Burley-in-Wharfedale | |
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18th- and 19th-century stone terraced housing in the village centre |
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Burley-in-Wharfedale shown within West Yorkshire | |
Population | 7,338 |
OS grid reference | SE165464 |
• London | 175 mi (282 km) SSE |
Civil parish |
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Metropolitan borough | |
Metropolitan county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | ILKLEY |
Postcode district | LS29 |
Dialling code | 01943 |
Police | West Yorkshire |
Fire | West Yorkshire |
Ambulance | Yorkshire |
EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
UK Parliament | |
Burley-in-Wharfedale is a village and civil parish in the county of West Yorkshire, England, and is situated within the Wharfedale valley.
The village is situated on the A65 road, approximately 11 miles (18 km) north-west from Leeds city centre, 8 miles (13 km) north from Bradford, 3 miles (5 km) from the spa town of Ilkley and 2 miles (3 km) from the market town of Otley. The hamlet of Burley Woodhead, a cluster of farms and homes at the foot of Burley Moor, is 1 mile (1.6 km) to the south-west.
Originally a small agricultural community with likely Roman and Anglo-Saxon roots, Burley developed in the late 18th and 19th centuries into an industrial village with many residents employed at Greenholme Mills, cotton mills powered from a fed from the River Wharfe. The cotton mill no longer operates, but the goit is now utilised to provide hydro electric power, and a weir remains.
The development of industrial and commercial centres in the nearby cities of Leeds and Bradford, combined with rail and bus links, caused major changes to the village in the early 20th century. Council housing was built in the 1920s and 1950s, as the village became a dormitory settlement for the two cities. With developments in the second half of the 20th century, Burley became a prosperous but socially diverse village. The village has a high percentage of elderly and retired people, and young families attracted by job opportunities, local schools and new housing developments.