date = 22 October 2015}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[John Hollingworth (actor)|John Hollingworth]], actor and playwright, was raised in Oxenhope.<ref name="Deep Blue Sea">{{Cite web|last=Knights|first=David|date=3 February 2011|title=Between the devil and the Deep Blue Sea|url=https://www.keighleynews.co.uk/leisure/8829998.between-the-devil-and-the-deep-blue-sea/|access-date=31 January 2024|website=[[Keighley News]]|language=en}}</ref>

== Filmography ==
Oxenhope was used as setting for the film ''[[The Railway Children (1970 film)|The Railway Children]]'' (starring [[Jenny Agutter]]). The Waterbury's house was set at Bents Farm,<ref>{{cite web |title=The Railway Children: in search of the Yorkshire locations, 50 years on |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/railway-children-yorkshire-locations |access-date=20 August 2023 |website=BFI }}</ref> south of Haworth.

The [[Oxenhope railway station|station]] was also used in the TV mini series [[The Great Train Robbery (2013 TV series)|The Great Train Robbery]] (starring [[Luke Evans]]) in 2013.

==See also==
*[[Listed buildings in Oxenhope]]
* [[Brontë Country]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Oxenhope}}
.
* [http://www.oxenhope.org.uk Oxenhope Village Website]

{{Bradford}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Villages in West Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in West Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Geography of the City of Bradford]]