KNOTTINGLEY

'Knottingley' is a town within the metropolitan district of the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England on the River Aire and the A1 road. Until 1699, it was an important inland river port but, in that year, the Aire was made navigable as far as Leeds. Nonetheless, Knottingley remained a centre for boat building into the twentieth century. After 1870, the town also became known for glass manufacturing. It has a population of 17,000.
It is also the last place in the British Empire to have a Bear-baiting arena.
Knottingley is famous as a glass manufacturing town^[1], and in 1887 Bagley's Glassworks purchased the rights to the first bottle making machine invented by a Ferrybridge postmaster^[2]. The last known occurrence of bear baiting in England was also in the "low end" of the town. Close to Knottingley is Ferrybridge Power Station which has the largest cooling towers of its kind in Europe. One of the oldest purpose built cinemas in England is still standing in Aire Street, but has now been converted into flats.

Contents

Etymology

Industry

Famous people from Knottingley

Education

References

Location Grid

Etymology

Knottingley means "the clearing of Cnotta's people", from the Old English personal name ''Cnotta'' meaning "knot", describing a small, round man and -''ingas'' "people of" + ''leāh'' "wood, modern lee, not the same meaning as Leah (personal name)". The name was recorded as ''Cnotinesleahemm'' in 1128.

During the 3 Sieges of Pontefract Castle, Oliver Cromwell took residence in the town of Knottingley, believed to be in Wildbore House. Wildbore house was demolished and the land beneath was turned into a quarry for the limestone underneath.

Industry

Knottingley has a few industries, including glass works, mining, and - more surprisingly, given its location - ship building.
The town is one of the few in the entire United Kingdom to still have a working coal mine - Kellingley Colliery.

Famous people from Knottingley

Famous Knottingley residents (past and present),include:-

★ Ben Thompson, Former Marshall of Austin, Texas.

★ Terry Cooper, Former Leeds United & England defender. Currently Southampton's European scout.

★ Graham Steadman, Former York Wasps, Featherstone Rovers, Castleford Tigers & Great Britain stand off.

★ Wayne Godwin, Hull FC Hooker, who came through the Castleford Tigers academy and also played for Knottingley Rockware ARLFC

★ Ian Preece, Dewsbury Rams Full Back, who played for Knottingley Rockware ARLFC since the age of 6.

★ Andy McNally, Former London Broncos, Featherstone Rovers, Castleford Tigershalf back who came through the Castleford Tigers academy with Wayne Godwin and also played for Knottingley Rockware ARLFC

★ Zeeshan Khan (amateur boxing champion) Brother of famous tyersal footballer Hasan Khan

★ Mohammad Pandor (professional cricketer)

Education

Knottingley currently has one high school, Knottingley High School and Sports College. There are a number of primary schools: England Lane Junior and Infant School, Ferrybridge Infant School, Ferrybridge Roundhill Junior School, Knottingley Church of England Junior and Infant School, Knottingley Vale Junior and Infant School, Simpsons Lane Junior and Infant School and Throstle Farm Junior, Infant and Nursery School. There are sixth-form colleges in nearby Pontefract, Wakefield and Selby.

References

1. [1]Glass manufacturing
2. [2]Bottle making

Location Grid