Shepley
| Shepley | |
|---|---|
 Shepley
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| Shepley shown within West Yorkshire | |
| OS grid reference | SE192097 |
| • London | 155 mi (249 km) SSE |
| Civil parish | |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HUDDERSFIELD |
| Postcode district | HD8 |
| Dialling code | 01484 |
| Police | West Yorkshire |
| Fire | West Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament | |
Shepley is a village in the civil parish of Kirkburton, in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England, and in the Diocese of Wakefield. It lies 8 miles (13 km) south south east of Huddersfield and 6 miles (9.7 km) north west of Penistone.
In the 2011 census the population of Shepley and Birdsedge was 2,851.
Historically the name 'Shepley' has been interpreted as 'a clearing or meadow where sheep are kept', the meaning being derived from the Anglo-Saxon language. However, Shepley is also situated on one of several local leys comprising Crossley, Longley, Shepley, Shelley, Emley, East Midgley, Coxley, Stanley, Scholey, Methley and Astley. The ley idea was introduced by antiquarian Alfred Watkins in his book 'The Old Straight Track' in 1925. He suggested that the ancient British used high points and hill tops as sighting points to help them navigate in a straight line and that 'ley' or 'leigh' place names actually mean "a grassy track across country". He perceived that many later Roman roads followed these straight ancient tracks. Some people also associate leys with the occult.
Evidence exists of earlier occupation in the area at Castle Hill (not to be confused with Castle Hill, Huddersfield), a small hilltop above Birdsedge that contains defensive works which might have been either a Roman or tribal look-out station. Some local historians claim that the ancient ridge above the Sovereign, known as 'Burnt Cumberworth' contained ancient furrows before they were destroyed by quarrying in the late 20th century.
'Sceaplei' is mentioned in the Domesday Book, written in 1086.
Shepley's population suffered during William the Conqueror's Harrying of the North 1069–1070 when the king laid to waste towns and villages between the Scottish border and the River Humber in order to put down a northern rebellion against his Norman rule. Thousands of people were put to the sword. However, the village was soon back in political favour, as in 1217, a certain Matthew of Sheplei was knighted and his name appears in the records of the Beaumont family of Whitley Beaumont and later of Bretton Hall near Wakefield.
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Wikipedia