Thursday, January 25, 2007

Otley Gateway to the Yorkshire Dales

Otley is a beaut little market town in the West Yorkshire dales, the township lies in Wharfedale and is divided in two by the River Wharfe. As a market town Otley has held a regular market for over a thousand years, documented history for the market begins in 1222 when King Henry III granted the first Royal Charter. The population is 14,348 (census 2001) and dates back to the seventh century (so it's quiet old) Anglo-saxon times (cool), The southside of the valley is dominated by a large gritstone escarpment overlooking Otley called The Chevin. It was from the quarry on the Chevin that the foundation stones for the house of Parliament were hewn. The Chevin is a term that has close parallels to the welsh term 'Cefn', meaning ridge and may be a survival of the ancient Cumbric language, fairdinkum!. On top of the Chevin you can see the whole countryside and the township. To the west are the nearby villages of Burley-in-Wharfedale and Menston. To the east is the smaller village of Pool-in-Wharfedale.
Otley has the distinction of having the 'Most Pubs per head of Population', with Pubs like Three horseshoes, Blackbull, Rose'n'crown, The Black horse, Woolpack, Bayhorse, The Red lion and many many more, you will never go dry of thirst in this town. The old All Saints Church (where we got married) in the township dates back to the eleventh century. Inside the church are the remains of two early Anglo-Saxon crosses. Buried there is an ancestor of the 19th century American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
You might know of an old bloke called Thomas Chippendale, well he was born at Otley in 1718 and as a con..... he is now dead!!!. He started he's beaut furniture building at this place, which became world famous. The town built a statue of him that stands next to the old Prince Henry's Grammer school in Manor square that he once attended.
Otley is also seen on TV in a soap opera called Emmerdale, as the township 'Hotton' and also parts of Otley are seen in the beaut show 'Heartbeat'. One of the streets used in the show is where Tania's untie Brender and uncle Nigle lives, and the old Police station shown in heartbeat is actually the Otley Courthouse which is now an art's center. But to sum up this township it's just a beaut little village that is full of friendly people and still keeps that old English atmosphere. I loved my time in this place and have many fond memory's, not just of the Pubs but of the people who I meat there. From the bush walks through the countryside to siting in the park by Riverwharfe having some fish'n'chips with the misses. From climbing the H??? Castle with the father-in-law to looking down on Otley from the Chevin hillside. And of cause getting married to me love of me life..... The Misses in the All Saints Church in the heart of Otley. I was only there for four mouths but we claimed as much as we could in that time and I loved it. Anybody who travels through England should send the time to pop in and have a chance to experience this great little village.