Mytholmroyd
| Mytholmroyd | |
 View of Mytholmroyd from the north |
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  Mytholmroyd |
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| Population | 4,594 (2011) |
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| OS grid reference | SE012260 |
| Civil parish | Hebden Royd |
| Metropolitan borough | Calderdale |
| Metropolitan county | West Yorkshire |
| Region | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HEBDEN BRIDGE |
| Postcode district | HX7 |
| Dialling code | 01422 |
| Police | West Yorkshire |
| Fire | West Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament | Calder Valley |
Coordinates: 53°43′48″N 1°58′52″W / 53.730°N 1.981°W
Mytholmroyd /ˈmaɪðəmrɔɪd/ is a large village in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England, 1 mile (1.6 km) east of Hebden Bridge and 7 miles (11.3 km) west of Halifax. The village is in the Luddendenfoot Ward of Calderdale Council and forms part of the Hebden Royd parish.
Etymology
Mytholmroyd, recorded in the 13th century as Mithomrode, refers to a clearing where two rivers meet, and is derived from the Old English (ge)mȳthum (inflected form of (ge)mȳthe, "river mouth"), plus rodu ("field" or "clearing"). The l was probably inserted out of confusion with the common place-name element holm, Old Norse for a small island or eyot.[1][2] "Mytholm"[3] means two rivers meeting, where "Royd" is a clearing for settlement, together meaning a clearing where the two rivers meet.
History
During the late 18th century, the valley to the south, known as Cragg Vale, was home to a gang of counterfeiters known as the Cragg Coiners. The gang's leader, David Hartley, or King David as he was known, was found guilty of the 1769 murder of excise official William Dighton and was hanged at the York Tyburn on 28 April 1770. Two other gang members were also executed for their part in the murder.
Mytholmroyd today
Mytholmroyd is now known to locals as 'Royd'. The population is roughly 4,600. Mytholmroyd is prone to flooding, and in 2012 floodwaters breached the defence wall onto the A646. The village suffered flooding in 2012 with the floodwaters closing popular venues such as the Dusty Miller and Coiners Restaurant.
The village is part of the Valley of Lights Festival every year. The village also holds markets, performances at the St. Michael's Enterprise Centre, antique shows and fairs, together with events at the sports and leisure centre and at the Ted Hughes Theatre.[4]
Mytholmroyd has many business parks and a high street in the centre with mainly independent shops including a gift shop, garden shop, post office, sweet shop, hardware shop, travel centre, launderette, hair salons and takeaways. There are also many eating venues including Aux Delacies Bistro & Wine Bar,the Blue Teapot bistro,Riverside Cafe, the Shoulder of Mutton and more.
There is a medical complex including a dental practice, pharmacy, health centre, opticians and more.
Boxing Day Floods, 2015
Mytholmroyd was hit particularly bad by the Boxing Day floods in 2015, where the River Calder and canal both rose to cover most of the main road through the village as well as surrounding streets. As a result, many of the businesses were damaged. Most businesses have now reopened.
St. Michael's Church, Mythomroyd
Elphin Brook passing under the Caldervale Line railway viaduct.jpg)
New Road passing under the Caldervale Line railway viaduct
Drinking fountain, off Cragg Road
Gorillas next to the Rochdale Canal.jpg)
Last colours of autumn, Mytholmroyd (7 November 2010)
Education
Mytholmroyd is the home of Calder High School, the largest Comprehensive School in the Upper Calder Valley. It is also home to Scout Road Academy and Burnley Road Academy.
Culture
Mytholmroyd Community Centre hosts the annual Dock Pudding Championships, in April. In 2007 Robbie Coltrane entered the competition and was awarded second place.[5]
The 130 feet (40 m) Scout Rock on the south side of the valley in Mytholmroyd features heavily in Ted Hughes' autobiography, The Rock. Hughes was born in the village (before moving to Mexborough) but latterly owned a property in Mytholmroyd in his adulthood. Hughes claimed that Scout Rock cast its mood over the village.[6]
Transport
Rail
The village is served by Mytholmroyd railway station, located on New Road.
Road
The village has two main bus stops in the village centre- recently equipped with departure screens, new shelters, toilets and seating. The bus services offer direct services to Cragg Vale, Rishworth, Huddersfield, Hebden Bridge, Rochdale, Halifax, Burnley, Todmorden, Sowerby Bridge and more. There is a large taxi rank based in the village and also cycling is very popular in the area since recent investment including the resurfacing of the Rochdale Canal and Route 66 Cycleway and Le Tour de France passing through the village. The Tour de Yorkshire now also passes through the village, including Cragg Vale, also in Mytholmroyd, the longest continuous climb in the country- and also the longest line of bunting hung from the bottom to the top of the road, this was verified in 2014 by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Air
Leeds Airport is accessible by Rail from Mytholmroyd.
Government
The village is part of the Luddendenfoot ward of the Metropolitan borough of Calderdale, part of the Metropolitan county of West Yorkshire.[7]
At a district level Mytholmroyd Urban District Council was set up in 1894. In 1937 it merged with Hebden Bridge Urban District Council to become Hebden Royd Urban District Council. At a county level Mytholmroyd was administered by the West Riding County Council. Both of these were abolished as part of the reforms introduced in the Local Government Act 1972. They were replaced with West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council and Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council. The Hebden Royd Town Council area forms a civil parish. West Yorkshire County Council was abolished in 1986, leaving Mytholmroyd with represented at borough and town council level.
Notable people
- Eric Harrison, Footballer
- Ted Hughes, English Poet Laureate
- Innes Ireland, Racing driver and Grand Prix winner
- Jane Lumb, actress and fashion model
References
- ↑ Mills, Anthony David (2003). Oxford dictionary of British place names. Oxford University Press. p. 513.
- ↑ Goodall, Armitage (1913). Place-names of South-West Yorkshire. Cambridge University Press. p. 216.
- ↑ "Calderdale history timeline 1100 - 1400AD". Calderdale Council. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
- ↑ mytholmrod.net Ted Hughes theatre
- ↑ "Hebweb news 2007: Robbie Coltrane comes 2nd in World Dock Pudding championship". Hebden Bridge Web. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
- ↑ "A walk around Ted Hughes' Mytholmroyd". BBC.co.uk. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- ↑ "Luddendenfoot". 2010. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
External links
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