Thornton, West Yorkshire

Thornton derives from Old English and means a thorn tree at a farm or settlement.[2] It was mentioned in the Domesday Book of the 11th century,[3] when it had been laid waste by William the Conqueror's harrying of the North, punishment for an uprising against the Norman invaders of 1066.[4]

Thornton was formerly a township and chapelry in the parish of Bradford, becoming a civil parish in its own right in 1866.[5][6] In 1865 Thornton was declared to be a Local Government District, administered by a local board.[7] Such local boards became urban district councils under the Local Government Act 1894. Thornton Urban District existed for less than five years; in 1899 it was incorporated into the city of Bradford.[8] The civil parish of Thornton continued to exist until 1974, but as an urban parish it had no parish council, being directly administered by the city council. In 1951 the parish had a population of 6097.[9]

The parish was abolished in 1974 when the larger City of Bradford metropolitan borough was created, since when it has been an unparished area. Thornton comprises part of the Thornton and Allerton ward.[10] It falls within the parliamentary constituency of Bradford West.[11]

Its elevation, poor soils, isolation from major transport routes, and rainfall of over 34 inches a year limited farm production. Resources such as coal, iron and sandstone, the development of turnpike roads, and the coming of the railways enabled Thornton to share in the prosperity generated by the 19th-century wool worsted trade. The increasing use of steam-powered mills (at the expense of the former cottage-industry production methods) concentrated production in the valleys of the city centre. Foreign imports, the Second World War, and closure of the railways, all contributed to the decline in manufacturing. Today Thornton is a residential suburb of Bradford.[12]

The main thoroughfare through the village is Market Street. This road was bypassed in 1826 by the new Thornton Road (the present day B6145) and as it was a very early bypass, most new building work has since taken place along Thornton Road. This has left Market Street largely untouched and it retains its original character and stonework on the buildings. This street forms the backbone of the conservation area in the village.[13]

Thornton's most famous residents were the Brontës. The Rev Patrick Brontë became the incumbent of Thornton Chapel in 1815,[14] and Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne Brontë were born at 74 Market Street, Thornton before the family moved to Haworth.[15] The remains of the church where the father preached, known as the Bell Chapel, can be seen in the restored old graveyard off Thornton Road opposite the current church.[16] The 44 mi (71 km) long Brontë Way passes through Thornton on its way between Gawthorpe Hall in Lancashire and Oakwell Hall in the Birstall area.[17]

Thornton Viaduct, as seen from the 7th green of Headley Golf Club

Thornton Viaduct was a railway viaduct for the Great Northern Railway line running from Queensbury to Keighley via Thornton. It was built in an S-shape to allow a smooth access to Thornton railway station.[18] The viaduct is now a Grade II listed building.[19]

The viaduct was reopened as part of The Great Northern Railway Trail between Cullingworth and Queensbury along the track bed in 2009,[18] with a final link up to Queensbury opening in 2012.[20]

• Beckfoot Thornton
• Listed buildings in Thornton and Allerton, West Yorkshire

Media related to Thornton, West Yorkshire at Wikimedia Commons

• Thornton Directory: community news and business directory.
• Thornton at Curlie
• Thornton Viaduct.
• 74, Market Street; Bronte birthplace
• All About Thornton, mainly in BD13 website