Introduction
For those unfamiliar with West Yorkshire, Horbury lies a few miles upstream from Wakefield on the River Calder. Recorded in the Domesday Book, the village on the hill probably had a Saxon chapel. In Norman times there was a mill on the Calder at what is now called Horbury Junction and probably a ford. Upstream there was a ford and later a bridge at Horbury Bridge.
The river still forms the official boundary of the township with one small diversion to include the settlement around the Navigation Inn. The eastern boundary with Wakefield is mainly marked by a stream but now more obviously the M1. The centre of the town sits at the top of the hill, around Queen Street and the High Street, boasting a good selection of independent shops with attractive frontages. The Huddersfield - Wakefield road up the steep Quarry Hill used to run through the High Street, but since 1967 we have a bypass.
It was to encourage his young charges on their ascent of Quarry Hill from his mission by the textile mills to the church in the town that Baring Gould penned the words for Onward, Christian Soldiers.
Inspiration
In 2003 the librarians at Horbury, having visited the Leeds Tapestry, thought it would be great to have a Horbury Tapestry, celebrating the centenary of Horbury Library. Knowing that Janet Taylor, one of the Friends of Horbury Library committee members, was a textile designer, they approached Janet and asked if she would explore this further.
A flyer in the library and circulated elsewhere invited people to an initial meeting to discuss the idea. Much to their amazement 20 ladies arrived. Following a “works outing” to the Leeds Tapestry, which did not deter them one bit, the group set to work.
Viewing the Tapestry
The Horbury Tapestry can be viewed at Horbury Library, telephone 01924 303060 to check that it is accessible for your visit; otherwise you may find yourself in the midst of one of the library’s many and varied activities.
Visitors to the library will also be able to visit The Horbury People’s Museum, installed in the library in April 2024. Taken alongside the library’s own local history books, the Horbury Community Photograph Archive, and library links online to genealogy, British Newspaper Archive and other material, the library is becoming a history hub for Horbury.