The picturesque Yorkshire village steeped in millennia of industrial heritage

History is everywhere you look, and in Yorkshire we are particularly blessed with historical monuments and sites.

Addingham, sat on the edge of West Yorkshire, is one place where this is especially clear. With much of the town dating back to before the Victorian era, you can see the history of the town on the blue plaques which are adorned to many of the buildings.

These point to the industrial history of the place, which used to be a centre for the textile industry. One plaque details two rows of back-to-back cottages built for a textile entrepreneur John Cockshott to house workers, with the buildings dating back to 1806.

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Still standing and inhabited now, they're just one example of the history Addingham has to offer.

Ancient History

While many places in Yorkshire can trace their history back to pre-Roman times, Addingham has a direct link with its past nearby. The entire town finds itself close to Ilkley Moor, with the Addingham Moorside section close by. On this moor, prehsitoric carvings dating back to the Bronze Age can be found overlooking Addingham.

Now a Scheduled Monument, the 'cup and ring' carvings are a series of 'cups', or carved dents on horizontal rock. Some of these are surrounded by carved rings.

Examples of these kinds of carvings can be found across Europe, with examples of this kind of carving found in Scotland, Ireland, Spanish Galicia and Brittany, in Northern France as well as many other places.

Later, during the Roman period, the Roman road towards Skipton was built, providing more evidence of settlement at this time.

Medieval times, martyrs and the beginnings of industry

In 1066 the famous Battle of Hastings was fought, with the then-Duke of Normandy, William, defeating the last Anglo-Saxon king in battle, becoming William the Conqueror and the first King of England. As he took control of the country, he commissioned a grand survey to find out exactly what he now owned.

This was known as the Domesday Book, and in it, you can find more evidence of Addingham's existence. Referred to as 'Ediham', it is believed this name came from the local lord, Ear Edwin.

Over the years the town continued to be inhabited, and one particular inhabitant of note became famous during the English Reformation. As Protestantism swept over Europe, one man born in Addingham, Father Richard Kirkman, refused to convert and remained a Catholic.

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At the time, this was illegal, and so Richard was arrested. In 1582, he was executed on the charge of recusancy..

In 1886, he was beatified by the Catholic Church in recognition of his martyrdom.

It was the 18th Century which began to see major changes taking place to Addingham's economy, along with the rest of the country, as industrialisation began in its early stages. Spinning mills were set up in the town, making use of the River Wharfe, to spin yarn into cloth.

Industry and decline

Mills began to open across the town, each designed for textile manufacturing, which became the town's biggest source of employment during the industrial era.

Low Mill originally opened in 1787 with owners John Cunliffe and John Cockshott setting up the spinning mill to make cloth. Low Mill did close temporarily, but was reopened in the mid to late 1800s, remaining in operation until 1976.

Some of these mills can still be seen in the town, although they have long since ceased operation. Now used as housing, Burnside Mill still towers above many of the old buildings in the town.

The present day

Today, Addingham remains a beautiful town, situated just outside of the Yorkshire Dales and with stunning views all-round. Its main street is busy with cars coming to and fro.

Lining the main street are a number of local shops and historic buildings. For example, the Piece Hall, built in 1826, was once used for the sale of cloth pieces before transitioning into a grocers, a bank and a butcher's shop.

Now, like many of the old buildings in the town, it is a residential property.

There is also plenty of greenery to be found around Addingham, from the farmer's fields which surround it to the beautiful local parks, sports fields and gardens. Despite the decline of industry in the town, its still full of life with many people now working outside the town and commuting into nearby cities like Leeds and Bradford.

Addingham is a place with much to recommend, and with easy access to the countryside, it is a great place to visit.