Welcome to the Burley History Trail
The trail was created by a group of young people, under the Young Enterprise Scheme, organised by the Burley Youth Forum and sponsored by Barclays New Futures, to promote interest in the history of the village of Burley-in-Wharfedale, West Yorkshire, England.
The trail is made up of twenty places of historical interest around the village, each one identified by its own commerorative plaque.
A Brief History of the Village
BURHLEG was first mentioned in the Saxon Chronicles of 972. It was next mentioned in the Yorkshire Charters of 1030 and in 1087 there is a Doomsday reference to BURGHELAI. BURG means a fortified manor; -LEAH -LEA -LEY means a clearing belonging to a burg. In this case a manor belonging to Otley Manor.
In 1279, the Manor of Burley was held by Sir R Maunsel, and during thiscentury the first village Chapel was built.
The Manor of Stead was mentioned throughout the early years but only afarmstead remains today. In 1546, Stead belonged to the Knights of St John of Jerusalem. Over the door of the house at Stead, is the date WIV 1596.
The houses at Old Fold, York Road, date from the 17th Century.
With the Industrial Revolution, and the building of Greenholme Mills, many people moved into the village in search of employment. The mill owners, in particular Forster and Fison, built houses for the workforce, and provided many of the facilities in the village, including public buildings and the recreation ground. The size of Burley, therefore, increased considerably.
When the Education Act of 1870 was introduced, Burley had a Mill School with 152 children, a National School with 176 children and the Township School with 90 infants.
The village inns were re-built and enlarged into hotels, the Malt Shovel in 1880, the Queens Head in 1893 and the Red Lion in 1893.
Burley also had a racecourse during the 19th Century in the Bradford Road area.
Famous People from Burley's Past
William Forster - Politician - Author of the 1870 Education Act lived in Burley from 1850 to 1886.
Thomas Maude - Poet - Builder of Burley House in the late 18th Century.
Dr Charles Ingham Black - Vicar from 1855 to 1896 - Wrote the carol "T'was in the Winter Cold".
William Watson - Poet - Born 1858 in Peel Place and remembered by a plaque on the Queens Hall.
Walter Flesher - 20th Century Naturalist - Who appeared on TV and the radio.